I fly the Olympic Flag on DU

[Renew Deal]

I am a big fan of the Olympics. I got to go to the games in 2004 and I really believe in the competition and the athletes. For that reason amongst others, I fly the Olympic Flag in my avatar on DU, but not this time.

I want to support the athletes, but I don't want anything to do with the hateful homophobes and bigots in the Russian government (and their supporters). This Olympics I will fly the rainbow flag instead. I know it is a small gesture on a website, but we must stand up for each other.

[Fred Sanders]

1. You do a disservice to the spirit of the Olympics, politics should be set aside, that is the point

of the Olympics, why they were founded. America WAS Russia on gay rights only 20 years ago.

[Renew Deal]

2. Tell it to the Germans

I can live with doing a disservice to the Olympic spirit since you can live with the Russian governments bigotry.

[dsc]

3. Yeah I remember all the people who got arrested back in 1994 for flying rainbow flags

I very much remember them being put in cages and raped with bottles.

[Fred Sanders]

4. What cages and bottles?

[dsc]

6. in the months preceding the Olypics people were arrested and put in cages

and in a video a man was forced to rape himself with a bottle, I posted an article about the cages from GQ it is part of a quite long article.

[Fred Sanders]

8. In the days preceeding the Super Bowl child prostitutes were offered....so some people are evil....

What about the bottles stuff, that is truly outrageous if true.

[dsc]

10. well if the police were the ones offering the children you might have a point

but somehow I doubt that the police were doing that.

[uppityperson]

20. Were the police with gvt backing doing that?

[countryjake]

39. Watch the video found here...

WATCH: Gay Russians Brutally Attacked on Camera ****GRAPHIC VIOLENCE****
posted by William769
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4444119

viewer discretion advised

[hrmjustin]

5. People must stand up for principle and stand with LGBT folks.

[fishwax]

7. discrimination does a disservice to the spirit of the Olympics.

"America WAS Russia on gay rights only 20 years ago."

Not really.

[William769]

13. Not even close!

[babylonsister]

35. Why?

Short of not being there to begin with, what would be better?

[William769]

38. 20 years ago you could not be arrested in the U.S.A. for carrying a PRIDE flag.

I was at the March on Washington in 1993 (we were a million strong) and we were doing more than just carrying PRIDE flags.

or might this be a case of miscommunication?

[William769]

12. Speaking of doing a disservice

Get the point?

[NYC_SKP]

22. The spirit of the Olympics has become one of profit and exploitation.

I shit on them.

I'll support the Special Olympics.

[ReRe]

29. Seriously...

... They've been privatized. Did you hear a former Olympian from right here in the USA on DemocracyNow the other day blowing the whistle on the Olympics? I think it was on Wednesday. Dave Ziran was on there too. It was an unbelievable show. http://www.DemocracyNow.org
Only thing is, I'm going to watch the Olympics, especially those ice skaters.

[NYC_SKP]

30. Was it this story, "An Olympic Snowden"?

"An Olympic Snowden": U.S. Athlete on Being Turned Into a "Spokesperson for Verizon" at 2006 Games

With the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, just two days away, we look at a side of the games that you won’t see in the wall-to-wall media coverage. Former Olympic athlete Samantha Retrosi joins us to discuss her recent Nation article, "Why the Olympics are a Lot Like 'The Hunger Games.'" A luge competitor in the 2006 Winter Games in Italy, Retrosi says a lack of government support and sufficient safety protections forces athletes into relying on corporate sponsors and putting themselves in harm’s way. "This is like an 'Olympic Snowden,'" says political sportswriter Dave Zirin, who also joins us in studio. "This is a legitimate whistleblowing moment. People who are part of the Olympic program don’t say what Samantha just said."

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/2/5/an_olympic_snowden_us_athlete_on

I'll watch some of the events, too, but will avoid patronizing their commercial advertisers.

[ReRe]

36. Yeassssssss...

... I think that's what Ziran called or her or said something like... "Wow, you're something like a Snowden Olympic whistleblower!" Everyone laughed at his ability to nail what was happening, right there on the air.

[uppityperson]

23. "Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of...incompatible"

http://www.olympic.org/Documents/olympic_charter_en.pdf

6. Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race,
religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic
Movement.

[countryjake]

24. Remind us all again why the USA boycotted the '80 Olympics?

I know, the irony of THAT reason, considering where our military occupies at present, just kills me, but human rights should always be of world concern, don't ya think?

Do you think of basic human rights as politics?

[Vashta Nerada]

25. Anyone who supports these Olympics are doing a disservice to gay rights.

[hrmjustin]

27. Skinners thoughts on this.

There are a number of DUers who have already indicated that they intend to boycott the Olympics this year to protest the horrific treatment of LGBT people in Russia, and the laws passed by the Russian government which serve to legitimize anti-gay hate. If you decide to watch the Olympics, and discuss the Olympics here on Democratic Underground, you should not be surprised if some DU members question the appropriateness of your decision to watch. I fully expect this discussion to occur here on DU, and I hope that members who choose to engage in a discussion on this topic will make an effort to remain respectful.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10133533

[JDPriestly]

28. Politics? Since when are human rights mere politics?

[ReRe]

31. Since...

... the Republicans deemed them so.

[davidpdx]

9. +1

I want to go to the 2018 games here in Korea. Hoping it isn't too expensive.

[Renew Deal]

11. If you live near the game sites it shouldn't be too bad

Flights and hotels are what makes the Olympics expensive. Tickets aren't too bad (by American standards)

[davidpdx]

16. I'm in the same country

But about 3 hours west by car. There is suppose to be a high speed train going there.

[William769]

14. Good on you!

[hrmjustin]

15. K&R!

[ballabosh]

17. The Athletes will rise above

I'm sure there are plenty of LGBT athletes that will be quite happy to put Putin in his place as Jesse Owens did for Hitler in 1936.

[William769]

18. And what will Hitler err I mean Putin do after the olympics? nt

[ballabosh]

21. You make a good point.

But does not watching the olympics change that? I can see both sides. Truth is I probably won't watch most of it anyway.

Peace.

[ReRe]

32. Billie Jean King...

... , when asked if she thought there would be any show of solidarity with the LGBTQ community at the Olympics, said she felt there would be. (I think it was an NPR interview.) She had to back out of going at the last minute because her Mother is very ill.

[babylonsister]

19. Where can I find that? I want one! nt

[ReRe]

33. I think it's right here on DU isn't it? May be wrong, as I often am.

... I'm going to change mine to the Rainbow Flag too if it's available...

[babylonsister]

34. Look under Politicians. nt

[ReRe]

37. Eurika. I Found it! ;-)

[Change has come]

26. Thank you

K & R