Appearing as a guest on Chelsea Lately, out soccer player Robbie Rogers says he is against a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics due to Russia’s “gay propaganda” law.
“I went to the Beijing Olympics and it was the best experience of my life,” the L.A. Galaxy winger told host Chelsea Handler. “And to take that away from someone, I just don’t feel comfortable doing. Now, if people want to do that, okay more power to them. But I would encourage people to go, to be out, to be just great role models, to compete, and hopefully to win. And not to hide any of that. I think that would be a bigger more important symbol, or just a stronger message.”
On a much less serious note, Rogers shared an anecdote about how the locker room and shower time has changed since he came out publicly as gay earlier this year.
“There’s good banter,” he offered. “They make jokes when we’re in the shower. If the lights are off, they’ll be like, ‘I wonder why the lights are off – Robbie’s going in the shower.”
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Cam
So China was a great experience for him? Maybe because there wasn’t a law that said you couldn’t be arrested for holding somebody’s hand…maybe because people weren’t uploading videos of them torturing kidnap victims onto public forums and having the police say that there is nothing criminal about them sodomizing the victims with bats and killing them because they are gay.
Russia’s law isn’t some inconvenience that means a gay bar is harder to find, it’s about life and death for people over there at this point and I wish that these folks would not be cowed by threats from the IOC.
balehead
Boycotts don’t work…
Take your Dolls, Bitch!…..
Samuel
So freaking gorgeous!
Cam
@balehead:
You have a desperation to try to convince people that boycotts don’t work. Really? Funny then that the entire country of Armenia has decided NOT to enact anti-gay laws because of the boycott threats Russia was getting.
Target stopped donating to anti-gay politicians and ended up donating to gay groups after a boycott, same with Coors Beer, Chick Fil Et had to close a store in Georgia Already and has lost sales, Fruit of the Loom and Nestle both changed major policies due to boycotts in the last two years.
These are just a few boycotts that worked. So since boycott’s obviously work I have to ask you why your desperate attempts to keep lying and say that they don’t?
1EqualityUSA
Boycott Russia.
Dakotahgeo
@Cam: Sorry to burst your bubble, Cam.. I am light years ahead of you age-wise and I am here to tell you… BOYCOTTS do work! The above-mentioned companies/corporations were NOT boycotted. They were inundated with e-mails and telephone calls… THAT’S what did it, not boycotts. Boycotts never work! Ever! Ask Disney, Arm & Hammer, and any other large corporation. I worked for DisneyCatalogsOnline and our business tripled during the Baptists’ boycott, and our phone line and e-mail business tripled! Not to mention Anita Bryant… Florida Orange Juice also hit higher sales because of her stupidity! These dingbat religious extremists make it SOUND as if they’d won… they lost their causes miserably!
Dakotahgeo
@Cam: Big correction on No 6: “…I am here to tell you… BOYCOTTS do NOT work!”
Jared MacBride
He wants people to go to and Russia and “be out.” That’s risking arrest. Easy enough for him to say since he isn’t going. Not very sporting of Rogers.
Dixie Rect
What is it with Queety and this guy? Enough pushing this guy on us!
2eo
@Dixie Rect: To be fair, at least Rogers has done something career wise, Lester Braithwaite’s crush on that worthless sack of effluent with Calvin Klein is what’s truly embarrassing.
