Anti-gay rights laws have several Bow Valley Olympians seeing red after the Russian government re-affirmed last week it would enforce legislation that could see individuals fined, jailed and expelled from the country for “propoganda of non-traditional sexual relations,” which could include supporting LGBTQ online or in the news.
The law, which was signed by Russian president Vladimir Putin in June, has been criticized as “ambiguous” and human rights advocates are worried those who protest the decision could be thrown in jail.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced last week athletes will be protected, however, the Russian government said that’s not the case.
Biathlete Rosanna Crawford said the IOC needs to increase pressure on Russia to repeal discriminatory legislation, especially since the law goes against the Olympic Charter, which states that everyone must have the possibility of practising sport, without discrimination of any kind.
“President Putin will risk his country’s international reputation if these games go ahead with laws in place that are in fundamental opposition to Olympic values. I would like to see the IOC review its charter to be explicit and include sexual orientation as a basis for discrimination and in the future countries like Russia should’t be allowed to host the Olympics,” Crawford said.
Crawford will still go to Sochi, her second Olympic games, and said a boycott would not be an effective measure, as it may do little for the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning) community in Russia.
“The athletes who go can make a statement because we’ll all be very well-protected by our countries. The IOC has promised the athletes and officials safety, but it’s not my safety I am really concerned about,” said Crawford.
“I am concerned about how my fellow human being is being treated because of their sexual orientation. The IOC should be advocating for the safety of all LGBTQ people in Russia, not simply those visiting for the Olympics.”
Zina Kocher, another of Canada’s top biathletes, said she was shocked by the bill, but hopes the controversy brings attention to the level of persecution of those in the LGTBQ community.
“Sadly, there are many other countries where LGTBQs are also persecuted, but the Olympics coming to Sochi is raising the awareness on this issue. This bill is really taking a step back in human rights and affecting not just the people in Russia, but foreign tourists, as well as adoption agencies/couples from countries such as Canada,” Kocher said.
The IOC also needs to take a deeper look at human rights records before awarding the games, Kocher said.
“Hopefully, athletes/staff/media can safely speak up about this issue and possibly change things in Russia in the future, being that the Olympics are a world-wide stage. I think there will be many people who will stand up for what they believe in, whether it is through wearing a rainbow pin or flag or openly talking about it in media interviews.
“There is a safety concern and I’m sure safety measures will be addressed within our COC (Canadian Olympic Committee) team. Maybe in the future, IOC will look more deeply into bids from countries that have laws that fundamentally oppose Olympic values.
After training for 10 years, this will be the first games for biathlete Scott Perras, who ideally believes the Olympics should serve as an example of equality.
“For me, I believe sport is one of the few places where everyone gets to be equal, everyone can fight for medals regardless of their orientation, race, creed or being rich or poor and to take that away from anyone is not in the spirit of sport. If everyone gets treated equally in sports, hopefully it will bleed over into everything else,” Perras said.
Crawford said boycotting the games means athletes would pay the price, not Russia, so other alternative forms of protest are available.
“I’ve invested most of my life training to compete in the Olympics. Maybe a boycott on Russian oil or vodka could have a bigger impact,” Crawford said.
