As some of you are aware, Next February, the Nations of the World will gather in Sochi, Russia, to commence the Games of the 22nd Winter Olympiad. The fact that Sochi is hosting the Winter Olympics was a potential International incident waiting to happen, being that the Chechnya, and other Caucus flashpoints are in the neighborhood. Then, add in the situation with Edward Snowden, chilling U.S.-Russian relations at a time that the Russians could use US security support.
But all that pales in comparison to a controversy that could light a real powder keg of Olympic protests, making Berlin in 1936 and Mexico City in 1968 look like a Sunday picnic…
In June, Russia enacted a series of anti-gay laws. Basically, the laws state, that while you can be gay in Russia, any attempt to be show your gayness in public or support gay rights in public is illegal. The laws have enabled anti-gay groups (such as Neo-Nazi-like group) to publicly attack anyone who supports gay rights. And some of the attacks have been brutal. Just today, I saw a CNN article on a Russian journalist who was fired after he came out of the closest.
The response to this legislation has varied and is largely disorganized. Some gay rights advocates have called for a boycott of Russian vodka. Others have asked for the U.S. to boycott a second Russian Olympics. Still others, like George Takei, are asking for the IOC to move the Winter Olympics to Vancouver.
So how is Russia handling the arrival of the world’s greatest athletes, some of who will be openly gay? The Russian Government has said gay athletes are welcome, but you get differing views on how the laws may be enforced during the games. Some Russian leaders have asked all athletes to respect Russian laws, while others have said there will be no issues in Sochi with respect to the laws. The IOC has clouded the situation further stating that all athletes need to respect the laws of the host country. At the same time, the IOC has asked Russia to clarify their position on the upcoming Winter Olympics and gay athletes.
So will any pro-gay signs of demonstration be allowed from the athletes? The World Track & Field Championships, currently taking place in Moscow, may offer a clue. Will any track & field athlete be brave enough to openly show gay pride during this week in Moscow? Oh, and memo to Johnny Weir: I know you want to go to Sochi just to shove it down Putin’s throat, but your best days were 8 years ago in Turin. You’re going to have to earn it in January—and you haven’t skated competitively in almost a year. You’re going to have a tough road just to get there, much less win.
There are no easy options. I do think the Russian law should be overturned, but it is not worth boycotting the Olympics or Russian vodka over. You have to win the hearts of the Russian people and get them to change and evolve. It will be a long and hard road to do that, and you have to overcome hurdles as big as the Caucuses. But it will be worth it in the end.
But my real anger is at those who were so willing to display the pink equals sign in the red background on their Facebook profile—in fact some of them still do. Where are you at? Why aren’t you willing to take a position on this matter? Is it because it is Russia? It is easy to criticize anti-gay laws in Uganda repetitively, and criticize the Pope’s views on Gay marriage, but you don’t want to take on Putin for his anti-gay views?
It’s embarrassing that I have to be the catalyst here. But, if I have to be the one to get the debate going… so be it. Consider the fight engaged.
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