The Winter Olympics opening ceremony took place in Beijing today. China has warned visiting athletes to “be responsible” if they are considering speaking out on political issues whilst in the country.
One athlete who appears to be uncowed by the warning is Gus Kenworthy. The out athlete, who is competing for Great Britain in the Men’s Freeski Halfpipe, has been speaking to several British press outlets this week in the run-up to the games.
“I’m probably a dumb ass for doing it but I can’t keep my mouth shut,” he told Sportsmail. “I don’t think that China should be allowed to host. I don’t think that any nation should be allowed to host the Olympics, this gathering point of the world, with everyone in the world fixated on you and pouring in money and attention, if you have atrocious human rights stances.”
Related: Gus Kenworthy confirms he’s “taken”, talks more about why he switched to Team GB
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China has faced multiple criticisms from human rights groups over the way its authoritarian regime treats citizens. This includes the persecution of Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region. It’s also cracking down on opposition in Hong Kong.
Although gay sex is legal, China does not recognize same-sex relationships. Last year, the Chinese government banned the representation of “sissy men” from TV, and there’s been a crackdown on LGBTQ groups on social media platforms. Last week, Grindr disappeared from app stores in the country.
“Heading to Sochi [in 2014] we had media training specifically about not speaking out against Russia and the fact that there was anti-LGBTQ legislature in place,” Kenworthy went on to say. “I was in the closet at the time and so I feel like I didn’t have the gall to say anything. I regretted it.”
Kenworthy came out as gay in 2015.
“I feel like we are all given a voice and it’s important to use it. I just feel like since the Olympics is about the world coming together, it should be about more than money, and that a country shouldn’t have the opportunity to host or sometimes even compete if they have poor stances on human rights issues.
Kenworthy made similar comments to the Guardian.
“The IOC has the power to really make a positive difference and if you’re a country with horrible human rights issues and bad stances on LGBTQ issues, you shouldn’t be allowed that giant honor and prestige of hosting the Olympics. And in countries where homosexuality is punishable by death or jail, you shouldn’t be allowed to compete in the Olympics at all.”
Asked if he supported the US and UK governments’ diplomatic boycotts of the games (meaning they send no political representatives), Kenworthy said, “Yes, I do but I don’t think it does anything. It sends a message but it doesn’t create any actual change.
“Real, systemic change happens at the very top with the IOC. This should be in terms of which countries are allowed to host and which countries are allowed to participate, and certain criteria should be met in order to be eligible for either of those.”
Related: Adam Rippon just shared a happy surprise on Instagram
Another gay sporting figure to speak out against China’s human rights record is skater Adam Rippon. Although he’s retired as a competitor, he’s coaching American Mariah Bell at Beijing.
“I think the Chinese are going to put on an amazing Games and I think they are going to make sure everyone is as safe as possible but when it comes to human rights, we’re entering a Communist country,” Rippon told Reuters.
“And I think that when we’re picking Olympic cities this needs to be something that is more regulated by the IOC. This is a position that they’ve put a lot of people in.
“It makes me think of being rewarded for bad behavior… in light of all of the human rights violations in China, it does make you question why were they still allowed to host these Games?”
g-sing
if he really cared he wouldnt be participating at all. he is literally supporting the committee and the country by participating in these winter olympics.
James Hart
I’m glad Gus is there. He can see for himself how evil the Communist government in China truly is. It is not the Chinese people who are at fault, it is their masters: The Communist Chinese government. Russia is NOT America’s greatest enemy, China is.
Kangol2
Let’s see: Russia or Russian-based and ilnked hackers have repeatedly hacked the US government and US corporations over the last few years. Russia helped install a corrupt, fascist psychopath, Don the Con, in 2016, who then attempted to overthrow a legitimate US election in 2020. Russia seized part of the territory of a US ally country, Ukraine, and has now massed troops on Ukraine’s border, not only threatening that country, but neighboring countries–the Baltics, Romania, Poland, etc.–that are US allies as well and NATO member countries. Russia put bounties on the heads of US soldiers in Afghanistan and the sitting president, Don the Con, a Russian puppet, did nothing. Russia also has troops in Belarus, Azerbaijan/Armenia (Nagorno-Karabakh), Kazakhstan, Syria, etc. Russia currently harbors a notorious US fugitive from justice, Edward Snowden, who shared US intelligence secrets not only with Russia but the rest of the world. Russia’s human rights record is atrocious, whether it involves its treatment of political dissenters, LGBTQ people, Muslim and Jewish minorities, etc.