yorkie
Sorry Robbie, I dont agree with you on this one. The world has to stand up to Russia and other bullies that will try and take us back to the dark ages. This includes our community
Brian
Robbie Rogers comes across as misguided and ill-informed. Silly little twit…
Ryanpdx25
At this point, a boycott on the Olympics in Sochi is not going to achieve a whole lot. Had the world cared more about the legislative stepping stones that led to the law, perhaps threats of a boycott would have had an affect months/years before it was passed. Even if a boycott could lead to moving the Olympics elsewhere, Russia would be briefly affected and attention on the law would decrease significantly. Given the situation Russia is in now, Robbie Rogers is absolutely right. It will send a more powerful message if openly gay athletes and athletes who support gay rights compete in the Olympics. If any athlete is arrested, that news will give Russia an even worse diplomatic reputation. If the IOC also punishes the athletes, the organization as a whole will be inundated with terrible press and risk being dropped by sponsors. If both the IOC and Russia do nothing and opt to ignore the law during the games, then Russia’s law will appear incredibly weak among citizens. Either way, I think it is more important for citizens in Russia who risk persecution to see open athletes competing in their country. It will ultimately be up to Russian citizens to influence the law’s repeal, and I think it will greatly help them to feel international support. Instead of useless endeavors like boycotting the Olympics or the ridiculous move to pour out Russian vodka, people could actually be productive and write to their representatives about facilitating asylum for Russian citizens who may want to come to the U.S./UK/etc.
Cam
@Dakotahgeo: said.. “BOYCOTTS do NOT work!”
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Funny, I gave you NUMEROUS examples of boycotts that worked including two from the past year or so from major companies, and yet you (under two different screenames) keep screaming that boycotts don’t work.
What is your agenda here? You could provide zero evidence to back up your claims while I provided multiple examples of boycotts working that proved you wrong.
JDJase
I always find it amusing that the people screaming loudest for a boycott are the ones that boycotting affects least. It’s not the people who have spent their whole lives preparing for the olympics, it not just being their career but their life. No, it’s the fat fucks sitting on their fat asses at their computer demanding that the athletes abandon what they’ve spent their lives preparing for. It’s really easy to be for something when you don’t have to sacrifice one damn thing for it, which seems to be the case with most of the mouth breathers demanding a boycott. It seems a lot like prayer; people who ‘pray’ for other people just want to feel like they’ve contributed something without ACTUALLY having to do anything.
As for the “boycotts don’t work!” argument, sure there are a few examples of successful boycotts you can point to. But for every successful one you can write about, there are a hundred others that failed. You think gay athletes not showing up in Russia is going to hurt Russia?! Hello, that’s exactly what they WANT – for gays to not come to their country.
And btw Cam, it’s ridiculous to point to 1 Chick-fil-A store closure in Georgia as a successful result of a boycott — the Chick-fil-A boycott was a dudd – and in fact 5 new ones have opened in my city SINCE that fiasco. Trying to take credit for that store closure is a lot like One Million Moms taking credit for JCPenny’s current financial woes as a result of their boycott over Ellen (oh look, another FAILED boycott).
Dakotahgeo
@JDJase: I denote a strong ‘victim’ card being played here for some odd reason. What are you so displeased about? This is Cam’s opinion and others also. My response would be to ‘cool it’ a little more, and people MIGHT take you more seriously. (Now isn’t that better?). Have a nice weekend! 🙂
JDJase
@Dakotahgeo: You “denote” incorrectly. Merely pointing out that the people who go into a rage demanding a boycott have nothing to lose and should consider how worthwhile their demands are. Perhaps you should cool it with the inaccurate denotement, and people MIGHT take you more seriously. Have a fabulous weekend!
Dakotahgeo
@Brian” “Robbie Rogers comes across as misguided and ill-informed. Silly little twit (sic). Thank you for proving he is light years ahead of you. Need a flashlight? A candle, perhaps? You’re in the dark!
balehead
Wow! What losers on here…take all your dolls at once please……
RSun
@JDJase: I totally agree. Boycotts don’t work, no matter how some try to spin it.
Cam
@JDJase: said…. “As for the “boycotts don’t work!” argument, sure there are a few examples of successful boycotts you can point to. But for every successful one you can write about, there are a hundred others that failed.”
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And again, a typical desperate attempt to lie. Again, I pointed out MULTIPLE boycotts that work, and you in turn make a statement that hundreds failed and yet can point up no examples.
