Support women's sports and SHARE this story with your friends!

Photo from The National Post.What are we going to do about Sochi 2014? Boycott? Protest? Move them to Vancouver? (No thanks! We had our turn.) Ban Russia from competing?  Personally, I think the last option would be the funniest. I imagine Putin rolling up to the gates in style and security telling Volodya that unfortunately Russian passports are not allowed to enter the premises.  However, this would probably never happen and this type of ban would harm the athletes more than it would effect Putin.  Patrick Burke of the You Can Play Project argues

in an ideal world, the Olympics are supposed to be apolitical.  That in ancient times, warring nations would put aside their weapons, their feuds, and their ideological differences in order to celebrate the unifying nature of sport. That the inherent beauty of athletes from around the world putting aside everything except talent and competing on a grand scale for personal and national pride is sacrosanct - and no political issue, no matter how jarring, offensive, or downright inhumane it may be supersedes that ideal. (Buzz Feed)

To that I ask Patrick, where were the women of the original games in 776 B.C.?  Ah, that's right. Women weren't allowed to participate until the Paris games in 1900.  And who dominates the Olympic podiums? The same countries that pretty much dominate the world economically, you say? What a 'coincidence'.  So let's stop pretending that the Olympics was founded on an apolitical agenda because the politics of the time didn't even consider women worthy of consideration! The Olympics were statements of political dominance then just as they are now.

Russia is allowed to have whatever laws it pleases, for the most part. That's the point of sovereignty.  No one has to agree with those laws but we shouldn't be surprised that they don't really give a F*$@ about what the world thinks either.  I don't really think that Russia is to blame for this whole debacle; I think we should be pointing the finger at the IOC.  It is the IOC's job to vet potential host cities to make sure that they are not only economically suitable but also socially.  It is their job to find a host that represents the ideals that they want to put forward, rather than choose the highest bidder or the city with the best night life.  Russia's anti-gay law may be newly imposed but that doesn't mean that the culture of hate is new.  Russia is and continues to be a 'traditional' nation that has been slow to progress on issues of immigration, sexuality, and disability etc.  Therefore, to choose a host city and country that neither welcomes LGBTQ athletes or has the physical infrastructure in place to accommodate Paralympians should bring into question the accountability of the IOC.  Some cities might use the Olympics (and other mega-events) to catalyze themselves into a more progressive state in order to be seen as part of the 'world stage' but unless certain expectations are made explicit in the host agreement the IOC has created both the rock and the hard place.

So if we can agree that the Olympics has and always will be a site of political tension then let's use it to our advantage.  I think sport has been a more powerful vehicle of politics than it has at abstaining from such discussions.  Every game and event represents labour relations, statements about class, gender relations, nationality, issues of race and sexuality, displays of physical ability versus disability.  And what are those historic moments that we bring up time and time again? Championships are only remembered by the winning and losing parties but the stories that are passed from generation to generation are the stories of Billie Jean King beating Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes", Tommie Smith and John Carlos' salute to Black Power, the 1995 Rugby World Cup that followed the fall of South Africa's apartheid, Oscar Pistorius' ability to compete with and against "able-bodied" athletes (let's just look at Pistorius the athlete...).  These are defining moments where sport has used its inherent political tensions to its advantage.  They are examples of "hey, you don't want me to play? You don't think I'm equal? Well, what do you think of me now?"  Yes, sport often exacerbates racial, ethnic and nationalistic tensions etc.  Yet, I think sport proves its worth and excels not when it shies away from political discussions but when it embraces them.  So my advice for the IOC and the athletes and fans of the Sochi Olympics would be to embrace Russia and it's anti-gay laws. Let's give Putin and his comrades the gayest Olympics he's ever seen.  To steal a line from Remember the Titans: Let's make sure they remember, forever, when human rights knocked on Sochi's door. Let's "leave no doubt" that hatred and discrimination may win battles but will always lose the war against equality.  Let's show them what their future looks like.  They can't throw everyone in jail, can they?

Support women's sports and SHARE this story with your friends!

• SportsPLUS
• LGBT

This post is related to an ongoing story:

• 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi

View Original Post at cszto.blogspot.com

View Resident_Badass's Full Profile

There are 2 comments on this post. Join the discussion!

Crimson says:

A person can always depend upon the LGBT crew to make up their own set of facts about an issue for the sake of publicity. Homosexuality has been legal in Russia since 1993. For those of you that are counting that's twenty years. Two decades. Their laws limiting the promotion of the LGBT lifestyle to minors are reasonable and acceptable to their people. This concept that Russia must accept homosexuality at a level approved by the hardcore international LGBT lobby is specious on its face. Frankly the self righteous indignation demonstrated by most of the media on this issue would be comical if it wasn't so pitiful and predictable.

The one thing you have right is Russia is a sovereign nation and they can and should make their own laws. Russia may or may not change their laws to a point that gender politicians find acceptable over time but there are no laws on Russia's books now that represent or promote "Hate" towards gays. Most Russians evidently feel that their minor children should not be lobbied about the supposed benefits of the LGBT lifestyle. That is their right.

Frankly the arrogant self-delusion of many in the LGBT movement only serves to alienate many people that are otherwise accepting of gay people. The real issue is that to the true believers only full societal acceptance and integration of everything relating to LGBT issues is acceptable. The majority of many populations can live with gay people but come in well short of accepting their proclivities at a personal level nor do they believe doing so is particularly good for the general health of their respective societies. By way of reference feel free to check out what is going on in California relative to elementary school bathrooms and transexuals.

The IOC was and remains totally in line for approving Russia as a host for the Olympics. You and your friends trying to promote your agenda by denigrating Russia for governing their country as they see fit reflects poorly on you and your crew, not the people or government of Russia.

Sunday, August 18, 2013 at 7:42pm EDT

Resident_Badass says:

Thank you for taking the time to read and share your thoughts :)

Sunday, August 18, 2013 at 9:37pm EDT

Leave Your Comment:  Read our comment policy

Login  |  Sign Up

LOGIN TO WOMEN TALK SPORTS:

Username: 

Password: 

SIGNUP FOR A WOMEN TALK SPORTS ACCOUNT:

A Women Talk Sports account allows you to maintain a profile at www.womentalksports.com and login to comment on posts using your WTS identity.

Fields marked with a * are required.

Your First Name*: 

Your Last Name*: 

Your E-mail*: 

Your Website: 

Your Location: 

Your Twitter Username: 

Create a WTS Username*: 

Create a Password*: 

Confirm Password*: 

Check here to receive bi-weekly emails from Women Talk Sports and partners highlighting discussions on our site and upcoming women's sporting events, as well as informing you of new products, services and special offers.

I accept the Terms & Conditions for joining Women Talk Sports