Why Russia’s Sochi
Olympics Are a Battle Ground for Gay Rights by Laura Smith-Spark
discusses the unfairness of Russia’s ban on gay rights in light of the Sochi
Olympics. Ms. Smith-Spark brings up some very valid points protesting the ban
of gay rights in Russia, and even goes so far as to compare it to the Nazi like
era in Germany. While I wouldn’t go as far as her, I have to agree that Russia’s
ban on gay rights is restricting, and offensive to many people around the world.
Before Ms. Smith-Spark starts in on
reprimanding Russian Policy, she reminds us that in Russia, people are not
educated about what gay and lesbian people really are. Boris Dittrich, a Human
Rights Watch’s advocate said, quote, “they mix it up with pedophilia, bestiality
or even think it has something to do with the devil." Many of these
beliefs sprout from the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church and the
government spread misinformation about what being part of the LBGT community
really is. And the Russian government isn’t looking to shed any truths on the
matter any time soon, instead the Anti-gay Propaganda Law passed by parliament
and signed by Putin banned the discussion of gay rights and LBGT relationships
anywhere children can hear, and educate themselves. And if you are found to
have talked about it, you can be fined or deported if you’re foreign. These
misconceptions have leaded almost three quarters of Russia to think
homosexuality shouldn’t be accepted by society. “While just 16% of Russians said it should be accepted, a recent
Pew Research Center survey of global attitudes revealed.
By comparison, 33% of people surveyed in the United States said
homosexuality should not be accepted by society, while 60% said it should. In
Britain, only 18% did not favor accepting homosexuality, with 76% saying it
should be accepted.” Perhaps even more horrific is that Russia says that its
law against “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations to minors” is to
protect children. What are we protecting them from, the truth? By not exposing Russian
minors to the truth, Russian government shapes the minds of young men and women
who could have one day grown up to protest these wrong doing. Instead they
restrict their knowledge on world issues.
After reading
this article, I realized that I take advantage of living in a first world
country. With all of America’s flaws, it’s sometimes hard to see that we have
more freedoms than others. I find it comforting to know that no matter what the
government’s opinion on an issue, they’re not supposed to withhold the
information from us and leave us in the dark, uneducated. I’ve always been in
support of the LGBT community, and it’s ongoing community of acceptance, but I
don’t usually stop and think about how bad it can be in other countries.