So again, now more than once, I have provided multiple examples of boycotts that worked, and yet the desperation of some to scream and yell and foam at the mouth that boycotts don’t work and yet are unable to not only argue with the examples of boycotts that worked that I provide, but are also unable to provide any examples to back up their argument.
Again, what is your agenda because you are waaaaay to invested in lying on here.
Cee
“I just do whatever gay people tell me to do. It’s safer that way.” lol
JDJase
@Cam: “I pointed out MULTIPLE boycotts that work, and you in turn make a statement that hundreds failed and yet can point up no examples.”
Let’s see, reviewing my comment I can identify two examples I gave of boycotts being unsuccessful. Anyone with a third grade reading level would be able to identify them. Or perhaps you did but you’re just lying.
“…yet are unable to not only argue with the examples of boycotts that worked that I provide…”
Hmm, again, I rebutted one of your examples, as did Dakotahgeo. I first grade reading level could figure that out. But again, perhaps you did but you are lying!
“Again, what is your agenda because you are waaaaay to invested in lying on here.”
I love how you’re so self absorbed that you see your opinion as absolute fact, and therefore call anyone with a differing opinion a liar. Or perhaps you’re just desperate to have the most over the top dramatic comment and so you have to add statements like that.
Either way, based on your comment you’re either a dumb drama queen or a lying drama queen. I’ll let you choose.
JDJase
@Cam: Also, since you have such a low reading comprehension, I should point out that when I accuse you of lying in my comment, I’m not ACTUALLY calling you a liar, but merely mocking you for calling people with differing opinions liars.
BrandoPolo
@Brian: Not at all. Robbie Rogers is right: Jesse Ownes going to Berlin in 1936, dominating in his sport, embarrassing Hitler, and disproving the Nazi’s “whites are superior” philosophy was a much more powerful statement than if Owens had not shown up at all.
Hopefully, Russia’s homophobia will ignite a fire in gay and gay-friendly Olympians. We should be pulling for them to similarly embarrass Putin’s Russia.
Of course, since the gay media and entertainment’s racial attitudes and representations of the ideal resemble that of a Hitler Youth rally, it’s not surprising that many gays don’t get it.
Cam
@JDJase:
You keep claiming that you disputed my comment and yet seem completely unwilling to provide any examples. your Chick Fil Et comment was incorrect since sales are down and they lost one of their highest grossing stores when it was forced to close.
Again, I provide MULTIPLE examples…all you can do is ramble, and claim that boycotts don’t work but can not dispute the numerous examples I gave you and again and again have refused to provide any examples that back up YOUR continual assertions that they don’t.
Those of us who want a boycott do so because we feel that it is supporting gay rights.
What isn’t explained is why those few of you who keep coming on here opposed to it are SO upset about the very idea. Since it shouldn’t impact you directly, why are you SO adament to come on here screaming and yelling against it?
Cam
@BrandoPolo: said…
“Of course, since the gay media and entertainment’s racial attitudes and representations of the ideal resemble that of a Hitler Youth rally, it’s not surprising that many gays don’t get it.”
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If you troll accounts are going to come on here and speak against a boycott you may want to keep from going so far overboard as to compare the gays for it to Hitler Youth.
Fake victimology is the weapon of the bigots who have been attacking gays for years….it just makes you easy to spot.
2eo
@Cam: You know when you get into a position where one person in a frank discussion is absolutely, empirically and absolutely correct and the other people are 100% wrong in every facet of the discussion.
You’ve reached it Cam, your reasons are rock solid and their points haven’t held up to even the slightest scrutiny.
@BrandoPolo: @JDJase: @RSun: @balehead: @Dakotahgeo:
It isn’t even funny to be nice, but you’re a bunch of cretinous, worthless uninformed vapid wasters and our community would be better off if you all weren’t in it. Backwards, ultra conservative apologist neo-religious drivel.
You’re not even worth friendliness.
