Given this latest slander should Billie Jean King and Brian Boitano resign as delegates to Sochi?
By Melanie Nathan, January 17, 2014.
Russian media is reporting that gay people should feel comfortable at the Sochi Olympics but “leave children in peace,” a prescription by Russian President Vladimir Putin for a safe and fabulous Sochi Games. Yet his remark kicks the LGBT world in the gut, and is nothing more than serving to further slander gays and lesbians, worldwide.
Buying into the notion of fun at the games will be a delegation of Gay and Lesbian Americans, appointed by President Obama to represent the U.S.A. And if those delegates still attend, it is my humble opinion that they would be doing nothing more than endorsing Putin’s notion that gays are unfit humans to be around children!
So my question is why would openly gay delegates such as Brian Boitano and Billie Jean King still be willing to go to Sochi under these conditions?
Will their openly gay presence in Russia be an afront to Russian children? Will they be banned from speaking to Russian children? If BJK went up to a Russian kid and said, “Hey I am a lesbian and that is okay,” (though as she told Colbert she prefers the word “gay”) – will she be subject to arrest?
Well short of an overt act that will get them arrested capturing major world media – an unlikely event, nothing King or Boitana will do in Russia, will serve LGBT Russians, or mitigate their persecution. That is my opinion. Their presence will be a victory to Putin who will be happy that they showed up – to attend his games – so that he could tell the world that he is tolerant as long as they did not impact Russian kids.
What an enormous insult to the greatness of the likes of King. Billie Jean – you are just great as long as you do not talk to our kids!
Given this latest comment, by Putin, Billie Jean King and Boitano should refuse to go.
In June, Putin signed into law a bill forbidding the promotion of homosexuality to minors, sparking months of controversy ahead of the February 7-23 event in Sochi.
The law’s proponents argue it is aimed at protecting children from harmful influences,- hence the slanderous notion that gays are deviants. However the impact of the law has been a State approved license to persecute gays and lesbians and transgender people. The move has served to restrict freedom of speech and is part of a broader crackdown on Russia’s gay community.
Putin said Olympic volunteers in the mountain village of Krasnaya Polyana:
“Gay people can feel calm, at ease, but leave children in peace, please,”
Russia’s Interior Ministry, which controls the police, has vowed to enforce the controversial anti-gay law at the Olympics, and there will also be tight restrictions on protests, which require permit approval and will be confined to a park in a small town that lies more than 12 kilometers from any Olympic venues.
READ MORE about my thoughts on Billie Jean King boycotting Russia’s Sochi Olympic Games:
BILLIE JEAN KING AND U.S.A. DELEGATION DELIVERS A VICTORY TO ANTI-GAY PUTIN
by Melanie Nathan January 11, 2014
By Melanie Nathan, January 11, 2014. According to Media reports, Billie Jean King believes that standing up to discrimination is the best way to combat it, so she had no hesitation in joining the US delegation for the Sochi Olympics. I submit that it is how one stands up to it that determines the requisite […] read more at http://oblogdeeoblogda.me/2014/01/11/billie-jean-king-and-u-s-a-delegation-delivers-a-victory-to-anti-gay-putin/
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Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
If I would have been invited to these “events” as a token and this condition now came out, I would pull out faster than lighting!! No doubts about it … they wouldn’t use my image for their benefit at all … my “they” I mean the Prez or that man Putin!!! I’d be OUT faster than Flash Gordon!!!
Melanie, I still say that staying away plays into Putin’s hands for more than turning up and creating a scene does. For Russia, it there are no gays or lesbians, there is no problem; they will breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Last December, faced with similar pressures to boycott, Elton John turned up and spoke out against the law, yet he was not arrested. You can hear the support from the Russian audience: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIyvCiPCyDc That personal engagement gives our friends ammunition to fight ignorance and prejudice.
I think a gay-free Olympics is exactly what Russia wants and I’m very much opposed to delivering it to them on a plate, by simply stalking off in the huff. Of course I cannot speak for Billie Jean King, or tell her what to do, but I can say, if I were in her position, I would make it my business to speak to children. What if they come up for her autograph? Are the police going to arrest her? If they do, so much the better so far as I am concerned, because it brings this conversation into the public arena where Russia has to PROVE harm occurred to the child she spoke to.
Derek what did Elton John do for Russia- did it help? I hardly think so .Proves my point it has only got worse since with indications that more anti-gay laws and comments will follow. For example Elton is a father and Putin is still saying keep those deviants away from our kids.
So he accomplished absolutely nothing at all – except the world being conned into thinking that Putin is indeed tolerant because Elton made it out of there safely.
WHAT YU DONT HEAR DEREK and so I am shouting – is that Putin does not give a continental shit if there are gays at his Olympics or not- what HE DOES GVE A SHIT ABOUT IS HAVING HIS OLYMPICS AND without a boycott we are helping him to do that. For goodness sake it does not take a genius to figure that out.
What you are not getting is that I am asking for an all out boycott. YES YES we know its too late, but if the athletes said NO – and shoved his games back i n his face he would be a LOT more embarrassed than if they showed up.
As the experts and they will tell you a NO SHOW is more onerous to him than tem showing up. And what you dont get is if BJK boycotts then more are likely to do so too..
In a million years she will not get arrested. He did not say dont sign autographs.He said dont talk the kids about anything GAY.
She should NOT GO!!!! I am not having another round about argument with you. So this is the last word on this. we have gone through this before. You have an pinion but given what the Russian activists say you are wrong.
If it were me and I were BJK- I would absolutely go out of my way to say, “Hey I am a lesbian and that is okay,” to a kid! That would certainly force the issue & get people up & off their frigging hands…But, being that she is apparently enjoying her last hurrah in the public lime-light, it looks like it’s all about her this go around (to me). She may be claiming “gay ambassador”, but I feel it’s a more a last ego-boost for her. I know that sounds jaded, but how else to feel given what is happening?
Yes her appearances on TV have been lame and uniformed.