Russia Confirms Anti-Gay Law Will Be Enforced at Olympics

[Newsjock]

Source: RIA Novosti

Russia's Interior Ministry, which controls the police force, confirmed Monday that the country's controversial anti-gay law will be enforced during the Sochi 2014 Olympics.

Confusion has reigned over how the country intends to act during the February 7-23 Winter Games after President Vladimir Putin signed legislation in June that bans the promotion of homosexuality to minors.

The International Olympic Committee first claimed it had received assurances from top government officials that Sochi 2014 athletes and guests will not be affected, prompting Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko to insist no one is exempt from the law.

... The head of Russia's National Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov stated it plainly: "If a person does not put across his views in the presence of children, no measures against him can be taken," Zhukov said. "People of nontraditional sexual orientations can take part in the competitions and all other events at the Games unhindered, without any fear for their safety whatsoever."

Read more: http://en.ria.ru/russia/20130812/182723811/Russia-Confirms-Anti-Gay-Law-Will-Be-Enforced-at-Olympics.html

[tblue]

1. They need to cut it out.

Ridiculous.

[tofuandbeer]

2. "People of nontraditional sexual orientations can take part in the competitions..."

That's so generous of them.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. The IOC has the clarification they need to move the games to Vancouver.

Don't punish the athletes by trying to get them to do the heavy lifting of boycotts by not going.

If the IOC still runs the games in Russia, the athletes should go and speak as freely as they dare.

When silver and bronze medal winners lose to an LGBT athlete, they could say to the media and television things like so-and-so "is very good and a great example of gay/LGBT achievement".

[cascadiance]

14. + infinity! Protect the athletes from mistreatment...

Perhaps put it collectively to all of the athletes to vote on this. If they knew that they'd still have a chance to compete in a games in a different locale, there might be good support for this to help keep them all safe and to perhaps send a message that the Olympics should not be politicized, or the host country WILL pay a price.

And as I noted before, perhaps the penalty for Russia should not just be this games, but that no future Olympic games will be hosted by Russia until they have a change of government (to ensure that these policies have changed).

[Civilization2]

25. Agreed they need to move the games to Vancouver!

That law is unacceptable,. as are the actions the homophobic are getting away with protected by it,. beatings and "corrective rape",. disgusting, and all is on Putin, who signed the law.

[Katashi_itto]

79. Yeah it's clarified now

I think the outcry will force IOC's hand to move it. Either that or face a possible boycott by athletes in general. Course IOC may be getting bribed by Russia to hold it there.

[William769]

4. But everyone here kept assuring us that would not happen!

I guess they were wrong again.

BTW here what Harvey Fierstein on the subject: http://www.democraticunderground.com/113730099

[Jefferson23]

5. Stupid bigots. Russia has spent a great deal of money getting ready for this event. They also

have enough controversy regarding the establishment of all the arenas and traffic flow...the roads to and from etc.

They do a terrible job, there is so much corruption and now to add this is just really dumb.

I feel bad for all the Russians who are incredibly embarrassed over this disgusting law.

[michigandem58]

6. But Snowden holds them up as an example

on human rights. Go figure.

[William769]

7. What the FUCK does Snowden have to do with this

Take this bullshit elsewhere! JESUS FUCKING CHRIST ALMIGHTY!

[SoapBox]

20. Snowden...Russia...Human Rights and Civil Rights VIOLATIONS...

Olympics and LGBT.

They are ALL tied together. Period.

Nice Christian language BTW.

[William769]

21. Ok. connect the dots.

I'll be waiting.

Nice Christian attitude BTW.

[William769]

42. Still waiting.

Tick tock, tick tock.

[Fearless]

66. +1

[William769]

67. That person won't be back here.

I wonder why?

[CreekDog]

80. you're demanding "nice Christian language" of someone here? following Christianity not required her

I suggest you stop lecturing DUers to follow non existent religious requirements to post on DU.

