The Russian government under former KGB head Vladimir Putin has taken a step which, regrettably, requires an Olympic boycott by the United States and other Western nations on the basis of human rights violations that are unconscionable!
Putin has declared war on gays and lesbians in the following ways:
Russian born children cannot be adopted by gay couples or by any couple or single person living in any country that promotes gay rights, including gay marriage.
Russian police can arrest any tourist or foreign national they suspect of being gay, lesbian, or having pro gay sympathies, and detain them for 14 days for questioning.
Any Olympic athlete, trainer, family member, reporter or fan who is gay, suspected of being gay, or accused of being gay, can be sent to jail.
Any teacher, parent or anyone who makes pro gay statements, or argues that being gay is normal behavior, and any lawmaker, lawyer, or judge who has an open mind on the subject of homosexuality, is subject to arrest and fines.
Any couple accused or suspected of being gay could have their children taken from them by the state, whether adoptive or biological parents, as unfit to be parents.
This set of laws and restrictions are a gross violation of human rights, and totally unacceptable, no matter what a person’s viewpoint on homosexuality, as gays and lesbians are human beings who are entitled to the same treatment under the law as straight people are!
This situation reminds one of the campaign against gays and lesbians by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust, and the mass murder of this group on a level only second to Jews!
Just as Western Europe and Canada and even the United States and portions of Latin America are moving ahead on gay rights and gay marriage, we see Russia moving in the direction of much of Africa and Asia and the Middle East in demonizing gays!
And joining with them in this regard, sadly, are the Catholic Church and many evangelical Christians and Mormons, who are not teaching the vision and tolerance of Jesus Christ, and are now “bedfellows” of oppressive governments, including Russia!
The United States and Western European countries should make it clear that unless these anti gay laws and restrictions are repealed, that they will boycott the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia!
This would be a sad event for the athletes of these nations, but this is a question of basic human rights that cannot be overlooked by any decent government or any tolerant, open minded people! And remember that Olympic participants could become victims under these Russian laws, as well! So there is no choice but to boycott if nothing is done to repeal these laws!
Pure democracy really sucks when you don’t have it your way, doesn’t it? That is why I prefer to live under our Constitution that limits wacko majoritarianism, like the one’s we see in Venezuela, Ecuador or Russia. Almost everything Russia is doing regarding gays is an abuse of power and unacceptable. That said, I think that the adoption restrictions, the restrictions on promoting homosexuality in schools by teacher and the deportations of gay tourist, are not an abuse. I believe they are in their right to do so. The first two concerns minors and parent responsibility on morals, the second deals with sovereignty, if Russians as a majority don’t like gays, well if you are gay why would you want to go there, and if you are sympathetic to gays why would you want to go there? I know I wouldn’t. Like I wouldn’t visit any of the US & Western hating Muslim extremist countries! Why would I go give them my dollars?
Excellent article Professor!
Are you saying that Russian parents who have kids but are gay, should have their children taken from them, Robert? And that it is fine to detain and arrest Olympic participants on that basis? And that hate of gays should be taught in schools? I am shocked that you could say that!
Ronald, Are you actually putting words in my mouth? Really? Did I say that? Come on Ronald, you know perfectly well I didn’t say that, please don’t expand and assume things I specifically did not say. I expressly mentioned the promotion of homosexuality by teachers in school. I hope you understand what promotion means. These sexual moral issues, one way or another, for or against, should be left out of the schools hands and be exclusive responsibility of the parents. I say it is their right not to have anyone else inculcate what is sexually and morally acceptable or not. But that doesn’t mean hate for gays should be taught in school either!Hate for no one should be taught in school.None of these sexual moral and choice issues should be in any school curriculum to begin with. With respect to gay parents losing custody, hypothetically that cannot happen in Russia in the first place since gays cannot adopt, and as far as I know two men or two women cannot procreate.In case of divorce well one of the parents get custody, right? And I don’t know Russian law to answer that question. I also didn’t say it was fine to detain Olympic participants because they were gay. And I don’t think even with this law they can do that because it is an international event and everyone is invited. Now with respect to everyday tourist it is an outrage if they would be detained for being gay, but if the authorities know that someone who is an LGBT activist is going to visit for activist purposes then even though I may not agree, the Russian authorities are within their sovereign right to prohibit their entrance into the country and even deport them. I hope I have made myself clear.
I understand what you are saying, Robert, but should not sex education be taught in public schools as parents often do not do the job, and pregnancy and STDs result from ignorance? And since there are gays among us, while no one should promote a life style in school, should not children be taught tolerance of gays and lesbians, as part of promotion of understanding and open mindedness, rather than making it seem totally evil and sinful? That only promotes hate by kids which makes discrimination continue for generations!
Ronald. I believe I was talking about promoting a lifestyle. As for sex education, well I think that biological reproduction, how the female and male bodies differ in functions, sexual characteristic development from puberty to adulthood, venereal deseases and how to protect oneself is all fine. But from there to talk about masturbation, anal sex, diferent sexual positions, how to practice oral sex, and other details , practices and lifestyles should not be in the curriculum of a child or adolescent. Any lifestyle or diferent types of human relations such as gay, lesbian, polyamorous, polygamous, swingers or what have you I don’t think should be “taught” by any teacher. If kids just learn and practice from a very young age the “Golden Rule” to start with,then there would be no problem with all these issues of tolerance.
I can agree with you as you have termed it, Robert, so we agree, therefore!