Fierstein makes his reason plain in the opening sentence, writing, 'Russia's president, Vladimir V. Putin, has declared war on homosexuals.' There is ample evidence that this is far from hyperbole. Putin and Russi's legislators seem set on criminalizing every aspect of gay life throughout the country. The Russian Duma (their Parliament) recently voted 436-0 in favor of banning 'propaganda for non-traditional sexual relations.' This law is so broad that is threatens prison time for anyone who acknowledges the mere existence of LGBT people in any public forum such as the Internet, a classroom or even a street corner. Putin also signed a law banning the adoption of Russian children not only by gay couples, but by any single people or unmarried couples who reside in a country where marriage equality is on the books. And he still wasn't done. The man our previous president lovingly nicknamed 'Pootie Poot' (wish I was kidding) also approved legislation that hands out two week jail sentences for any tourist suspected of being gay.
All of which is drawing increasing criticism (and rightfully so) from the LGBT Community Worldwide. Stoli Vodka has had to do some frantic PR to explain to everyone that no, they don't hate the gays and yes, they're from Luxembourg and have nothing at all to do with Russia if they can help it. Bars worldwide are dumping Russian vodka at a frantic rate and there's a growing debate: should countries boycott the Sochi Olympics to protest this shittiness?
USOC has already made it clear that they're not down for a boycott- but I can definately see the arguments in favor and against a boycott. Russia has sunk a shitload of money into Sochi- the overruns and corruption are growing and to be honest it smells more like a prestige project for Putin's ego* than anything else- if people stayed away, that's a lot of money he pissed down the drain. (The fact that's just around the corner from Abkhazia, Georgia and oh, Chechnya might also give people pause. It may be a picturesque little town on the Black Sea (that apparently doesn't even get that much snow, weirdly enough) but it's not in the friendliest of neighborhoods, you know?
So there's that. But there's also the argument that if you don't go, then no one gets to hear about the issue at all. (A fact that the Grantland article points out courtesy of John Carlos, one of the athletes that held their fists up in protest at the 1968 Olympic Games. If they hadn't gone, nobody would have known and nobody would have saw.) Put it this way: dare Putin to put his money where his mouth is. If these new laws could jail tourists suspected of being gay for up to two weeks, I'd say go.** Let him start locking up athletes from other countries. Then you'll see some serious shit fly.
What would I, personally do? I honestly don't know. Two weeks in a Russian prison isn't something I'd wish on anyone but holy shit, does the international community need to raise some holy hell over this. What's next, Russia? Pink triangles and concentration camps? Wait: I do know what I'd do. I'd totally go. And if they were going to arrest gay athletes they could arrest me too... two weeks in a Russian prison, I'm pretty sure I could some bad ass fucking tattoos. If I don't get shanked on the first night, that is.
*: Apparently there's a Facebook group encouraging people to send Putin a dildo. I'm not sure why, but I like it. Flood the Kremlin with rubber penises!
**: Sounds like figure skater Johnny Weir is going. Good for him.
No comments:
Post a Comment