Russian President Vladimir Putin is pulling out all the stops leading up to the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. He has embarked on what can only be described as a charm offensive as he tries to tell the world that the anti-gay propaganda law that he championed �" and signed last year �" doesn't target LGBT people. Moreover, Putin is using the old slur used by anti-gay bigots the world over that equates gays with pedophiles: "... please leave the children in peace."
That clip and an interview played Sunday on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos, reveals that the anti-gay propaganda law does target LGBT people. The law calls for stiff fines and jail time for Russian citizens and foreigners in the country who "propagate" homosexuality to minors. This vague definition could include anything from hand-holding and other public displays of affection to broadcasting positive news stories about LGBT people.
In fact, Stephanopoulos asked Putin whether someone would be prosecuted if they "wore a rainbow pin." Putin said that "acts of protest" and "acts of propaganda" are "somewhat different." Then he went on to say that gay sex was still a felony in some parts of the U.S. before Stephanopoulos corrected him, saying that the U.S. Supreme Court had overturned those laws, which it did more than a decade ago with its decision in Lawrence v. Texas. Putin tried to deflect the blame by saying that those to criticize Russia's laws should "set their own house in order." Sorry, Vlad, but people can protest, whether or not they are actually in a position to change things.
Putin said that "politics shouldn't interfere with sports" and he's right, but the new Russian law makes it virtually impossible to separate the two.
The U.S. Olympic Committee isn't helping much and is asking athletes to accommodate the law. CEO Scott Blackmun recently told ESPN that U.S. athletes should focus on their competitions. "We're hoping that out athletes feel very comfortable speaking their minds before they go to the games," Blackmun said. "But when they get to the games, that's really the time to focus on sport."
Unfortunately, if you're an out LGBT athlete it's probably difficult to separate the political from the competition. It's as if the USOC is asking athletes to forget part of themselves when they take to the ski slopes, the hockey ring, or the ice.
One thing's for sure, the world will be watching when the Olympics open, especially if there is a terrorist incident or if anyone is detained for protesting the anti-gay law. It's the kind of attention that the Russian president, long known for his iron grip on state media and his citizens, will not relish.
At least one out member of the U.S. delegation has been unsparing in her opposition to the Russian law and unwilling to remain silent about it. Retired tennis champion Billie Jean King deserves kudos for using the bully pulpit that came with her appointment. King and her fellow out athletes, Brian Boitano and Caitlin Cahow, were selected by President Barack Obama, but it is King who has taken advantage of the media moment. In recent appearances on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report and This Week, she was critical of Putin and said she will not be silent during the games. When she was asked what she would say to Putin, "Please change this law," was her response.
King has been out, loud, and proud in the pre-Olympic media hype, and she has been on point. Boitano and Cahow should join her by expressing their outrage over the law and together counter Putin's charm offensive.