RSun
@2eo: How did this get so personal? You will see from my past posts on Queerty that we agree on a vast majority of issues, but because we don’t see eye to eye on this topic, I am suddenly the enemy. To call me ultra conservative apologist neo-religious is laughable…quite the opposite. I am a out, proud, liberal atheist.
Dakotahgeo
@Cam: Cam :@Dakotahgeo: said.. “BOYCOTTS do NOT work!”
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Funny, I gave you NUMEROUS examples of boycotts that worked including two from the past year or so from major companies, and yet you (under two different screenames) (screen names (sic)*keep screaming that boycotts don’t work.
What is your agenda here? You could provide zero evidence to back up your claims while I provided multiple examples of boycotts working that proved you wrong.
_________________________
So sorry, old man at a young age… I gave enough examples, y mucho evidence to prove you wrong. Just because YOUR boycotts worked doesn’t exacccccctly mean other don’t, sorry!). Read my post again and be educated!!! (Awww, c’mon! Just try it. Reading does wonders for ya!). 🙂
JDJase
@2eo: Do you even know what “empirically” means? Because if you want to go by empirical evidence (which Cam has provided NONE), it will prove that Cam (and you) are the ones who are 100% wrong
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/31/chick-fil-a-sales-2012_n_2590612.html
There. There is you EMPIRICAL evidence that cam is WRONG. Chick-fil-A sales (and seriously Cam, learn how to spell it)ROSE 12% in 2012, after the controversy. They also opened 96 new stores (so I guess Cams “zomg they closed da store by mah house!!” claim is a bit useless).
Not only do I provide EMPIRICAL evidence that Cam and 2eo are 100% wrong, I would like to ask them exactly how the Chick-fil-A boycott was successful? EVEN IF their sales went down (which they didn’t), they didn’t change their attitudes. They didn’t cease to be anti-gay. Nothing changed. There was 0% reward.
That’s exactly the case with the Olympics. You demand a boycott “because you support gay rights!” Gee, how generic and broad, and you don’t even have to lift a finger! Do you two honestly believe that Russia is going to suddenly repeal it’s very popular anti-gay laws just because the gay Olympians didn’t show up?? What exactly would you look for to consider an Olympics boycott successful?
There is 0% chance of that happening, yet you are demanding athletes ruin their lives so that YOU can scream “I SUPPORT GAY RIGHTS!!!!” That’s what makes you despicable people.
And I won’t even get into 2eo’s random listing off of everyone who disagrees with him and calling them names. Here’s an idea, let’s have all the gay athletes boycott the Olympics, and send you two to Russian instead!
JDJase
@Cam: Based on the evidence I provided in the comment above, it’s clear you just pulled all of your evidence of “success” out of your ass. Therefore, you have zero credibility from now on.
Dakotahgeo
@JDJase: JDJase: @Cam: Based on the evidence I provided in the comment above, it’s clear you just pulled all of your evidence of “success” out of your ass. Therefore, you have zero credibility from now on.
Blessedly, I had this mentally challenged “kid” figured out after he(Cam) refused to cease and desist after even 3-4 direct comments that proved him wrong. Do you suppose we should alert the authorities that he who they are searching for is here, harassing us? Nah, hardly worth their or our time! Take your meds, Cam… you’ll feel much, much better.
Dakotahgeo
@Cam: And for heaven’s sake, use your Spell Check and Grammar Check for accuracy. I mean, we know you graduated from Kiddie Kollege but… use a little common sense, eh?!
Dakotahgeo
@JDJase
@Dakotahgeo: You “denote” incorrectly. Merely pointing out that the people who go into a rage demanding a boycott have nothing to lose and should consider how worthwhile their demands are. Perhaps you should cool it with the inaccurate denotement, and people MIGHT take you more seriously. Have a fabulous weekend!
————————–
LOLOL… actually, after reading Cam’s comment and supporting your stance, I am now thinking you and Cam are BOTH evil twin siblings and there is nothing to be salvaged from your comments. You’re both off the radar of common sense.
