How should the U.S. respond to Putin's anti-gay laws in terms of the Sochi Winter Olympics?

[Ken Burch]

Once again, there is an Olympic games coming up in a country with a dubious-to-horrific human rights climate(made much worse by the laws Putin signed into effect this week, laws that Harvey Fierstein referred to as "a new pogrom&quot .

What choice do you think the U.S. should make about participating?

(on edit)Sorry about the weird typo I had that turned "anti-gay laws" into "anti-laws". I'm not sure what an "anti-law" would be, although it sounds sort of anarchist, which is the last thing Putin could ever be called.

12 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Participate in games on normal terms
	5 (42%)
	Boycott games
	1 (8%)
	Participate but have the U.S. team incorporate the rainbow stripes into its uniform(ESPECIALLY the hockey team)
	6 (50%)
	Other(offer your suggestions below)
	0 (0%)
	No opinion
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[JI7]

1. not just the US but all athletes who support gay rights should

wear some rainbow pin or something else in support of gay rights and as a sign of opposition to putin's anti gay laws.

[Ken Burch]

4. what other countries' teams do will be determined by those other countries.

Last edited Sun Jul 28, 2013, 08:52 PM - Edit history (1)

We can express our views on what they should do, but we're most likely to have an influence on what OUR country's team does. What our team announces IT will do, however, could influence the other teams' choices on the matter.

[napoleon_in_rags]

2. Tough guys in capri pants.

That's what its about.

Russia has a long and noble history of sailors deciding the nations future, if you go back and look at the revolutions which led to the Soviet state, you'll see it. So their equivalent of tri-tip hats and 18th century long coats are tight striped sailor shirts and goofy hats. Their traditional tough guys dress in a manner which is considered "homosexual" in the west, often tied to sailors. So currently, the whole country is screaming a collective "we're not gay" at the world for their fashion issues.

IMHO, the best the west can do is scream "we hear you" back. I like the idea of rainbow pins, especially on the toughest, manliest athletes the west has. Decouple LGBT support with dress, and we'll do a world of good for the community in Russia.

[Ken Burch]

3. The reason I thought the stripes might be part of the uniform is visibility from a distance.

It's gonna be hard to see pins during the giant slalom or the luge.

Of course, your comments about dress and the conflicted image the Russians send about sexuality with their clothing now has me thinking it would be great if Sacha Baron Cohen revived "Borat" as a reporter covering the Games.

[napoleon_in_rags]

5. Oh, well, it doesn't have to DEFINE the event.

I would see it as a cheap blow, if the US were to play up gay rights alone, with Russia critiquing so many issues with us. Better for it to be understated. Let the instability of an immoral position manifest over time, if Russia insists on clinging to its anti-LGBT views. Such views always translate into violations of individual liberties, and these provide a powerful counter-example to the pro-liberty stances Russia has put forth in recent times. Its hard to argue against an NSA tap on every phone while you advocate a camera in every bedroom.

But we'll see. Russia is a state in transition, just like us, and my hopes are always with a better future, both for them and for us .

Peace!

[LostOne4Ever]

6. They should use the Olympics as a stage to speak out for the russian LGBT community!

I think every athlete who supports gay rights Should find some way to speak out for the now voiceless LGBT community in Russia. They should incorporate rainbow flags into their uniforms and should wave both their country's flag and the rainbow flag after every win.

They can silence their own people but they can't silence the world!

[Donald Ian Rankin]

7. *If* you're going to have something like the Olympics, it can't respect human rights.

The point of the Olympics, as I understand it, is to be a sporting competition in which athletes from all over the world take part.

If you don't allow countries with appalling human rights records - which, frankly, is most of them - to host it, then those countries will probably boycott it, and hold their own games instead, and what's left will be a perfectly good sporting contest, but not a worldwide one and hence not really the Olympics.

It's not at all obvious to me that that's not a price worth paying - human rights are more important than sport - but we should be clear that saying "the Olympics should care about human rights" is tantamount to saying "there should not be a genuine worldwide sporting contest".

[JI7]

8. but people can and have used the occasion to make political statements

i agree that you can't go as far as to ban nations/athletes .

but things like wearing a pin in support of something do not get in the way of the games itself but do show support for certain people/causes.

