With Russia hosting the World Track & Field Championships and the Olympics within six months of each other (and the 2018 World Cup on the horizon, too), everybody knew the country was going to be the center of the sporting world's attention a lot between now and then. Of course, Russia was already in the news because of its controversial anti-gay legislation that was recently signed into law. As we've seen during the Track & Field World Championships, the controversy isn't going away. (NBC has done a piece on it during every day of its coverage.) In fact, the athletes are taking it upon themselves to jump right in the middle of it.
As I understand it, the law, which was put into effect on June 30, basically prohibits "non-traditional sexual relationships." Individuals will be fined if they spread "gay propaganda," which includes such basic things as wearing a rainbow-colored tie or holding hands with your partner in public. (It should be noted here that homosexuality itself is NOT illegal in Russia, which seems to be a big point of confusion for many people.)
Russian citizens aren't the only ones subject to this legislation. Foreigners must also comply or could face deportation. That's where the IOC became concerned. They sought clarification about the law and whether or not it will be applied during the Sochi Olympics. After the IOC was given assurances that it would be suspended, the Russian government seemed to backtrack and say that the law would indeed be in effect in Sochi. There are still six months to go before the Olympics, and I don't think anyone's sure what the deal is going to be for the thousands of fans and athletes from around the world that will gather in Sochi. That's obviously something they're going to need to figure out between now and then.
Ever since the law was enacted, it's been almost universally condemned, and there have been the inevitable anti-Russian protests across the globe. There have even been calls for an Olympic boycott, which would serve no practical purpose (other than depriving your own athletes of their shot at Olympic glory) and be incredibly self-defeating for any nation stupid enough to go to that extreme.
Athletes are among those who've most visibly spoken out against the law. Track & field stars, in particular, have taken advantage of the fact that the World Championships are in Moscow and used it as a forum to voice their criticism. American Nick Symmonds, who isn't one to shy away from controversy (he seems to have an opinion on every issue, which makes it hard for me to embrace Symmonds) wanted to wear a rainbow badge as a sign of support for his gay friends. Instead, Symmonds dedicated his silver medal in the 800 meters to them. Sweden's Emma Green wore rainbow nails as a silent protest during the qualifying round of the women's high jump, but switched to red for today's final after the Swedish federation was warned it might be against the rules for her to do that (athletes aren't allowed to make political statements during competition).
The most visible Russian athlete in Moscow is without a doubt pole vault gold medalist Yelena Isinbayeva. Isinbayeva has also been vocal about the law, calling such protests "disrespectful" while defending her country's government. During an interview, she was asked about Green and another Swedish athlete (who did the same thing). Isinbayeva responded, in English, with comments supporting the law. Others were shocked and called on her to step down as an Olympic youth ambassador.
I love it how when athletes are asked questions about something controversial and answer them honestly, they get nailed for it. I'm not saying I agree with Isinbayeva (I don't), but would you rather she lie just to be PC? A lot of people disagree with her. That's fine. They're completely entitled to that opinion. But Isinbayeva is entitled to hers, as well. She doesn't deserve to be dragged over the coals for it. Especially since she isn't the one who brought it up.
Isinbayeva released a written statement the following day clarifying her remarks. She noted that English isn't her first language, so what she meant to say was misinterpreted. Isinbayeva made it a point to say that she respects her fellow athletes' opinions and isn't personally opposed to same-sex relationships. What she wanted to say, she said, is that you should respect the laws of other countries, especially when there as a guest.
Whether it was sincere contrition or a face-saving PR strategy (I suspect a little bit of both) doesn't matter. Neither does whether or not you believe her "English isn't my first language" excuse. The fact that a lot of people were offended by Isinbayeva's original comments isn't the issue, either.
There's one part of her written statement that I can't get past. And on that part, I must say I have to agree with her. If you're visiting another country, you should respect that country's laws, just like you would expect someone from that country to respect your country's laws. Whether or not you agree with those laws is irrelevant. What is relevant is that a good number of Russians seem to favor the law, which is probably one of the reasons why it was passed in the first place.
While I don't agree with this law, I'm not one to tell the Russian government how to run its country. Even if I or you or a whole bunch of people think it's wrong, it's not up to us. Nor should it be. Especially if it's what the Russian people want. Protesting and boycotting aren't the answer. Besides, Russia's not the only country with a dubious and controversial law on the books (in some Arab countries, women aren't allowed to drive or go out alone at night). It's just the newest one, so its fresh in everybody's heads, and its highly visible because this is all taking place in Russia.
This law will obviously continue to be a hot-button issue leading up to, and probably during, the Sochi Olympics. I suspect they'll find some sort of compromise that will make everyone feel comfortable. Regardless, though, this law threatens to cast a very large shadow over those Games, which, I think we can all agree, no one wants.
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