Putin's anti-gay laws and Sochi Olympics | Golden Skate

Putin's anti-gay laws and Sochi Olympics

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Big Deal

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New York Times 3 days ago.

How you would think will it affect the Security and willingness of Athletes, Coaches, Visitors to go there?

Russia’s Anti-Gay Crackdown
By HARVEY FIERSTEIN

On July 3, Mr. Putin signed a law banning the adoption of Russian-born children not only to gay couples but also to any couple or single parent living in any country where marriage equality exists in any form.

A few days earlier, just six months before Russia hosts the 2014 Winter Games, Mr. Putin signed a law allowing police officers to arrest tourists and foreign nationals they suspect of being homosexual, lesbian or “pro-gay” and detain them for up to 14 days. Contrary to what the International Olympic Committee says, the law could mean that any Olympic athlete, trainer, reporter, family member or fan who is gay — or suspected of being gay, or just accused of being gay — can go to jail...

Here is the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/22/opinion/russias-anti-gay-crackdown.html?_r=0
 
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gmyers

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It's so unanimous among NOCs and sports Feds that are saying they are depending on Russia to respect all Visitors to the olymPics!! So that's just "were going nothing is going to stop us and you better not let anything we don't like affect us!!!"
 

skateluvr

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if this is true then we should boycott Sochi Olympics and encourage others to follow.
 

MiRé

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What a ridiculous BS...... They should just remove birth controls rather than kicking homosexuals out if they want to increase the birth rate. :disapp:
 

Bluebonnet

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This article has failed to list one thing - the actual law that Putin signed. All I've read were the writer's own interpretations with great exaggerations. What did the law actually say?!:rolleye:
 

phaeljones

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This article has failed to list one thing - the actual law that Putin signed. All I've read were the writer's own interpretations with great exaggerations. What did the law actually say?!:rolleye:

For people who regularly listen to CBC radio, Q has had a couple of interviews with people in Russia about the legislation, as it was being proposed (earlier show), and as it now been signed (more recent show). The information in the article seems to jibe with what was said during the interviews.

The New York Times and the CBC are reputable. Q is an amazing radio show with a very ethical and fair interviewer (Jian Ghomeshi). His show and his interviews regularly deal with human rights issues that the rest of the world, frankly, is wilfully blind to or too busy to be bothered looking at. In North America, we have difficulty thinking that other parts of the world have different laws to our own (ours still need some work as well), but, let us not forget that it was not too long ago that homosexual acts were criminal acts in Canada. Some countries presently have the death penalty for it.

The bottom line is that this is a very bad situation. The worse result would be that the athletes, participants or visitors get caught in the mess, or that there is a boycott. Hopefully, the issue never gets pushed to that. For many of the athletes, it is a once in a lifetime event, and it should be a personal decision if a boycott is an issue.

Wouldn't it be appropriate, however, at this stage if the big sponsors, like Coke, spoke out and threatened to boycott the Olympics with their wallets. When the Olympic Committee chooses a country like Russia with a leader like Putin, it gets a country like Russia with a leader like Putin just like it ordered. Seriously, it is not as if Putin ever played his cards close to his chest on this one. The Olympic Committee is getting what it asked for and it should be held accountable by the sponsors (and the rest of us as well).
 
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And this is the country to which Snowden brought computers full of American state secrets, because the Americans were not pure enough for him.
 

plushyfan

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And this is the country to which Snowden brought computers full of American state secrets, because the Americans were not pure enough for him.

uhh, interesting thought! but the Russian didn't invite him, and are not very happy about him.
 

karne

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I do have to ask, though, how is this any different to Cadel Evans being told the Chinese organisers could no longer guarantee his safety - just because he wore a "Free Tibet" t-shirt?

China went ahead. If that went ahead, then Sochi goes ahead. IMO.
 

100yen

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It's terrible that it happened so close to Olys...most people already have bought their tickets especially to major events.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

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This is deplorable. Particularly in figure skating, you would imagine that there would be several gay or gay-positive fans. I wonder what kind of reception Johnny Weir would get.

They've said that they won't arrest athletes (hah, obviously, the IOC would have a fit), but that doesn't extend to family, coaches, officials, etc.

I guarantee there will be a controversy or an outcry during the Opening Ceremonies and protests throughout the course of the Olympics. Berlin all over again. Augh.
 

Bluebonnet

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And this is the country to which Snowden brought computers full of American state secrets, because the Americans were not pure enough for him.

Think it this way, Olympia, if Snowden is a Russian and done what he's done to Russia, then he's come to US. Will US do the same like how the Russia does?:p
 

Bluebonnet

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It's terrible that it happened so close to Olys...most people already have bought their tickets especially to major events.

What do these people who have bought their tickets plan to do?! Do they plan to make fuss and demonstrations? Any kind of fuss won't be tolerated anywhere in any countries during Olympics, not even in US, for God's sake!:rolleye:
 
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I am sure that the U.S. would be in the same uncomfortable position that Russia is in now.

The other question is, what will Russia do with the telephone records of 300,000,000 Americans? Maybe we should demand the phone records of all Russian citizens in exchange. :)

Edited to add: Actually, now that I think about it, we probably already have that information.
 
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Back on topic, here is the response of theInternational Olympic Committee. They feel that discrimination is bad, but...

As a sporting organization, what we can do is to continue to work to ensure that the Games can take place without discrimination against athletes, officials, spectators and the media. Wider political issues in the country are best dealt with by other international organizations more suited to this endeavor.

(They meant better suited, but oh well.)
 

bara1968

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Mar 14, 2013
Does this mean that gay coaches/ choreographers(I will not say the names here) in FS can be arrested in the middle of the game? OMG :mad: Someone please say no...
 

gmyers

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Does this mean that gay coaches/ choreographers(I will not say the names here) in FS can be arrested in the middle of the game? OMG :mad: Someone please say no...

If they start making a documentary or writing something that involves asking people under 18 about homosexuality it looks like yes.
 
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I am sure that the U.S. would be in the same uncomfortable position that Russia is in now.

The other question is, what will Russia do with the telephone records of 300,000,000 Americans? Maybe we should demand the phone records of all Russian citizens in exchange. :)

Edited to add: Actually, now that I think about it, we probably already have that information.

Any Russians who listen to our phone records will know that there are a lot of gay people in the U.S., and that many of them aren't hiding away. In fact, some of them are planning their weddings.
 
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