England's Greatest Man Godwins the Olympics

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**azazel the cat**

http://www.tsn.ca/olympics/story/?id=414373

CALGARY -- The federal government is priming the financial pump for Canada's athletes with the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, just over a year away.

Bal Gosal, the minister of state for sport, says that almost $40 million will be spent on Canada's winter athletes this winter

**LordofHats**

Figure skater Johnny Weir is gay, married to a man of Russian descent, and hoping to skate for the U.S. in Sochi. Russia's anti-gay laws hit him close to home. Weir knows if he makes the U.S. team, he will be in danger of being arrested when he competes in Sochi.

This doesn't deter him from wanting to make his third Olympics. Weir said if he is arrested for the better treatment of the LGBT community in Russia, "so be it."

"If it takes me getting arrested for people to pay attention, and for people to lobby against this law, then I'm willing to take it," he said to CBS, adding: "Like anyone, I'm scared to be arrested. But I'm also not afraid of being arrested."

The laws passed in Russia bar discussion of gay rights and relationships anywhere children might hear. This means Weir couldn't discuss, much less appear with, his own husband in public. He said he won't make any public display of affection or wear a rainbow pin.

Russian officials have been vague on whether these laws will be in effect in Sochi during the Olympics. While some leaders in the gay community have called for a boycott -- or the preposterous idea of moving the Olympics six months before they are to start -- Weir has joined other LGBT sports leaders in rejecting this idea.

Weir is not guaranteed a spot on the U.S. team. There are only two spots available for men, and he hasn't skated in a competition since he took fourth at the Finlandia Trophy competition in October. A hip injury forced him to withdraw from other grand prix events and the U.S. championships. The U.S. 2014 Olympic team will be decided in January.

Not going to make a joke about figure skating and the people who do it. No. No I'm too classy for such low brow comedy

**Monster Rain**

But what would Brian Boitano do?

**LordofHats**

Monster Rain wrote:
But what would Brian Boitano do?

Is it sad that the only reason i caught that reference was because that song is so catchy XD

**azazel the cat**

He said he won't make any public display of affection or wear a rainbow pin.

If he's hoping to get people to pay attention, then maybe he should consider not acquiescing to the law. I would honestly like to see what the US's reaction to one of its Olympic athletes being arrested; or to see someone throw that asinine law in Russia's face and have them balk.

**Monster Rain**

That's easy to say for someone who's not risking doing time in a Russian prison.

**sebster**

Dark Apostle 666 wrote:
"I am not giving support for Russia, I am saying its not our business how Russia sets its own social laws."

I just thought I'd quote this, because it seems perfectly reasonable to me. Personally, I'd say that Orlanth only sounds like a Fascist oppressive bigoted monster if you ignore that statement.

Nah, I also rejected the idea of a boycott, and no-one said I was defending a totalitarian regime. It's just that Orlanth is also the guy who claimed that DADT was reasonable policy, and is also trying to all of this in to some kind of complaint about gay activism and the arrest of Pinochet, so after a while it becomes kind of easy to connect the dots.

**azazel the cat**

Monster Rain wrote:That's easy to say for someone who's not risking doing time in a Russian prison.

You're absolutely right. And if I were in his position, I would have to make the decision to either
A) Stay home
B) Break the law and possible become the martyr (of sorts)
C) Acquiesce and hide who I am

I guess I just have trouble reconciling this:

"If it takes me getting arrested for people to pay attention, and for people to lobby against this law, then I'm willing to take it,"

With this:

He said he won't make any public display of affection or wear a rainbow pin

The first quote sounds like he's talking about up and take the most noble option B), whereas the second quote sure seems like he's actually going to walk the the least noble option C), which I think is very disingenuous. Because to me, it sounds like Weir is trying to act like he's the vanguard of the crusade for LGBTQ rights in Russia, without putting any skin into the game. Maybe I'm reading far more into it than need be, but his interview has him come off as being incredibly hypocritical to me in that respect.

Or maybe this is just another case of a pro athlete who can't articulate his thoughts clearly. After all, let's not forget this gem:

I'm scared to be arrested. But I'm also not afraid of being arrested."

This is why I think most pro athletes should never be asked their opinion on things other than their sport of choice. They interview about as well as small children.