PS: Check the spelling of “denotement…. 😉
Dakotahgeo
@2eo re: No. 28: ROFL… Thank you for the compliment! Coming from you, that is a real badge of honor, lolol. I did without you for the first 150 years of life… I can do without you for another 150 years, lolol.
Niall
Boycotts only work if there’s a concerted effort for a large number of people to support it. In this case however, the Olympics boycott will fail because even gay athletes themselves don’t think it’s a good idea.
JDJase
@Dakotahgeo: “Denotement” is the correct spelling. Try reading a dictionary sometime. It is the noun form of the verb denote. Just because your web browser doesn’t recognize it and thinks it’s spelled wrong, doesn’t make it wrong. Silly.
But whatever, you can think I’m “evil” and “off the radar of common sense” simply because you misread my first comment, attacked me for it, and I defended it.
I guess you’re living proof that older does not necessarily mean wiser.
Dakotahgeo
@JDJase: No matter how old I am, I’ll still be ahead of you which you cannot defend or deny with a common sense. I’m done with you. Go back to the pasture ground.
JDJase
@Dakotahgeo: “with a common sense.” Lol. Anyway, thank you though for basically admitting you’re wrong by completely avoiding the subject and just ending it with “oh yeah?! well you’re a big stupid doo doo head!”
Anyway, I guess I’ll head back to the pasture ground! I still think you’re awesome though! Have a great rest of your weekend!
Cam
@Dakotahgeo:
No, actually what I see is me providing multiple examples of boycotts that work, and you continually screaming that they don’t work. Refusing to provide names and specifics, and then name calling.
Again, you can’t dispute the numerous examples I have, you can’t provide examples of your own, and you have gotten angry and unbalanced in demanding that people do not boycott.
Again I have to ask, those of us supporting a boycott seem to think it’s good for gay issues. If you don’t think it will work, it shouldn’t be a big deal to you, but you are WAAAAY to invested in attacking anybody who supports a boycott even though you can’t back up your opinions.
Which is it, do you work for the IOC, Stoli, or are you simply an intern at one of the magazines that stands to make some cash advertising the Olympics?
Dakotahgeo
@Cam: Re: No. 41: LOLOL… You are “funny” in many ways, Cam. Your time is wasted. Quit while you’re way behind. No more entertaining you.
tdx3fan
@Cam: Rather you can make the claim that they work or not completely a side argument. The problem with boycotts is that the people that actually do the boycott in most cases already did not shop at that business anyways. Therefore, that business is not really losing any customers.
Also, a great deal of people on the opposing side will up their spending simply because of a boycott. My love affair with shopping at JC Penney did not really start until the million mom’s thing. My love affair with shopping at Target did not really start until the gay rights stupidity (Target has every right to support any candidate that will support their financial interests).
Corporations are not our friends. This is not the case of Rebecca giving stink face to Jenny because Jenny made googly eyes at Rebecca’s boyfriend. They are not going to try to make up in the end and make things all warm and fuzzy. Instead, they are going to stay on message and continue to follow their target demographic. If they have made a mistake outside of what is in their best interest to reach their target audience, they are going to change that once attention is drawn to it (a “successful” boycott)…if what they did was directly on mark with their target audience, they are going to do nothing about it (a “non-successful” boycott).
In the end, most “successful” boycotts can easily be explain away by various other circumstances that the people who led the boycott do not desire to recognize. In fact, Million Mom’s did not hurt JCPenney at all. It was the fact the CEO of JCPenney was a dumb ass with really bad ideas that managed to isolate most of the company base that caused the problem. Million Mom’s had nothing really to do with his firing, his own stupidity did, and now the store is doing better than it was (and will hopefully survive).
Also, most of what the gay community did to Chick-fil-A was allow it to put on a victim complex and increase sales in most areas. Its customers were already, mostly, the type that respected freedom of religion, and they supported the hell out of the company. The gay people that “boycotted” it were already not the type to go there on a regular basis anyways because it was not marketing to them.
