Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik (right), who is a member of the International Olympic Committee (and a fox), and Foreign Minister Vitaly Søvndal have condemned Russia’s anti-gay propaganda law. And if Putin doesn’t get his shit together, they’re gonna tell the European Council on him.
“The law is highly objectionable,” Søvndal told Danish newspaper Politiken (via The Copenhagen Post). “It risks promoting discrimination and attacks against minorities in the Russian society and we have already seen examples of this. The law gives an official stamp of approval [to discriminate]. We will ensure that Russia upholds its international commitments.”
Søvndal said he would take the issue up with the European Council when it meets in September and even confront the Russian Foreign Minister directly. (*SNAP)
Vitaly and Prince Freddy were previously urged by the far left party Enhedslisten to speak out against Russia’s discriminatory law, which bans the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” to children.
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The law’s deliberate vagueness has spurred further homophobic sentiment and violence in the country, with many urging a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, or a completely different host country. The IOC, meanwhile, had been confused over how the law would affect the Games, then came to its “senses” and effectively backed Russia’s homophobia.
But Fred’s not having that.
“If individual groups are discriminated against it would be a breach of the Olympic charter, the Olympic spirit and not least the contract that each host country makes with the IOC,” the prince wrote in an email to Politiken. “The IOC president has made this clear to the Russian hosts.”
Last week President Obama responded to the human rights violations in Russia with a definitive “ain’t nobody got time for that,” before putting his words into action by canceling his meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
Cam
“The IOC president has made this clear to the Russian hosts.”
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No he hasn’t, the IOC president has warned athletes that THEY will be disqualified and sent home if they don’t abide by the Russian anti-gay laws.
Ridpathos
LOL
Obama: “Ain’t nobody got time fo dat!”
I didn’t know Denmark had a prince.
stytlllr
@Ridpathos: since before Hamlet, I think
AndrewIB
Russia couldn’t give a flying fck what anyone thinks..Denmark, the USA, the UK and/or the rest of the world..really do people believe that Russia is going to take an ounce of notice over a subject they consider to be so far off their own agenda and that they have very vigorous laws against..seriously..Wake up, they don’t give a rats ass and no amount of candy ass whining is going to make one iota of difference or bring about change. I accept it’s sad, unjust but it’s the way it is there.
Daniel-Reader
Actually Andrew – Russian politicians like Putin and the Duma members want the freedom for themselves and their families to travel abroad to the West to spend the money they have stolen from the Russian people. Putin maintains accounts that he hides from Russians. You can punish Putin and the Duma members by simply blocking their ability to freely travel. Putin’s adult daughters for example and the adlt son of the author of the legislation were sent outside Russia, for instance. Putin and the Duma members have harmed countless families. They are guilty of genocide against gay children – inflicting mental and physical conditions upon them geared towards driving them to suicide.
pauleky
@AndrewIB: I find your response sad. Good thing people like Harvey Milk didn’t have your attitude.
Teleny
Historically Russia has always lagged behind the West. Perhaps international pressure can help push them into the 21rst century and help build their internal lbgt community.
jimmy10
@· stytlllr I think = “methinks”. just sayin. 🙂
Evji108
The Nazi’s had passed laws prior to the 1936 Olympics discriminating against the Jews in Germany. There was a movement to boycott the Olympics due to this, which failed. Later, most of the countries regretted not boycotting it – there is a similar situation now. “The Olympic Games are not to be politicized, blah, blah, blah.” The fact is, that supporting the Olympic Games in Russia glorifies and enables their inhumane treatment of gay people there, like it or not; just as the world enabled, glorified and supported the inhumane treatment of the Jews in Germany in 1936.
The Movement to Boycott the 1936 Berlin Olympics:
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007087
Jerry12
If the athletes themselves said that they would not perform unless the anti Gay laws and threats were voided, there would be NO Olympics; There would be no profits for any of the “Sponsors”; All the money spent to date by all of the entities that expect to profit from the Olympics will be wasted; All of the present athletes’ standings would remain intact; All of the money Russia has spent on the Olympics will be wasted.
After all, THE ATHLETES THEMSELVES ARE IN CONTROL! No Gays = No Olympics.
lab
@AndrewIB: it is an international world and no country (including america) can survive without trading partners and allies…russia does care but unfortunately the churches resurgence of power is causing them to become less tolerant much like evangelicals are trying to do in the states
lab
@Jerry12: never going to happen…these athletes have spent their lives preparing for this moment and they deserve the opportunity to compete
Bopper1
…actually everybody, this is working…beginning with the dumping of Russian Vodka by gay bars in the U.S., the human rights issues in Russia went from the back page to the front page of every international news organisation…the intersection of Russian oppression of LGBT people and the 2014 Winter Olympics has created an international stage upon which this entire issue will be played out…already FIFA is re-examining the World Cup scheduled for Russia and Americans are waking up to the fact that U.S. Corporations (and Olympic sponsors) and broadcaster NBC are sinking millions of dollars into Russia…that is now being challenged by LGBT rights organizations and others and those corporations who are LGBT friendly in the U.S. are now being put under a microscope as to their position on LGBT rights in Russia (and elsewhere)…NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, it will all play out on a world stage…Russia’s oppression of LGBT people is exposed, U.S. corps who profit in Russia are exposed, LGBT athletes will compete on Russian soil and every victory by an LGBT athlete or by an LGBT friendly athlete will be a condemnation of Russia’s policies…if Russia arrests ANYONE during the games, it will be on a world stage…most importantly, the continuing furor is bringing to light the plight of the Russian LGBT community…this is a PR nightmare for Russia, for the IOC, for NBC, for U.S corporate sponsors…LOVE IT!!!…
AndrewIB
@Daniel-Reader:
The thing is Daniel, you are under the misaprehension that other countries have this subject suitably high enough on their agenda to start blocking freedoms..
AndrewIB
@pauleky:
Oh don’t misunderstand me..it is a sad reflection but it’s very much the case I am sorry to say. You can’t compare the gay rights issue in the USA (Harvey Milk) in the 70’s to the gay rights issue in Russia..you are dealing with a far more extreme culture in this case and as different from the USA as it is possible to be.
AndrewIB
@Bopper1:
This isn’t a frat house romp..you seriously don’t want to be arrested in Russia..their human rights record is pretty poor and you could quite simply disappear. They really won’t care what the world thinks about it and your plight would soon be old news, no amount of government intervention would help..you are very naive about the former USSR and Mr. Putin if you think they couldn’t withstand some negative press, it would still be business as usual, no one would stop dealing with them as the gay rights issue simply isn’t that high on most peoples list, in fact it’s quite the reverse..this is only adding fuel to the haters fires.
Gigi Gee
@AndrewIB: Russians care deeply the way they’re perceived by the outside world. They pretend that they don’t give a shit, but it’s all a front. The interesting thing is that in spite of the fact they claim to be a “deeply conservative society,” they have one of the highest rates of adultery and abortion per capita in the world, and they also have a booming sex-trade industry.
They say that this law is to “protect children.” If Putin & Co. really cared about children they wouldn’t have banned Americans and any country that allows gay marriage from adopting Russian orphans. How can you claim to care about children when you’d prefer they rot in an orphanage rather than be adopted by loving, caring parents?
Halston
@Bopper1: When are you going to dump the gasoline from the Middle East and protest the imprisonment and executions of gays????
BobBrown
@stytlllr: I think I love you for that comment. hehe
BigWoody
@Halston: Maybe when we can identify and separate mid-east gas/oil from US, Mexican, Canadian, Venezuelan, and European North Sea oil AND when a Middle Eastern country hosts the Olympics we can focus our anger towards them.