Language that confirms to Christian commandments is not a rule on Democratic Underground. Maybe you should post where it is a rule if this troubles you and leave us alone.

[theHandpuppet]

82. It's rude to hijack this thread for another topic

Yes, you heard me. It's FUCKING RUDE and it's obvious you could care less about the OP or you wouldn't try to turn this into another Snowden platform. Hit the tracks, Jack.

[theHandpuppet]

81. +1000!!!!

I also am sick of posters hijacking threads about the Moscow Olympics and what that means for GLBTs to post about Snowden. Carry it elsewhere!

[cstanleytech]

8. The majority of countries dont have spotless records actually when it comes to human rights.

And yes I include the US among those without a spotless record.

[totodeinhere]

29. But on LGBT rights, while we have a long way to go, we are making

real progress whereas in Russia they are going in the other direction.

[cstanleytech]

34. Yes but thats only a recent development and one that SCOTUS

should have stepped in years ago and told congress to shove it when they voted and passed DOMA in the first place.

[MNBrewer]

35. YAY! michigandem58 gets to make something ELSE about Snowden!

Congratulations!!!!!!!!

[michigandem58]

43. He made Russia his own

Praised them, made it his home. For now.

[MNBrewer]

44. Yeah, I mean, he and Putin co-rule it, right??

[awoke_in_2003]

70. Fuck Snowden...

this is not about him.

[7962]

85. "I dont want to live in a country that spies on its citizens" HA

[BlueManFan]

9. I disagreed with Carter for boycotting the summer games in 1980 and Russia for

playing tit for tat in 1984. But this is different. I say, fuck it. Pull the games and move them somewhere else. You might have a bigoted, homophobic state, call it misguided popular sovereignty. But you do not have the right to ask people to go there and put their lives and freedom at risk because of their sexual orientation.

[DinahMoeHum]

10. These Games need another Tommie Smith/John Carlos moment. . .

Let's hear from one who knows, and has actually been there, done that. John Carlos:

". . .if you stay home, your message stays home with you. . .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. . ."

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

[big_dog]

22. we may get one

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/10/gay-skater-johnny-weir-im-prepared-to-be-arrested-at-winter-olympics/

[warrant46]

30. The Tommie Smith/John Carlos moment

[big_dog]

33. Johnny be good!

[Iliyah]

11. Would they have enough time

to change venue?

In my opinion I think its hype and Russia will not enforce it because I can image the world's reaction if that happens and it will isolate them even more with the exception of gopers and countries like China.

[William769]

12. And then what do we do with the other 50 weeks of the year?

Did you ever think about that?

[Iliyah]

15. I'm complying with the subject of the thread

and of course this will be a up hill war for the Russian LGBT community and LGBT around the world. People of all strive must come together. The battle was won here but the war goes on in the USA.

[William769]

17. I'm not one for complying.

If I did, we all would be dead or lying in a gutter.

[Iliyah]

24. Than that you

not me and I'm far from lying in a gutter.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. No. A change of venue is not going to happen. It's a boycott or nothing.

Changes of venue for the Olympics have only happened when a country is unable to put them on (eg in the aftermath of a war). The IOC is not going to suddenly become an activist organisation.

[customerserviceguy]

84. Here's an idea

There will be sponsors of the programming for the Olympic Games. They might well pull out if they know that for the duration of the Winter Games, their products and services will be boycotted.

It would be an effective way to send a message, as it would be widely reported (by news organizations of networks not showing the Olympics) as to how much money was lost during that time.

The only way to hit at homophobia here is to hit the bottom line.

[muriel_volestrangler]

86. That could have an effect

and it is something that the public can do, rather than relying on a decision by an Olympic committee (or asking individual athletes to pull out).

It might work; the planned boycott of advertisers in Murdoch's News of the World got a lot of support, it forced major companies to pull their ads, and Murdoch then closed the paper. It's easier for advertisers to pull ads from a weekly paper, though - I expect they don't have significant ongoing contracts - while Olympic sponsors will have signed contracts committing to the whole thing. They'd probably be looking at having to pay for it, but just not have their names shown. They'd be looking at the bottom line, and comparing the boycott to the loss of advertising they have to pay for anyway (or long court cases with the IOC claiming the payment, at least).