All this being said, if you desire to go down the road that every company that ever does anything wrong should be boycotted, then you better strip naked stop driving your car, move out of your house and live on the street (not with a newspaper or blanket to cover you either, because I can guarantee you, at some point, that company that made the newspaper and the blanket were just as guilty of one thing or another as the rest).
tdx3fan
@Cam: Cam… get your facts straight before you start going on about them… The boycott happened in 2012 and here is a nice link for you…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/31/chick-fil-a-sales-2012_n_2590612.html
Let me guess. The Huffington Post is now written by liars!?! Correct!?!
Cam
@tdx3fan:
Once again, you all keep saying things like “They don’t work because…..” and then coming up with some random blather and no backing.
Again, I listed MULTIPLE examples of boycotts that worked, none of you can dispute it, but you keep going on and on and on with these odd fake reasons that you go on and on about as an attempt to distract from the actual facts I presented to you.
As for your last comment….nice attempt. I stated several boycotts happened in the last year. You then freak out and claim that the Chick Fil Et Boycott happened in 2012 and scream that somehow this is some big gotcha moment.
The list of boycotts I provided was extensive, they all worked, you and your other account names have kept claiming that they don’t work yet have failed to provide one single example.
And lastly, once again, I know why I WANT to boycott….but if they don’t do any good and will fail, why do you seem to have such a vested interest in NOT boycotting. If they fail and are no big deal, you all shouldn’t be this upset about them.
So….nice try.
Kieran
Wouldn’t it be great if Robbie were named guest host of Chelsea Lately?
AlanZ
@Cam: the Coors beer boycott lasted years. It wasn’t officially ended. People just forgot.
AlanZ
Also the Coors boycott was originally started by San Fran bars in support of labor unions. Coors refused to use organized labor delivery drivers. About 15 years ago I organized a forum for Stonewall Democratic Club LA. At the behest of the late Morris Kight, one of the clubs founders and veteran gay activist. I invited the Coors Beer LGBT representative Mary Cheney and from the club executive board Lawrence Zakson. Ms. Cheney and I had several conversations before she came out to our forum. And she expressed basically the same views as tdx3fan above. Mary was wonderful even when almost vilified by club members. Considering Morris was still alive and very present at the meeting the club voted to reaffirm its support for the boycott. There’s the background on that boycott.
My thoughts are this. I don’t go to McDonalds because I support higher minimum wages. But I am also a hypocrite as was pointed out to me. I am ashamed to say it. I disagree with the practices of lots of business’s. but if I did boycott them all I probably wouldn’t eat, drink, put gas in my car listen to country music ect. Do you really think that because the bars started serving Coors or that giant Coors beer cans rocked back and forth over gay pride festivals that the boycott had officially ended? Truth is the owners of the bars wanted to increase profits and could have cared less about a boycott that was long ago forgotten by our community . The organizers of prides across the country took sponsorship money from Coors because they needed that money. Just because we show up for rally’s in the middle of West Hollywood doesn’t mean we care. It means more that the bars were packed that night. Believe me! I worked for years trying to organize people. Boycotts don’t work because we don’t really work. Mary asked me something that always bugged me. When talking about the reason for the boycott she asked me ” where does the list end of what we boycott?” Like I said I don’t go the McDonalds anymore, not really a big deal because really do they care? And just me doing that wont affe t their bottom line. I hate WalMart too, but I’m disabled now and my checks go further there.so I shop. I hate the way big oil, big pharma, they way our produce is grown, and how our congress get free healthcare for life, and paid for not doing anything. But my husband has to put gas in our car, I need my medicines, I have to eat and congress well I still vote. I’m not sure that it really makes a difference anymore but I do.
I will show my support for our brothers and sisters who have worked so hard to represent our country at the Olympic Games. I will be watching with pride.
enlightenone
@Cam: Because being a “homosexual” doesn’t make you intelligent or educated as you are and @balehead is evidently not! Thank you Cam for your informing post.