The Olympics in Russia and Kansas State Anti-Gay laws

I personally have boycotted the Olympics completely this year. I would normally watch them, but simply can't given what was done to make them happen this year.

Russia had something like a 12 billion dollar allowance, and they ended up spending 53 billion (over 4 times the allotted amount) making it the most expensive Olympics in history. (keep in mind that Summer Olympics are three times as large as winter Olympics, and this was still more expensive) Billions of dollars went to line the inside of corrupt politicians due to these games in Sochi.

There was a huge amount of waste because of these games in Sochi, which was completely against Olympic regulation. Thousands of people were forced to work over time with little or no additional pay whatsoever. Poor workplaces, long hours and borderline slavery went in to making these Winter games happen. I simply could not bring myself to even consider watching the games, regardless of the athletes.

But one thing that struck a chord most with me was Russia's anti gay propaganda laws. With the games all about unity and multiple countries competing, I don't understand how Russia could be chosen as a place to host games where people were not treated fairly on open playing fields. Recently there have been videos released of men being beaten up because of their sexual orientation. Then they go to the police and they do nothing about it because of their same gender love.

I've talked a lot about Russia just now, and it really has struck a chord that not only is Russia like this, but eighty three other countries (not including Russia, it's not full illegal yet) outlaw homosexuality. So I started doing a bit of research for this and found that a lot of the Americans on my facebook are equally disgusted by what's happening in Russia.

However, today I found this:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2...omination.html

Kansas state has more or less segregated the LGBT population.

""If a gay couple calls the police, an officer may refuse to help them if interacting with a gay couple violates his religious principles"

" State hospitals can turn away gay couples at the door and deny them treatment with impunity. Gay couples can be banned from public parks, public pools, anything that operates under the aegis of the Kansas state government."


This is in AMERICA. The land of the... free.

I find it absolutely disgusting that this is even allowed. I see so many Americans complaining about how brutal the LGBT communities are in Russia, when in fact the laws are worse in states of their OWN country. Anyway. Just a frustration of mine as of late.

Thoughts?

Let's not get carried away with the idea of the Olympics being some beacon of hope for humanity - when you scrape away at it what you'll find is a huge corporation which will put profit ahead of any real sort of idealism.

Do you think the IOC really gave China the Olympics because they thought it would have any lasting impact on the human rights of the Chinese?

Do you think no one at HQ thought Vancouver, London, Sydney, Atlantah, Utah, Nagasaki..... hmmmm what's this Sochi place no one can pronounce never mind heard of? Let's do it there anyway.

The real issue isn't a political or geographical one, it's a social one as people don't seem to find homophobia as bad as say racism or even sexism.

U-S-Oshie! U-S-Oshie! U-S-Oshie!

Not that I have a real opinion on the actual issue - but what exactly is your point with the statement I am quoting? People can't pronounce Sochi so it should have not gone to Sochi? Some people struggle to pronounce Chamonix, yet that's where the first ever winter olympics took place. Would be curious to see how well you pronounce Garmisch-Partnekirchen or Pyeongchang. And Lillehammer isn't exactly one of those metropoles that you list either.

Also, just to point out more of your ignorance, surely you mean Nagano rather than Nagasaki. Btw - Nagano and Sochi are probably exactly the same in terms of population... and I'd be surprised if anyone on the street would know what that place is either. Sochi was for decades Russia's best known Winter resort, Russia applied for the Olympics. They won the bid. So the Olympics are hosted there. Whether you can pronounce it or not, is your problem. But that statement up there was just ignorant ramble and I can't stand that.

Yes we complain because its wrong, regardless of what's happening in backwoods southern states. These are the same states that want to teach creationism in science class right along with evolution. Easily led people clinging to their bibles and trying to force others to do the same. There was just a federal law passed that says the LGBT individuals who marry will get the same federal privileges no matter where they live, even if same sex marriage is against the law in the state they live in. This of course is not ok with these states but it shows our government is doing what it can to move toward complete equality, despite the states who want to keep us in the dark ages.