[customerserviceguy]

89. Thanks

Perhaps they have committed, but they have the choice to have their products boycotted for association with the event. In any case, it will make them think twice before buying ad space during an Olympics staged in a homophobic country.

[dipsydoodle]

87. Olympic Sponsors Stand By Sochi Games As Criticism Of Anti-Gay Law Mounts.

Coca-Cola and McDonalds condemned Russia’s new law banning public LGBT advocacy Tuesday. But they aren’t calling on Vladimir Putin’s government to repeal it before February’s Games.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/maxseddon/olympic-sponsors-stand-by-sochi-games-as-criticism-of-anti-g

Outside of the US and maybe the UK I doubt that most would boycott either product. Personally I don't eat Macs or drink Coke anyway - I only use Coke for cleaning banjo parts.

[customerserviceguy]

90. They have a choice

They can ask that their ads be run, as contracted, and see their business shrink as a direct result, or they can try to weasel out of as much of the contract as they can, and at least ask that the networks pull the ads, maybe run some PSA's or something else.

The Winter Olympics is only a couple of weeks, most people can find a way to do without something for that long. While I don't expect much of the world to go along, having just ten percent of business lost in the US during a time they're spending big bucks to push their brand would definitely send a message to future advertisers.

It's the only thing that I see that has a realistic chance of being organized and in place by the start of the Winter Games. All we need is for a major celebrity to get the ball rolling, someone that sees the chance to make an issue out of this. I doubt that the reich wingers who stood in line for Chick-Fil-A would pick up the slack with Mickey D's and Coke.

[DonCoquixote]

28. Never assume the worst would not happen

Especially when you have people stupid enough to think silence=encouragement.

Sadly, Vlad fits.

[MNBrewer]

36. NONE of my concern is about what will happen at the Olympics

ALL of my concern is about what Russia is doing to it's GLBT citizens every day!

[Hekate]

18. For some reason I keep thinking of Jesse Owens outrunning the world in 1936

He brought home 4 gold medals and the US felt it had tweaked Der Fuerher's nose pretty good. Owens and the rest of the African-American contingent brought home nearly 1/4 of the medals awarded to the American team that year.

Is it possible to look at the current nasty predicament in another way than we have so far? We send our athletes -- all of them -- and they keep their heads down and stay below the radar of the Russian police (who are as serious as a heart attack) for as long as it takes to get in and get out. We are not the only nation with gay athletes.

Of course, the alternative is for the IOC to discover its spine and demand a change of venue. If the Russians want to be *holes, let them do it in splendid isolation.

[MNBrewer]

37. and stopped the NAZI regime's evil plans in it's tracks???

No. had no effect whatsoever.

[Hekate]

48. Dunno how old you are, but there's an iconic news clip of Owens at the Olympics

I was born post-WWII, and saw it any number of times during my childhood. It was part of America's progressive post-war optimism. Not politically "progressive" like today, just progress. Making progress. Showing the world that we were better than those guys. Which, thank you, we were in those days. We had a long, long way to go -- but there was Jesse Owens running his heart out and putting the lie to the Aryan pipe dream. My parents' generation somehow didn't want us to forget that moment and what it meant.

"No effect whatsoever"? The effect it had was on US.

[former9thward]

50. The only two Jews on the American team were kept out.

They were replaced by Owens and Ralph Metcalfe. The American coaches did not want to embarrass Hitler by having Jews on the winner's platform.

http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/olympics/detail.php?content=jewish_athletes_more&lang=en

[Hekate]

56. Did the IOC request it? Did any other countries do this? A shameful thing...

... to be sure, but I would like to know if there were any actual statements about not wanting to "embarrass" Hitler, since the US was only too happy to embarrass the little corporal with our black athletes' prowess.