Russia is not the US’s friend and remains a very serious threat, “James Hart.”
James Hart
Kangol2:
You seem very agitated these days. I have seen your meltdowns before and they always involve politics. Your present breakdown must be happening because The Republicans will be retaking control of the House and Senate in November.
Karlis
Good for him. The IOC gave the games to Hitler’s Germany, Tsar Vladimir’s Russia and now Si’s China twice. A more craven international organization would be very hard to imagine.
James Hart
The IOC is NOT pro-freedom, obviously.
Heywood Jablowme
A quibble: Olympic sites have always been chosen many years in advance. The site of the 1936 Olympics was chosen way back in 1928, when the Weimar Republic still appeared to be stable.
In recent decades, the excessive and arrogant demands of the IOC tend to make cities in democratic countries lose interest. And anywhere the Olympics are put to a referendum, the voters say NO. Totalitarian countries don’t worry about voters and don’t mind the expense (or the likely bribes to the IOC).
Cam
Glad he is speaking out, it will be interesting to see if China pretends nothing happened or if they will try to kick him out or drum up some phony arrest for him.
LumpyPillows
The Chinese government is smart, ruthless and focused on the long term. They’ve run circles around the west and our Twitter-driven, unfocused, inept governing. How we allowed so many critical industries to migrate to China is a mystery to me. It is unbridled capitalism that did this and its a failure even for capitalism. I sure hope companies have woken up to the supply-chain risk and are moving manufacturing elsewhere. I sure hope countries wake up to this policy failure as well.
Kangol2
These companies will wake up for as long as there’s any crimp in their pocketbooks then they’ll go right back to outsourcing, fighting labor laws through their lobbyists and tools in Congress, privileging Wall Street over Main Street, etc. The US once led the world in semiconductor development and production, but Congressional inaction, federal policy over all, cheaper labor and higher profits shifted the vast majority of those jobs offshore. Now the US is scrambling to recharge that industry, especially given that many of the leading figures in semiconductor design and development are based at the US’s top universities.
Mister P
Excessive consumerism is to blame. Americans want to buy cheap things they don’t really need.
Bosch
The Olympics always shine a spotlight on the human rights issues of the host country. Secret agenda?
Jim
Glad Gus is using his bully pulpit. Host countries should be required to have a basic recognition and protection of human rights. The IOC is about bucks.
And while we are at it think about how much money NBC is making on the Olympics being held in a country with abysmal human rights.
As for Rippon, if you don’t know much more about China then, “it’s a communist country,” keep your thoughts to yourself.
ingyaom
I wonder if Gus knows that the world’s largest prison state is one of the countries he’s a citizen of … and it’s not the UK.
masteradrian031
A guy to be very, very proud of!
He speaks out, gives his opinion, not to be celebrated but because he feels and thinks the way gives his opinion!
Lets hope he’s safe while there, and returns home safely too!
(with all the Gold medals possible!)
Tombear
China will probably take over the world someday, but not in our lifetimes.
winemaker
Good for Gus Kenworthy Time to send these disgusting, subhuman worthless anti freedom communist chinese bastards back to the stone age immediately. Bring back the jobs and technology these bastards have stolen over the years. Newsflash: china and all it’s filth are no friends of the USA, never have been friends of the USA and never will be friends of the USA and anybody who thinks otherwise needs to get their heads out of their asses, wake up smell the coffee and get with the program. Oh and by the way, why Covid 19?
BoomerMyles
Fear China!
downtoearth
Finally somebody is speaking up about this. Shame on all of the sponsors too.
johncp56
Ditto it is all about the $$$$ china sucks until they treat there humans human
capitolgains
Kinda sick of hearing his nonsense. Google pictures of him, all his friends are white gay clone steroid using types. Seriously, do we need “representatives” like this flake clone? Kinda sick of what the media puts out there for being a representative of our community: white circuit party types.