Should the IOC strip Russia of the 2014 Winter Games?

MWF

MWF

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Russia has recently passed a law banning the promotion of homosexuality and the authorities there turn a blind eye to hate crimes against the LGBT community.

For a far more enlightened and eloquent argument in favour of relocating the games to a more enlightened country please read Mr Stephen Fry's open letter here.

If you agree and wish to show your support for the campaign you can do so and share here.
 
It's nice to ban a country, but i think it would be impossible to ban the hosting country.
And what stops russia from pulling the plug and not organising it at all?
 
Not ban the country - strip Russia of the games entirely and ask another country that has previously hosted it and has the facilities to step up and take over.
 
It's Russia, what did you expect? It's not like this small piece in the puzzle dramatically changes the overall picture. No-one can claim that they didn't know what they are going into. It would be legitimate to demand that the Olympics won't be awarded to countries with a questionable attitude to human rights, but the IOC clearly doesn't give a fuck about this kind of stuff, as China got to host the games too. Asking to take the games away from Russia half a year ahead is just stupid, it's not realistic politically and technically it's not realistic that it could be transferred to a different country either, as lots of the venues are just temporary, and dismantled after the games etc. It would just mean that the games would get cancelled and thousands of athletes would be robbed of a centerpoint of their career.
 
I think it's too late to strip Russia of it.
 
I agree with the sentiment, but realistically it can't be changed this late. Here are some points, a bit of a ramble to be honest.

I'm surprised that Fry and others weren't/aren't campaigning nearly as hard against events in nations with far more strict anti-homosexuality laws, such as Beijing 2008 or Qatar 2022. I do disagree with this law, but it's not nearly as strict as laws in China, and male homosexual relations in Qatar are completely illegal. Fry says on his Twitter now that 2008 Beijing should have not gone ahead, but I can't find any evidence that he made such an effort at the time.

Also, his choice of Utah as a potential replacement is bizarre given it is one of the most conservative states with their own anti-gay discrimination. He also proposes the IOC to stage the games "anywhere you like": Saudi Arabia then, Mr Fry?

His well-woven prose about Berlin 1936 is a pleasure to read, but comparing this law to the treatment of Jews in 1936 is simply ridiculous. Those laws allowed police to turn a blind eye to personal beatings as well as damage of businesses, led to a massive denial of rights and ultimately threatened their very existence, substantiated by the Holocaust, a mass murder of six million Jews. This won't.

Fry also complains that this is against the wishes of Russia, and that all that support this law are "in the grip of that toxic mix of shaven headed thuggery and bigoted religion". Given that 73% of Russians support laws to curb homosexual propaganda (source), this is nothing more than hyperbole that ultimately paints a completely unfair, stereotypical image of the Russians who support this law: in other words, doing exactly what he complains people do to gay people. Again, I'm not trying to excuse this law, but what he writes is in my opinion damaging to his article.

I guess in conclusion, I think this law is wrong but a boycott/change in host would be not practical. Also, I think Fry's letter is pretty poor.
 
Not trying to minimise the anti homosexual law, but I am under the impression that if Snowden hadn't been granted asylum , all this wouldn't happened.
 
If athletes can be stripped of their glory for hurting the image and spirit of the Games then so should any country hosting them.
 
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Its too late to strip them of it, but I for one will not be watching it (I know that makes no difference, but still).
The question is why in the hell was Russia awarded the games in the first place?
Yeah, yeah. I know. Ethics and the IOC and all that..
 
Because politics. Those with the deepest pockest and who can lobby the hardest get the games.

The last 5 summer games has been a pissing contest of who can spend the most money.
 
If I recall correctly from german News, russian homosexual groups have stated that they would like to use the games as a forum, not see them cancelled or moved.

And while I would like to see Russia recieve some international punishment for how they try outlaw homosexuality - I think it is important to do what actually helps the LBGT communities in Russia. If they recon it helps them more if the games happen and they can use them - I say let the games stay in Russia.
 
The worst thing you can do to Russia is have them host the Olympic Games. They have proven to hurt economies in the long run as they require the hosts to build facilities that have little use after the games.

The IOC is bad enough to have around. When B.C. hosted the games over here the IOC sued numerous companies in Washington's Olympic Peninsula over copyright infringement (including a newspaper that predated the modern Olympic Games).
 
Can't see it hurting Russia that much, not with their GDP.

The best that can be hoped is that the Games provide an opportunity and a platform to get the message to a wider audience and perhaps the IOC will look more carefully at a country's human rights record in future before awarding any future Olympiads. I doubt that will happen as the prime mover will always be money but it would be nice to think it could happen. Strangers things have.
 
People need to respect the laws of any country they are visiting, regardless of what they think of them.
 
And when the laws are incredibly stupid, you should avoid that country!
 
GRtak said:
And when the laws violate human rights, you should avoid that country!
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Fixed. Because every country has stupid laws, even the United States of spying.
 
Jimi Hendrix said:
Isinbayeva should take note :D

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I?m still a tiny bit dissapointed Bolt didn?t kiss his echelon/relay mates ... I?m not gay and I would kiss my teammates to make a point.

It?s still different when women do it ... with women homobhobic people still go "oh, that?s just a phase" and so on but when two men kiss, all hell breaks loose ...
 
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