Ah, the Winter Olympics, that athletic paean to tired nationalisms. Another chance to watch white athletes pursue their selfish dreams of perfection, some of them destroying their bodies for life by playing through debilitating injuries to vie for gold.
But it’s different this time. The stakes are higher than ever now that host country Russia has passed a law that bans “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors,” imposes fines on those participating in LGBT rallies and throws out foreigners they see as homosexually provocative.
As LGBT activism mounts in response, cynics point out that we let China get away with flagrant human rights violations in 2008, and we do business with Muslim countries that promote homophobic values. Why privilege the LGBT cause in this instance?
That’s a specious argument. Just because activists couldn’t get traction for their cause when it came to China is no reason to silence the protests against Russia’s draconian laws.
But a boycott? No way. Not because it’s unfeasible to move the Games to Vancouver, though it is, and not because a full-on boycott would dash the dreams of those obsessed athletes – some us think human rights are more important than a sports competition – but because the fact that the whole world is watching gives LGBT activists an opportunity to step into the spotlight.
Don’t boycott – intervene big time.
And I’m not just talking about trying to convince LGBT athletes to speak out before or during the Olympic Games, though the occasional such gesture would have a huge effect. American sprint medalists John Carlos and Tommie Smith shocked the world when they gave the black power salute on the podium in 1968. The effect was electrifying. Jocks with politics? They made it obvious that radical ideas had penetrated the mainstream.
But with close to a billion people watching the Olympics’ opening ceremonies – an estimated 900 million had their TVs on for the launch of the Games in China – and hundreds of millions more tuning in to marquee events like the 100-metre and 1,500-metre races, gay rights activists have the chance to get unprecedented visibility.
Instead of spending time and money promoting a boycott, we should be fundraising to send activists to the Games who can position themselves strategically for the greatest impact.
Sit in groups, dress in colours that create a rainbow flag effect, have major queer kiss-ins, research camera angles (it’s not out of the question that sympathetic CBC employees might collaborate on the sly), make statements and gestures that can grab attention.
Don’t worry about taking the spotlight away from the athletes. They’re getting tons of attention for deploying their bodies in pursuit of Olympic glory.
Queer people’s bodies are on the line in way more important ways.
susanc@nowtoronto.com | @susangcole