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 law enforcement agencies can have no qualms with people who harbor a nontraditional sexual orientation and do not commit such acts [to promote homosexuality to minors], do not conduct any kind of provocation and take part in the Olympics peacefully,” said an Interior Ministry statement issued on Monday.
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.”
Okay. So, what about, say, an entire rowing ICE JAVELIN team wearing rainbow flag pins during a ceremony attended by and broadcast to millions of people, including children? Does the ice javelin team get arrested? Are the cameramen and ceremony producers, who disseminated and promoted the rainbow pins arrested? Are adults who explain what a rainbow flag means to a Russian kid arrested? Can we just arrest everyone now and get it over with?
The 2014 Winter Olympics: Whatever happens, it will be an amazing thing to behold(TM).
the whole fucking US team should be completely garbed in big fat gay rainbow uniforms at all times. no red white and blue this time out.
fuck Russia.
Maybe the US should all don t-shirts with a shirtless Putin riding a horse on them for the opening ceremony to really test those laws.
FUCK U RUSSIA
Everyone knows the Olympic Village is just one big orgiastic sodomopalooza. Good luck enforcing this shit without a massive international incident, Russia.
Male dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet? SsssuuuuUUperrr
Gay!
100 years ago, the Soviet Union became the first modern country to legalize homosexuality, women divorcing men, safe abortion, execution illegalized (except for civil war) and other rights. Then Stalin took them away. Seeing as how Stalin was basically the first modern pro-lifer and whiny bitch about the homosexuals maybe wanting to make him go gay, you’d think conservatives would be carrying pictures of Stalin and praising Russia for following his example. Where are conservatives talking about all the lives Stalin saved by reducing women to wire hanger abortions and throwing gays into gulags? Why are t they defending Stalin and his legacy in Russia right now?
Yeah, Russia. We’re not going to be happy until at least 40% of your provinces/republics outlaw such discrimination, just like we’ve so valiantly done here.
(Yes, i understand that we are miles ahead of Russia in the realm of LGBT rights, even in our most intolerant states, but i don’t know how much we can bitch about the fire in their house while we haven’t even put out the one in our own yet…)
If an openly gay athlete wins a medal and any children see this, then that is “homosexual propaganda to children”, therefore the Russian police will arrest the athlete and escort him/her off the victory dais for imprisonment, fining and deportation in disgrace.
This is not acceptable. The IOC must move the Olympics to a different country where homosexuality is not a crime.
“100 years ago”
Math isn’t your strong suit, I take it, Goon?
The unicorns called. They want their rainbows back.
The IOC needs to address this, Period. They took measures against Apartheid, why not this?