[justiceischeap]

9. Until very recently, the US had a horrific human rights climate toward the LGBT community

and there are many states that still have anti-equality marriage laws (and some anti-gay adoption laws) on their books. So, frankly, I can't see the US getting behind this.

Also, it's people (religious and far-right conservatives) from the US that helped push/draft the Uganda "Kill the Gays" bill.

[Ken Burch]

12. Both very true.

Not sure what that means in this context, though.

[Savannahmann]

10. I am surprised that nobody else has remembered this

The 1968 Olympics. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1968_Olympics_Black_Power_salute

One of the most politically inspired moments at the Olympics.



It spoke to me when I first saw it, and every time since.

[Ken Burch]

18. Remember it well. Brent Musburger(then a young sportswriter)threw a total hissy about it

And compared Smith and Carlos to "a pair of black-skinned stormtroopers". As of late 2012, Musburger STILL hadn't apologized to Smith and Carlos for this racist, despicable and truly bizarre slur(How does an act of silent, nonviolent protest equate in ANYONE's mind to being a Nazi thug?):

http://www.thenation.com/blog/168209/after-forty-four-years-its-time-brent-musburger-apologized-john-carlos-and-tommie-smith#

[MADem]

11. Someone--can't remember who--proposed that western leaders boycott the ceremonies.

The teams can go and participate, the leaders of the countries should stay away, and leave Putin alone to contemplate the fact that no one wants to sit with him.

It's a psychological boycott, if you will...

[Ken Burch]

13. Interesting idea, actually. n/t.

[Ken Burch]

14. I'd like one of those who favored participating on normal terms to address this question:

How do we do that without having it look like we're ok with Putin's gay pogrom laws?

[branford]

15. Rainbow stripes might violate IOC rules.

It is my understanding that IOC rules forbid political statements or advertisements being placed on equipment and uniforms, and that such rules are interpreted quite broadly to prevent the uniform suggestion of the OP. It is not unlike how in 2010 the IOC prohibited Jonathan Quick of the US hockey team from wearing a helmet with a "Support Our Troops" slogan.

Additionally, although I abhor the Russian government's record on human rights, particularly towards GLBTs, I'm weary of using American athletes at the Olympic Games to publicize the issue. First, the rainbow stripes might violate the First Amendment rights of American athletes. Although I personally, and strongly, agree with the sentiments expressed in the OP, sadly, I would expect that a number of the athletes would not. Expressing agreement (or disagreement) with the government in connection with a contentious political issue is not, and should not legally be, a requirement to compete on the American team. Second, governments with far worse human rights records have peacefully participated in the games, and the games are not limited to liberal, western democracies with whom we politically agree. And third, I fear violent reprisal against our athletes in Sochi, Russia by both government supported thugs and ignorant citizens.

However, I would fully support symbolic action by our elected leadership and private media at the games. For instance, the president can turn his back on the Russian team as they parade by in the opening activities and/or he can make forceful statements to the press. Private media personalities can also highlight their criticism of the Russian government during their coverage of the games. I believe that the distinction among American public officials, the individual athletes and private citizens both watching or covering the games, is very significant.

[DevonRex]

16. How do we know our athletes will be safe there?

We do have LGBTs participating. Or who have been chosen for the Olympic team. I imagine they're in a quandary now, too. But how can we put them in danger? And endanger the others who will be itching to make a statement of support for them. I know they all want to compete and win and rub Putin's nose in it. Show him what LGBT athletes and straight athletes, a team, can do when they don't hate or fear.

The Russian law also makes it illegal to support homosexuality as "normal."

Well, that'd be the very first damn thing I'd want to do in Putin's Russia. Support my LGBT teammates. Show that being LGBT is indeed perfectly "normal" and that Putin and Russian legislators are a bunch of psychos.

So, we could wind up with everybody in jail. With the LGBTs getting the worst of it.

[Katashi_itto]

17. Recruit a mostly gay Olympic team?

Just a thought, but fight fire with fire without even saying anything.

[Ken Burch]

19. Especially if we had mostly gay and lesbian ice hockey teams n/t.

[davidpdx]

20. bump