[David__77]

19. They should hold an "Olympic Symposium on Diversity," attended by foreign children.

Just perhaps a small event, but attended by foreign children (<18 years old) and adults. It could focus on the diversity of the athletes, including sexual orientation. That might be a way to challenge the law. I would not bring Russian children into it though, as that would have adverse impact on Russian public opinion.

[warrprayer]

23. I guess I don't get it

Old Soviet Union had more equality for women etc. what is their hangup on gay people? This coming from the former "workers paradise" just doesn't make sense. oh wait I forgot they let the religious fundies back in power. Never mind.

[former9thward]

58. Homosexuality was outlawed in the Soviet Union.

It was legalized in Russia in 1993 after the USSR broke up.

[warrprayer]

68. thanks

it seems to be a very strange predjudice on their part.

[theHandpuppet]

83. The growing influence of the Russian Orthodox Church...

... has a lot to do with it.

[hrmjustin]

26. If they arrest athletes for being gay countries need to pull their Ambassadors to Russia.

[DonCoquixote]

27. Ok Vlad

You had plenty of time to back out, and you could have been lauded. You could have sat back and continued to enjoy grinding Snowden into Uncle Sam's hand like a cigar. But no, you had to double down on the stupid, which means you made it very easy for people to remember why they hated you. The Olympics is already something of an old harlot that long ago lost her charms, but it is still time to boycott, shun, and otherwise ruin your party.

[totodeinhere]

31. We are going to see LGBT athletes and their supporters openly and publicly violating

those hate laws and then daring the Russian officials to arrest them. This could turn into a real embarrassment for the Russians and that's what they deserve. Actually they deserve much more than that.

[MNBrewer]

38. IOC has said they'll be banned and sent home if they do that.

[totodeinhere]

40. If even the IOC won't stand up for their athletes then perhaps we need to

rethink this whole Olympics thing.

[MNBrewer]

41. I couldn't agree more.

[Hekate]

49. Apparently we do need to rethink the Olympics.

To hell with the IOC if they won't do the right thing.

[Lobo27]

32. Fucking Putin and group of idiots...

[riderinthestorm]

39. So Johnny Weir wins Olympic Gold and hugs and kisses his husband on teevee

in joy and celebration, which of course the kiddies will see...

... and the Russians are going to arrest them?!

Public relations nightmare. I know Johnny Weir is prepared to be arrested there.

Realistically the Russians have painted themselves into a very, very bad place. Sochi could go down in infamy like the Munich Olympics (terrorism) and the boycotted ones.... I would love to see them publicly humiliated for this despicable law.

I will be very interested to see how this turns out.

[MNBrewer]

45. All children in Russia should be sent to an incommunicado concentration camp in Sibera

so that regular people can go about their lives.

[muntrv]

46. Even the Nazis didn't arrest Jesse Owens at the 1936 games. That was during the 3rd Reich.

[Behind the Aegis]

59. They didn't arrest people for being black. You should read this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=563849

[joshcryer]

47. Now, now, we don't want to overstate it...

[ConcernedCanuk]

51. Do people not read, or just not comprehend?????

.
.
.

From the text in the OP

"If a person does not put across his views in the presence of children, no measures against him can be taken," Zhukov said. "People of nontraditional sexual orientations can take part in the competitions and all other events at the Games unhindered, without any fear for their safety whatsoever."

What the hell is wrong with that exactly??



CC

[TDale313]

53. What's wrong with the fact...

That if there *is* a minor present (including their own) one can get arrested for holding hands with their partner/husband/wife, mentioning they have a partner/husband/wife... Think maybe lgtb people are, I dunno, people? Are you really asking what's wrong with that?

[ConcernedCanuk]

54. umm - I missed that part about holding hands . .

.
.
.

It appears to be a comprehension problem.

"If a person does not put across his views in the presence of children"

Holding hands with a gay partner does not equal putting across their views IMO.

women kiss, guys hug, nothing to do with being gay.

Now if they were fondling each other . . .

