Today marks the beginning of the 2014 Winter Olympics, held in Sochi, in Russia. Anyone who has been following the news recently will know what the problems with this are. For those who aren't aware, it can be explained very simply- in Russia, the government are, at the moment, refusing to treat people equally. They have imposed all sorts of laws on people who identify with LGBT, with Putin (the current prime minister) going as far as to constantly link homosexuality and paedophilia. The government is doing it's absolute best to ban any sort of 'homosexual propaganda', particularly any aimed at children. There are several questions that come from this. I hope I can answer them.
Why is this so bad?
Well, there are a lot of answers to this. I guess the main one is that they are stopping people from being who they are. It's a huge, huge violation of human rights. It's telling people that they are wrong for feeling what they cannot change. It's also making things worse for a group of people who, traditionally, have faced problems. Banning 'homosexual propaganda' among children means that the next generation are going to carry on the trend of believing that homosexuality is wrong- after all, that's what they'll have been taught. That means there may never be an end to this. It also means that LGBT youths are in hugely risky situations: they're being told that everything they feel is wrong. Growing up and discovering who you are can be hell enough as it is; being told that who you are is banned is making things infinitely worse.
Why are they doing this?
Because they're scared of anything different to what they're familiar with. And for those who say that this is a rational response- not that long ago, it was okay to persecute people with dark skin. That was because people were scared of anything different to what they knew, and we know now that that was not okay. This is the same.
Why are they wrong?
Oooh, how long have you got?! They're wrong because, as I said above, being different is absolutely okay. It is nothing to persecute, it is nothing to be scared of. Can you imagine a world where everyone is the same? It would be sooo boring. At the end of the day, love is love- if you love a guy, good for you. You love a woman? Also good for you. You love both, or neither, or you choose not to label yourself, or you've defined it in your own way? That also is good for you. It doesn't matter: it's the love that counts.
What are the implications on the Olympic Games?
There are two stem answers to this. The first is more obvious: that the LGBT athletes in Sochi are at risk. Putin has, supposedly, guaranteed their safety as long as they stay within the confines of the Olympic village. This means they cannot leave the village and associated areas- they're prisoners. Also, Putin is not known for keeping his word. For all we know, these athletes are risking their entire safety, just to compete.
The second answer to this is slightly more complex. Essentially, by going along with the Games and not saying anything, it's like saying 'yes, we know what you're doing, but we're going to ignore it'. By not saying anything, we are ignoring the plight of everyone struggling under the homophobic regime. By not saying anything, we're telling Putin he can go ahead. By not saying anything, we're being as bad as him.
There have been a lot of links drawn between these Winter Olympics and the 1936 Berlin Olympics- when Hitler showed off 'his Germany'. The parallels have to stop here, and they're only going to do that if we speak out.
Why is boycotting not the answer?
Imagine spending your whole life training for a huge event that only comes every four years- and then, when that event comes, for you to either not take part, or not get the recognition you deserve. That is not fair, and we cannot do that to the amazing athletes purely due to the evilness of one government. It's not their fault, and they cannot be punished for that. In addition, boycotting it would look rude, and would give Putin reason to complain. There are far better ways of showing him that we disagree, such as getting every country representative to wear a rainbow badge. It sounds small and subtle, and that's partly the point- it's nothing anyone can really complain about, but it shows that we will not allow this to go unnoticed.
Why do I care?
Before I answer this, why do you not care? Love is the one thing that binds us all together. If we're not fighting for our right to love, what do we have left? And for me, personally? Well, because I am gay. I know what it is like to realise you're different, and to face up to that. I have really really struggled with accepting myself- but now I am there, and I know what I'm fighting for, and that makes me lucky. I may have had some difficult times due to my sexuality, and there may be more to come- but I have never had to face my whole country telling me that my very being is wrong and flawed. I cannot explain my relief in knowing how lucky I am, or how much I feel for all those who are in that situation. I just want to rescue them, and take them somewhere they can be accepted.
Why do I care? Because I believe in love.