Source: https://www.allout.org
The 2014 Sochi Olympics are fast approaching and it’s gotten a lot of people into a new wave of Olympics frenzy. It’s an exciting time for most people, businesses, sponsorships, and local and state economies. But as it draws closer and closer to the date, the anticipation has been met with a serious backlash against Russia’s new anti-gay legislation.
According to the Council For Global Equality, Russia passed into law “propaganda of traditional sexual relationships.” This includes fines for LGBT propaganda at 4,000 to 5,000 rubles ($120-$150) for individuals and up to 1m rubles ($24,000-$30,000) for NGOs, corporations or other legal entities.
This new law is meant to keep “non-traditional” lifestyles away from minors while equating being gay with being a pedophile with the suggestion that gay people are more likely to abuse children.
Homosexuality was a crime in the entire former Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991. It was decriminalized in Russia in 1993.
Hate-related crime and clashes between protestors and supporters of the “traditional lifestyle” has been on the rise in Russia since the announcement of the law. It’s not clear whether the change in the law was the catalyst to more violence or if the law prompted more media coverage of the oppressive state. Here is a sample list of headlines (with links) since the announcement of the law:
- Tortured and killed gay man ‘raped with beer bottles’
- Police colluded with Neo-Nazis at 2011 Moscow Pride protests
- Russian MP calls for law allowing gays to be whipped in public squares
- LGBT-supporting feminist punk band Pussy Riot sentenced to two years in prison
- Orthodox priest who supported pro-LGBT Pussy Riot found stabbed to death
It seems outrageous that the majority of victims that are being beaten and even killed are within my own generation. The pictures and videos that have gone viral have painted a nasty picture on the war against equality.
With so much violence and oppression, it would seem to be a no-brainer, at least to many humanists, that the International Olympic Council and event sponsors should denounce Russia and support equality at one of the biggest stages of the year. Two of the biggest sponsors of the 2014 Sochi games, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, are now sharing a lot of the negative press on this issue.
One of the top headlines this past week was “Sochi Olympics sponsor Coca-Cola wants to share a Coke, but not with gay people.” This went viral as LGBT activists and allies were outraged to discover that the ‘share a coke’ campaign, which you could swap out the iconic brand name with your own, had a very serious glitch. People quickly discovered that the word ‘gay’ was banned as a word with the prompt “Oops. Let’s pretend you didn’t just type that. Try another name.” Clearly more of a lapse in programming than outwardly homophobic, but this flub has become the perfect allegory for the outright backwards attitude that Russia is promoting in their country.
McDonald’s has also shared a little controversy with their now hijacked hashtag #CheersToSochi, in which LGBT activists have taken over in light of the recent controversy:
“Hey, @McDonalds: You’re sending #CheersToSochi while goons wearing Olympic uniforms assault LGBT people,” tweeted author and activist Dan Savage.
McDonald’s has since made a statement about the fervent response it received from the hashtag with a spokesperson stating, “We are aware that some activists are targeting Olympic sponsors to voice their concerns regarding the Russia LGBT legislation.” The statement continued, “McDonald’s supports human rights, the spirit of the Olympics and all the athletes who’ve worked so hard to compete in the Games. We believe the Olympic Games should be open to all, free of discrimination, and that applies to spectators, officials, media and athletes.”
The rhetoric here may be interpreted that these two huge sponsors are actively engaging in homophobic attitudes with their decisions to not publicly distance themselves from the Russian doctrine of hate. What is clear is that they are huge billion dollar companies wanting to make more billions of dollars, regardless of aligning themselves with the moral majority who see the Russian policies as a major human rights offense.
With that said, I am more than certain the 2014 Sochi Olympics will be a major hit and millions of people will attend and watch the major event. I am also certain that this event will be a platform to publicly defy Russian law by seeing many fans, activists, and athletes wearing rainbow pins, waving flags, or the like.
Will that change Russian law? Likely not. Will there still be violence well after the Olympics are done and gone? Yes. But this is an opportunity for the world to show unity and solidarity with this cause. And show that the landscape of equality is certainly shifting.
Hopefully Russia will join the rest of the developed world and realize that it’s okay to be gay. Being different is okay.
Join me on February 7 and support our LGBT athletes and the persecuted in Russia (and the world). #EqualityForAll