"When in Rome . . . . . "

get it?

CC

[TDale313]

57. ...

Also from the article:

"Many have raised concerns about the vague definition of promoting homosexuality to minors."

That's part of the issue. It is very vague. This isn't about having sex in public, or even being out. It can be anything acknowledging lgtb people exist in a non-negative manner anywhere a minor might be. Now, are they likely to go locking tourists or athletes at the Olympics up for mentioning their friend Susie and her wife in front of a 16 year old? No, probably not. Could they? Possibly, perhaps probably.

More concerning? What happens to the Russian lgtb community when the two weeks are up and the world's eyes are no longer on Russia to this extent?

[alp227]

71. This is typical government PR spin. Why trust it? nt

[ConcernedCanuk]

73. Typical or not, it's a definite statement of intent

.
.
.

"The head of Russia's National Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov stated it plainly: "If a person does not put across his views in the presence of children, no measures against him can be taken," Zhukov said. "People of nontraditional sexual orientations can take part in the competitions and all other events at the Games unhindered, without any fear for their safety whatsoever."
___________________________________________________________________________________________

That statement is all over the Globe now, so I think Putin is wise enough that not to honor it would be counterproductive.

Many may not like Putin, but I think it would be foolish to underestimate his intelligence.

CC

[William769]

74. For your sake I hope it's a reading comprehension on your part. Otherwise...

Even your own Government has spoken out about it. Maybe you should ask them to clarify it for you.

[ConcernedCanuk]

75. it's a reading comprehension on your part - yep I comprehend!

.
.
.

I ain't particularly happy with my own government either.

Fricken HarperDude is a morphed Idiot-Son, only with brains, which makes him much more dangerous.

I've fought my own government for over 4 decades -

Yup - I love Canada, the land and it's people -

doesn't mean I love my government,

and I sure don't.

CC

[William769]

76. Looks like you don't like another type people either. nt

[ConcernedCanuk]

78. Last response - I mostly do not engage in extended debates

.
.
.

especially where the responses are abrupt or obtuse.

FYI - I am a single male "straight" person by society's designation.

However, I have friends that are gay and/or lesbian, does not bother me one bit.

I do not relate to people on their beliefs, sexual orientation and so on.

I relate to them on how they relate to me.

One more comment like you have made to my 2 previous responses I'll just put you on "Brain Ignore".

I have no need to utilize DU's "Ignore" function, my brain can do that.

Intelligent, respectful debate I'll engage in.

This appears to be neither.

CC

[William769]

88. Theres that classic "I have friends".

Keep digging that hole. And this is my last response to you.

[ZombieHorde]

52. That is very fucked. nt

[DeSwiss]

55. BOYCOTT - K&R n/t

[Orsino]

63. Or do we only boycott over oily nations we wish we had invaded first? n/t

[DeSwiss]

64. Not in my world.

- No steps back......

[usGovOwesUs3Trillion]

60. Sounds just like a lot of bigots in our gov, schools, some "preachers", hate radio, etc.

At least some states are FINALLY passing laws allowing for same sex marriage.

and we FINALLY ended DADT.

Still a long way to go, so the struggle continues!

[undiegrinder]

61. The International Olympic Committee has a simple choice ...

Either it changes venues or it's in violation of its own charter.

"In detail the role of the IOC, according to the Olympic Charter, is: ... To act against any form of discrimination affecting the Olympic Movement ..."

http://www.olympic.org/about-ioc-institution

[Heywood J]

62. But the IOC got assurances!

They looked into his soul!

[yesphan]

65. It will be interesting

to see if Russian judges will be compelled to give low scores to athletes that are tagged as being
a person of nontraditional sexual orientation.

[Lancero]

69. Wait...

First it's going to be enforced. Then it isn't. Now it is.

When will Russia make up it's mind on this?

[Pterodactyl]

72. This level really hard. Reset!

[gordianot]

77. Did Russia hire Anthony Weiner's PR consultant? n/t