Petition to IOC to change venue
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maab_connor
Posts: 3,927 Member
https://www.change.org/petitions/international-olympic-committee-relocate-the-2014-winter-olympics-from-russia
in light of the new legislation and the BLATANT human rights violations Russia is not only accepting but encouraging, the International Olypic Commitee is being petitioned to change the 2014 venue out of Russia.
the IOC says that they are for human rights and for gay rights. Russia has said that any spectators or athletes who are out are risking prision.
this IS short notice and it WILL be a HUGE burden for another country to get ready in time. but i think that ANY country who truly supports basic human rights would be willing to put in the work.
the Olympics are an enormous money maker for the hosting country. let's hit Russia in the wallet.
note to group mods: i know that this is more political than we usually go here, but given the recent atrocities against the LGBTQ community in Russia, i thought this would be a good place to put this. if you disagree b/c it's too political, i will understand.
in light of the new legislation and the BLATANT human rights violations Russia is not only accepting but encouraging, the International Olypic Commitee is being petitioned to change the 2014 venue out of Russia.
the IOC says that they are for human rights and for gay rights. Russia has said that any spectators or athletes who are out are risking prision.
this IS short notice and it WILL be a HUGE burden for another country to get ready in time. but i think that ANY country who truly supports basic human rights would be willing to put in the work.
the Olympics are an enormous money maker for the hosting country. let's hit Russia in the wallet.
note to group mods: i know that this is more political than we usually go here, but given the recent atrocities against the LGBTQ community in Russia, i thought this would be a good place to put this. if you disagree b/c it's too political, i will understand.
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The Russian government is apparently giving the IOC the cover it needs to do nothing.The International Olympics Committee (IOC) has said that it has received reassurance from the Russian government that athletes and spectators will be exempt from the country’s draconian anti-gay laws during the 2014 Winter Olympics to be held in the Russian city of Sochi.
In a statement, the IOC said: “The IOC has received assurances from the highest level of government in Russia that the legislation will not affect those attending or taking part in the Games.
“This legislation has just been passed into law and it remains to be seen whether and how it will be implemented, particularly as regards the Games in Sochi. As a sporting organization, what we can do is to continue to work to ensure that the Games can take place without discrimination against athletes, officials, spectators and the media.
“The International Olympic Committee is clear that sport is a human right and should be available to all regardless of race, sex or sexual orientation. The Games themselves should be open to all, free of discrimination, and that applies to spectators, officials, media and of course athletes. We would oppose in the strongest terms any move that would jeopardise this principle.”
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/07/27/russia-tells-olympics-athletes-and-spectators-will-be-exempt-from-our-anti-gay-laws/
Not that the IOC has ever been known for its high principles or bravery. "Sport is a human right," but I guess simply existing is not.0 -
This puts it in perspective for me:Had Putin reignited Russia's abuse of its Jewish citizens, it would have been unthinkable for the IOC to issue a statement suggesting that non-Russian Jewish athletes, pundits, and spectators could go have a blast in Sochi because we'd be spared the anti-Semitic violence sweeping the rest of the country. There's just no way. The American Jewish community and the Obama administration would have (rightly) enacted trade sanctions instantly. There would have been no statement from the State Department like the one issued the same day as the IOC announcement saying that it does not support a boycott of the games. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jul/29/russia-war-on-gays-sochi-olympics0
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the problem is, that once a law is on the books, they have the right to enforce it, EVEN IF PUTIN CLAIMS THAT IT WON'T BE ENFORCED.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/30/russia-anti-gay-olympic-games-sochi_n_3676311.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular0 -
No doubt. I was just saying that Russia's statements that the law will not be enforced against foreign Olympic athletes or visitors gives the IOC an excuse to do what the IOC wants to do: NOTHING.0
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I think that at the very least, our president should not show up as is custom. He should more just not show up, but make a public statement that he isn't going for to Russia's current law endorsing human rights abuses against lgbtq people. I don't trust them one bit to not take advantage of this opportunity to enforce their homophobic laws against international visitors. I wouldn't bee surprised if they use it to deport promising potentially gay athletes in order to secure their spot in the winners podium.0
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I was exactly one minute too late to edit my last post. So here is another way of thinking about this issue: I would like to hear from some Russian lgbtq folks. How do they want the international community to handle this? It is so easy for we as Americans (for those of us who are, not that everyone on here is) to want to jump in and try to stamp out all injustice. But as far as lgbtq rights go (and poor, minority and immigrant rights go), we don't have a great track record of our own. Aftet all, my partner of 19 years and I are constitutionally barred from getting married in the state in which we live, some sheriff department in Luisiana has been illegally arresting men for inviting someone home for sex, gay teens are regularly bullied and the perpetrators claim it is their religious right, elderly and ill gay couples are being seperated by their families who can throw one of them into a nursing home and ban the other from visiting. And don't forgrt that sodomy laws were only declared unconstitutional a little over ten years ago.
With the recent doma and prop 8 rulings, we are on an all time high with our rights here jn the USA. What kind of support do our brothers and sisters in Russia, Uganda, Saudi Arabia and other places need from us? Do they need us to be their eyes and ears in the world, to bear witness for them, or do they need us to be their wings to encourage them to fly, or dothey need us to be their rocks of rwvolution?
I don't know.0 -
With the recent doma and prop 8 rulings, we are on an all time high with our rights here jn the USA. What kind of support do our brothers and sisters in Russia, Uganda, Saudi Arabia and other places need from us? Do they need us to be their eyes and ears in the world, to bear witness for them, or do they need us to be their wings to encourage them to fly, or dothey need us to be their rocks of rwvolution?
I don't know.
as someone with friends in two of those countries, they feel the battle is best left internally. How does that saying go? "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions"?
As for my personal opinion on Russia, such laws will not be enforced during the games and while that doesn't make the laws ok, there really is no time to prepare for the Olympics in another city. I mean look how far in advance a city is chosen. Best thing to do is go to Russia and have everybody kick their butts0 -
I have not signed this petition because of the reasons you mention, even though I'd like to jump in and make some noise. There is no time to change the venue. Maybe something as small as having the winning athletes who are willing to, could wear small rainbow flag lapel pins in their jackets as the get their medals.
I think this petition is more to get the world to stop and pause, to think about how events like this affect people from all over.0
