Going to the Olympics may be more Useful than Boycotting them

[cthulu2016]

As things stand, Russia has shocking new anti-gay laws but cannot afford to enforce them at the Olympics.

So I would think the best course is for the Olympics to look like PRIDE prade. And if they are stupid enough to detain anyone, probably even better. (Assuming they don't end up in jail for long.)

America has no monopoly on being gay. Europe is way ahead of us in creative dissent. All sorts of atheletes will speak out and act out. And a lot of fans. And a lot of activists. I wouldn't be surprised if some countries (not the US) that do well in winter olympics will added rainbows to there uniforms for medal ceremonies and such.

The audience that most matters is Russians. Defiance of Russian law would be seen on TV by Russian people. The people really need to feel how outside acceptable modern norms their law makes them.

A boycott has its points. I am not against it per se. My thinking is entirely about best practical effect for gay rights, in Russia and elsewhere, and how things play on a big world stage.

The open air civil disobedience festival I expect will develop (Whatever the USA does) would probably be more likely to change Russian attitudes, and greatly increase global awareness of Russian law, and we might as well be at the party.

[darkangel218]

1. I agree.

I just hope our athletes will stay safe. I'm not sure how safe they will be if chaos ensues though. Its a tricky situation.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. No offense but I wonder upon what you base your assertion that Europ is way ahead

of the US in terms of protesting LGBT mistreatment. Why do you assume their athletes will do all this great stuff while ours just make endorsment deals?

[William769]

3. I disagree.

The mob mentality of the majority of the Russian people over the new LGBT "laws" should be enough to warrant a boycott. The Government may not have to act & with that said given recent events they won't act to stop the violence of the hateful people committing the acts of violence.

ETA: BTW the first athlete's to speak out are American.

[DinahMoeHum]

4. "If you stay home, your message stays home with you" - John Carlos

Take it from one athlete who truly has "been there, done that"

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9522926/gay-rights-sochi-boycott-movement

(snip)
For the brave athlete-activists who want to pressure Putin, the best-case scenario was laid out by sex columnist Dan Savage, who wrote, "If there isn't a boycott — if gay and pro-gay athletes compete at the Olympics in Sochi this winter — there must be a protest during the Sochi Olympics that is as powerful and indelible as Tommie Smith and John Carlos's protest during the Mexico City Olympics. It should happen on the medal stand while the world watches."

It's a great point. Few remember today that there was an organized call to boycott the 1968 Games by African American athletes and their supporters. When the boycott fell apart, Lew Alcindor (Kareem!) boycotted the Games anyway. Tommie Smith and John Carlos took their protest to the medal stand. Whose political statement do we remember today?

I called John Carlos to get his thoughts on the boycott vs. protest debate.

"The bottom line is, if you stay home, your message stays home with you," he said. "If you stand for justice and equality, you have an obligation to find the biggest possible megaphone to let your feelings be known. Don't let your message be buried and don't bury yourself. To be heard is to be greater than a boycott. Had we stayed home, we'd never have been heard from again."
(snip)


http://www.johncarlos68.com

[snooper2]

5. I was thinking about that and agree, make it the Gay Winter Games

Fuck em-

Right on their own turf...