Sochi Olympics will test gay rights

[johndockley92]

I don't understand why there's a picture of Gracie Gold in this article. She isn't gay (She's got a little thing going on with one of the US men) and AFIAK hasn't done anything major to benefit the LGBT community (not that I would expect her to, just stating it). I hope this newspaper has rights to use her photograph in such an article??

[Ziggy]

It's a culture war. Anyways the op's article is rather misleading when it says "What year are we in? People are still being arrested for saying it's OK to be gay?" Who, where, when, what?

In Russia.

You seemed to have missed Tahbka's post on a recent demonstration against the new anti-gay laws.

I don't understand why there's a picture of Gracie Gold in this article. She isn't gay (She's got a little thing going on with one of the US men) and AFIAK hasn't done anything major to benefit the LGBT community (not that I would expect her to, just stating it). I hope this newspaper has rights to use her photograph in such an article??

The pictures are generic skating pictures. Stop acting like it's some kind shame to be featured next to an article on gay rights.

[johndockley92]

^^ It's not a shame or anything, but what if she doesn't support gay rights. Obviously, I would assume she does. But, many people in the country don't and it'd be silly to assume that someone does. You can't really put someone in an article based on something that many oppose, without first getting permission.

[Ziggy]

^^ It's not a shame or anything, but what if she doesn't support gay rights. Obviously, I would assume she does. But, many people in the country don't and it'd be silly to assume that someone does. You can't really put someone in an article based on something that many oppose, without first getting permission.

If that logic was to be followed, you wouldn't be able to put a picture next to any article because the person in the picture might oppose what is written there.

[kwanfan1818]

I don't understand why there's a picture of Gracie Gold in this article. She isn't gay (She's got a little thing going on with one of the US men) and AFIAK hasn't done anything major to benefit the LGBT community (not that I would expect her to, just stating it). I hope this newspaper has rights to use her photograph in such an article??

Gold's photo was included among several in a feature about athletes that had done well that week. It happened to be imbedded in the middle of the article on Sochi. She wasn't even the featured photo: it was another athlete in another sport who was in the full-sized photo that looked like it was illustrating the article, not a separate feature, and you had to scroll through the small photos at the bottom to even find Gold, at least when the article was published. The captions made it clear that they were reporting on recent sports results.

[caseyedwards]

Within the article it has links to "you might also be interested in this" type stuff. It just so happens that these photos come off as a gallery of gay Olympians

[PeterG]

I am very interested in this topic. I have noticed 15 or so posts about Olympic villages and legacies, deficits, etc. so I have started a thread for this different topic for those who are interested. It seems there's a lot of you. Here's the thread title, just click on it to go to this separate topic: Olympic Cities - Legacies, Deficits...Do The Olympics Help Or Hurt Cities Which Host

To help this "Sochi Olympics will test gay rights" thread get back on topic, I'd like to address the comment about how gay rights deserves to be in a figure skating thread.

Russia has been in the news lately for many varying anti-gay actions. There have been too many stories to mention about how gay people and gay pride parades have been attacked and abused. Now imagine that you are an openly gay athlete...or a closeted athelete...or even an open, vocal ally. You will be competing in a country whose track record is certainly less than stellar, if not horrific, in how people who share your sexuality are treated. Might that make you concerned...nervous...agitated? If so, would that not make the competition unfair? To have to perform when you might have concern for your safety or well-being?

I believe all athletes should have the right to compete on an equal level. Until we get there, we should be discussing any and all topics that relate to this topic or any other when there is a possibility of an outside source having a negative affect on any of the athletes who have dreamed all their lives of competing at an Olympics.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Also, Johnny Weir's statement was linked in the first posting by this thread. That's why it's in the Great Skate Debate.

[Finnice]

I think this is perfectly suitable thread in the GSD. Human rights are a very important part of everything we do. They are basic values we have to respect and defend.

[MacMadame]

You can't really put someone in an article based on something that many oppose, without first getting permission.

Yes, you can. It's news. You can put any picture you want. That's the law in most places.

Also, Johnny Weir's statement was linked in the first posting by this thread. That's why it's in the Great Skate Debate.

Exactly.

[caseyedwards]

I am very interested in this topic. I have noticed 15 or so posts about Olympic villages and legacies, deficits, etc. so I have started a thread for this different topic for those who are interested. It seems there's a lot of you. Here's the thread title, just click on it to go to this separate topic: Olympic Cities - Legacies, Deficits...Do The Olympics Help Or Hurt Cities Which Host

To help this "Sochi Olympics will test gay rights" thread get back on topic, I'd like to address the comment about how gay rights deserves to be in a figure skating thread.

Russia has been in the news lately for many varying anti-gay actions. There have been too many stories to mention about how gay people and gay pride parades have been attacked and abused. Now imagine that you are an openly gay athlete...or a closeted athelete...or even an open, vocal ally. You will be competing in a country whose track record is certainly less than stellar, if not horrific, in how people who share your sexuality are treated. Might that make you concerned...nervous...agitated? If so, would that not make the competition unfair? To have to perform when you might have concern for your safety or well-being?

I believe all athletes should have the right to compete on an equal level. Until we get there, we should be discussing any and all topics that relate to this topic or any other when there is a possibility of an outside source having a negative affect on any of the athletes who have dreamed all their lives of competing at an Olympics.

A lot of these skaters competed in Moscow in 2011! There probably not going to be a big shift in who competed. And they weren't staying In a village but hotels in Moscow which means anyone who was gay there they was more in contact with people than they would Be in 2014. The new law proposals are just proposals but the ideology that would leas to the new laws would have existed in 2011.

[Ziggy]

I think this is perfectly suitable thread in the GSD. Human rights are a very important part of everything we do. They are basic values we have to respect and defend.

You can trust a Scandinavian person to say that.

[Finnice]

You can trust a Scandinavian person to say that.

Well, techically, Finland is not part of Scandinavia But we share the same values.