George Takei: It's Time to Move the Olympics

[gollygee]

http://www.allegiancemusical.com/blog-entry/its-time-move-olympics

It’s been bubbling for some time, but the controversy over Russia’s draconian “gay propaganda” law has now boiled over.Last week, Russia’s Sports Minister confirmed that the country intends to enforce its laws against visiting LGBT athletes, trainers and fans, meaning anyone even so much as waving a rainbow flag (and I presume many men enthusiastically watching and dramatically commenting on figure skating) would be arrested, held for weeks and then deported.Given this position, the IOC must do the right thing, protect its athletes and the fans, and move the 2014 Winter Olympics out of Russia.

The International Olympic Committee’s fundamental principles include an unequivocal statement: “The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.” In specific response to the Russian law, the IOC, in a recent interview, doubled down: “[We] would like to reiterate our long commitment to not discriminate against those taking part in the Olympic Games. The IOC is an open organization and athletes of all orientations will be welcome at the Games.” It appears Russia isn’t listening, and indeed now has raised the stakes by threatening arrests.

[Hekate]

1. Bless George Takei for speaking out. IOC, are you listening?

An awful lot of Olympic athletes are in imminent danger if they set foot inside Russia, that bastion of individual freedom and privacy rights.

[Koios]

3. He was only the helmsman ...

... I think we need the science officer's and captain's take on it, since they're white males, and thus naturals for being in charge. Then get a black woman to answer phones, and a recent immigrant from Europe to be the mechanic. Female nurse is okay, if and only if under the astute leadership of a white male doctor. Bravo Star Trek, for battling racism, whilst not seeing how very stereotypical you were being. Irony abounds.

Just an aside ... now to the OP

Indeed, I wish Obama would channel Jimmy Carter and pull our team out of the Olympics, in protest. And as unfair as that is to the athletes that have trained with everything they have, targeted at a specific date to be at their utter peak, we must consider also the fairness to our GLBT citizens, who deserve our support, too.

IMO

[Hekate]

5. Your first paragraph was unnecessary. You had to be there to see just how great it was

All the characters were superb, and the first Star Trek on tv went where no television show or movie had gone before in terms of "stereotypes."

If you want to have a little spasm of deconstructionism, please start your own thread.

Chekov wasn't an immigrant, per se, he was a member of Star Fleet, which suggested an international crew without being explicit about it. At the time we were deep in the Cold War with the USSR, and his presence suggested, again without being explicit about it, that the home-world had achieved some sort of rapprochement and co-operation.

At a time when it was so rare as to be freakish that women served aboard US Navy vessels, The Enterprise was gender-integrated. At a time when the US was still struggling with racial integration, officers of color appeared on the bridge of The Enterprise.

As for pulling out of the Olympics, Obama's energies would be better spent leaning on the IOC to change the venue, rather than depriving our athletes of the opportunity to compete, and handing a gift-wrapped victory to Russia.

[Koios]

6. I was there ...

... saw them when they were new, in glorious B&W ... the TV in my bedroom as a kid. And indeed it challenged our bigotry, nearly stopping it from being produced. In fact, if Desilu Studios had not stepped in and made it happen, which it had to do once before, challenging stereotypes/racism, and getting stinking rich by creating a classic, we'd have never know the Enterprise was anything but an aircraft carrier.

But it is ironic how very stereotypical the characters were, and it speaks a problem for we lighter folk: when we try to show we're not bigoted, we risk showing our bigotry. Star Trek did, truth be told.

[nomorenomore08]

11. Groundbreaking at the time, dated (perhaps embarrassingly) now.

Not an uncommon phenomenon...

[Koios]

13. Agreed

... and sadly typical of a society victim of our own prejudices. Fingers crossed we get over them.

[gollygee]

2. His suggestion is to move the games to Vancouver

for those who don't want to spend the time clicking the link. They have the facilities because they've hosted recently.

[monmouth3]

10. This is a wonderful idea. Screw Putin, our people would be in danger and this

would be a great alternative...

[shenmue]

4. They're lucky the Summer Games aren't in Russia

Just try and mess with one of those weightlifter guys. Try!

[Mz Pip]

7. Much better idea than a boycott

A boycott punishes the athletes and the host country still gets the tourism boost from countries that don't boycott.

There are better venues. Move the games.

[alp227]

8. Does anyone remember that song "All the Things She Said"?

It was a hit in 2003 by Russian duo t.A.t.U.



I wonder if they'd go to jail for what they did in the photo? (taken in 2008, is the wikipedia photo)

"All the things she said" has been perceived to promote lesbianism. Thus it might count as "gay propaganda".

Times have gone backward in Russia.

[KamaAina]

9. Fat chance

the IOC is a bastion of fascism.

[DonRedwood]

12. Russia must lose the law or lose the Olympics.