The following was originally posted on Joe’s blog at this link.
If you follow my blog you know that I rarely comment on current events and mostly am guilty of reminiscent wool gathering. I have also stated that I am not content just writing about the timeline of our marriage.
But, what is going on in Russia needs to be addressed now and regularly until the Winter Games and beyond. The persecution of LGBT people in Russia is horrifyingly similar to the gradual evolution of the Jewish holocaust led by Vladimir Putin an ex-KGB thug. He knows what he is doing. Find a group of already disenfranchised people and make them the enemy. It starts slowly. Rights are incrementally removed.
In this case they are using the old favorite of our own anti gay crowd. ” We must protect the children.”
OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP/Getty Images)
Who will protect the gay children? You are going to protect the children by removing them from their loving parents? It is sick, but effective. I thought for a while that the athletes should go but display the rainbow flag but that is not enough. The games should be moved.
Jesse Owens, 1936
Must we replay the 1936 Olympics hosted by Adolf Hitler? They removed all of the anti Jewish signs during the games. The games went on and Jesse Owens infuriated the fuhrer. Yet, the holocaust continued. For nine more years Hitler shrieked his hatred. Are we going to do it again?
Are we going to sit back and say “Well, those crazy Russians” and forget our gay brothers and sisters suffering terrible indignities? The videos of these poor people being beaten and humiliated make me ashamed that humans can treat each other in this despicable manner.
A tea party member said, “Russia should be able to do what they want!” Say what?
I think this is going to explode world wide and actually help the global GLBT community. The unintended consequences for Russia is to paint Russia as ignorant and backward.
Suddenly the religious right in our country are in the uncomfortable position of being in bed with the Commies–or former-Commies.
We plan to not watch the Olympics. And we love the figure skating, etc. Figure skating–nothing gay about that!
Imagine the poor gay athlete standing on the medal platform receiving the gold medal and having to listen to the Russian anthem knowing a majority of their countrymen think they are scum. I cannot imagine the pain of that moment.
This is a story to watch. End of sermon.
