The cursed torch of the Sochi Olympics

Someone is sending Russia a message.

It was bad enough when the Olympic flame went out and had to be relit with a disposable lighter rather than the official backup flame, and even worse when a torchbearer managed somehow to set himself on fire in the Siberian city of Abakan.

But perhaps the low point in what has seemed less like an Olympic torch relay than an exercise in ineptitude and misfortune came earlier this week when one of the runners carrying the torch to the Sochi Games had a fatal heart attack while attempting to walk his allotted distance, about 218 yards.

OMD. A higher power seems to be sending Russia a stern message. It must be the Russian Orthodox Christian god, that Jeebus fellow. But, but...I thought Jeebus loved the Russian pogrom against gay people. Jeez!

Oh, the schadenfreude. It tickles.

Simple is better

What do I think the athletes should do at Sochi? One simple thing: mention your significant other when you're being interviewed. This applies to both gay and straight athletes. Just be who you are.

If everyone involved reveals his or her sexual orientation, no one can be singled out for violating the rules. Hug your honey while the cameras are rolling. Speak of the support your girlfriend provides. Mention you're about to marry the greatest guy in the world.

In my years as a human rights worker, I learned the value of a good comparison. Ideally, you want the other group, in this case the straight people, to be doing exactly what you're doing. This makes it easy to note disparities in responses, should they occur. Under this plan, each athlete at Sochi will be doing the same thing: acting naturally and thereby revealing his or her sexual orientation.

The lack of different behavior patterns among straight and gay athletes will create a powerful learning experience for the TV audience and spectators. And if there are repercussions for the gay athletes, I suspect most viewers will say, "But they all did the same thing". Indeed, they did. That's the point.

Any other suggestions out there?

More Olympic piggery

So now the IOC is threatening athletes, thinking this will stop demonstrations against Russia's filthy anti-gay law. Sure, that'll work. Hah. 

Note: paragraphing is my own.

BUENOS AIRES — Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, said Sunday that athletes would be warned about rules prohibiting demonstrations at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. 

Chernyshenko said that athletes and spectators at the Sochi Games would not be affected by the law and that organizers were “absolutely confident that there will be no conflicts in that regards.” 

That is so funny! No conflicts at all. Good prognosticator, eh? 

But Gerhard Heiberg of Norway, the Olympic committee’s marketing chief, said he had heard from corporate sponsors, particularly from the United States, “about what they are afraid of could happen.”

Six of the committee’s 10 worldwide sponsors are based in the United States: Coke, General Electric, McDonald’s, Visa, Dow Chemical and Procter & Gamble.

Heiberg urged the I.O.C. to be prepared with a plan in case demonstrations against the Russian law occur.

“I think this could ruin a lot for all of us,” Heiberg said.

He urged the committee to adhere to Rule 50 of the Olympic charter, which says that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted” at any Olympic site.

Rogge said athletes would be reminded about the rule, as they were before the 2008 Beijing Games.

But see, Beijing wasn't planning a holocaust for gays in 2008. Russia is. The games in Sochi are going to be interesting. There's no doubt about that. I hope Coke, McDonald's and all the other sponsors of this criminal Olympics lose business and suffer tremendous financial losses because they didn't stand up for human rights when they had a clear opportunity to do so. These companies are acting like pigs -- and they'll be in good company in Sochi.

Make Olympics in Russia the Gayest Ever

That's the headline of an opinion piece at CNN today. Here's an excerpt:

[L]et's turn the Winter Games into the gayest games in history. Let the Russian police, if they want, arrest every athlete, every coach from Europe, North American, Australia and other forward-looking countries -- that includes you, Uruguay, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa. The teams should march during the opening ceremonies brandishing rainbow flags, holding hands, proclaiming that every one of them supports equal rights for gay and lesbians -- in Russia and everywhere else. Make it an "I am Spartacus" moment for the world.

I think the Sochi Olympics may end up being the biggest gay party ever. Russia is a pig sty and everyone's going to realize this by the time the games are done.

PS: Remember, the excerpt is from an article at CNN, not at Joe Jervis' blog. The world is with us on this one.

IOC needs to cancel the Sochi Olympics

Russia will enforce a new law cracking down on gay rights activism when it hosts international athletes and fans during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the country’s sports minister said Thursday, appearing to contradict assurances to the contrary from the International Olympic Committee.

As I said yesterday, there can be no Olympics in Sochi. Russia is far too barbaric. The more savage members of its population are running amuck now that the government is encouraging sociopathic behavior against gay people.

But should the lilly-livered IOC foolishly decide to hold the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, I hope Russia is ready to arrest all the American athletes. Because I suspect they'll trot onto the field wearing pro-gay "propaganda" slogans. If they don't, I'd be shocked.

Once again, for the record: Russia is a pig sty.

Sochi 2014 Olympics must be canceled

There's no other way, at this point. Read John Aravosis to find out why.

Seriously. The entire world cannot come together to participate in what has become the Anti-gay Olympics.

Not. Gonna. Happen.

PS: I've decided to put the tag "Russian pig sty" on every Russian post. They've earned it.