YR OLYMPICS ARE POLITICAL
Aug. 9th, 2013 10:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
defrogThere has been talk about Russia’s “Don’t Say Gay” law being applied to athletes competing in the Winter Olympics in Sochi, which is pretty straightforward – sport a rainbow/AIDS pin, go to jail.
Gay rights advocates are, of course, angry about this. But they’re also angry at the IOC for not being as angry about it as they are.
I understand this. But I have to say, I also understand the uncomfortable position the IOC is in.
The IOC has always maintained a politically neutral stance to the Games, which are supposed to be the one arena the global community can stop arguing about politics for once and have some good old-fashioned sports competition. It’s not supposed to be a venue for making political statements. And the IOC by its very nature can’t afford to be taking sides.
The problem for the IOC is that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stay politically neutral in a world where EVERYTHING is political, and more and more people refuse to compromise on their position to the point where yr pretty much expected to take a side, and refusing to do so is the same as opposing you. Yr either with us or against us, as someone once said.
Of course, the situation is a bit more complicated, because the problem isn’t really Russia’s opposition to gay marriage or gay rights. Look at any Olympic event since the Games started, and you’ll find they all took place in countries where gay marriage was still illegal, and where gay rights were at best patchy. The real problem is free speech – Russia has decided even openly expressing support for gay rights is a crime punishable by deportation.
The IOC has already expressed concern over this, and is pushing the Russian govt to at least exempt the Olympics from the law. Supposedly the govt has given them written assurances that the law won’t affect anyone attending or competing in the games, although apparently no one told Russia’s Sports Minister that.
Mind you, I’m not saying the Russia law is good, or that people shouldn’t oppose it, or shouldn't boycott the Games. I’m just saying it’s not really the job of the IOC to become an agitator for sociopolitical change, no matter how much you might want it to be. Apart from “quiet diplomacy”, there’s not much they can do about it at this stage.
As for boycotts, well, that’s fine, though I don’t think it will help much. The US and the USSR used to boycott each other’s Olympics all the time (well, twice, anyway), albeit with negligible results.
What I’d like to see – and what I hope happens – is athletes and attendees openly defying the law. I’d love to see every athlete wear an AIDs pin or wave a rainbow flag. Is Russia going to arrest and deport them all? Not likely. Even if only some athletes do it, I don’t think Russia will actually arrest any of them (except maybe the Russian ones). That’s what I’d prefer – mass gay rights support to the point of making the current Russian govt look isolated and out of touch.
It will also annoy and alarm certain American politicians and news commentators who will be forced to agree with Vlad Putin about something. Bonus!
Say it loud,
This is dF
Gay rights advocates are, of course, angry about this. But they’re also angry at the IOC for not being as angry about it as they are.
I understand this. But I have to say, I also understand the uncomfortable position the IOC is in.
The IOC has always maintained a politically neutral stance to the Games, which are supposed to be the one arena the global community can stop arguing about politics for once and have some good old-fashioned sports competition. It’s not supposed to be a venue for making political statements. And the IOC by its very nature can’t afford to be taking sides.
The problem for the IOC is that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stay politically neutral in a world where EVERYTHING is political, and more and more people refuse to compromise on their position to the point where yr pretty much expected to take a side, and refusing to do so is the same as opposing you. Yr either with us or against us, as someone once said.
Of course, the situation is a bit more complicated, because the problem isn’t really Russia’s opposition to gay marriage or gay rights. Look at any Olympic event since the Games started, and you’ll find they all took place in countries where gay marriage was still illegal, and where gay rights were at best patchy. The real problem is free speech – Russia has decided even openly expressing support for gay rights is a crime punishable by deportation.
The IOC has already expressed concern over this, and is pushing the Russian govt to at least exempt the Olympics from the law. Supposedly the govt has given them written assurances that the law won’t affect anyone attending or competing in the games, although apparently no one told Russia’s Sports Minister that.
Mind you, I’m not saying the Russia law is good, or that people shouldn’t oppose it, or shouldn't boycott the Games. I’m just saying it’s not really the job of the IOC to become an agitator for sociopolitical change, no matter how much you might want it to be. Apart from “quiet diplomacy”, there’s not much they can do about it at this stage.
As for boycotts, well, that’s fine, though I don’t think it will help much. The US and the USSR used to boycott each other’s Olympics all the time (well, twice, anyway), albeit with negligible results.
What I’d like to see – and what I hope happens – is athletes and attendees openly defying the law. I’d love to see every athlete wear an AIDs pin or wave a rainbow flag. Is Russia going to arrest and deport them all? Not likely. Even if only some athletes do it, I don’t think Russia will actually arrest any of them (except maybe the Russian ones). That’s what I’d prefer – mass gay rights support to the point of making the current Russian govt look isolated and out of touch.
It will also annoy and alarm certain American politicians and news commentators who will be forced to agree with Vlad Putin about something. Bonus!
Say it loud,
This is dF
