Is A Boycott The Answer?

Olympics are to make the country feel proud of itself. Russia has nothing to be proud of if they can't even respect human rights.

 

I've read the above article about banning Russia
Personal opinion: I doubt the IOC has the stomach to ban Russia from the games on their own soil, and I doubt that the Russians will observe the ban.

I would much rather the IOC move the Olympics and ban Russia. Gay athletes are still in probable danger if they go into Russia at all. And tbh, I would rather Russia isn't getting the tourist money that comes with the Olympics.

 

These words were in the economic crash of the 1930's...... look what happened there. And they will be hit hard, McDonalds is actually losing money, it lost a bunch in a lawsuit recently.

 

What a shame if McDonald's went bankrupt...

I have mixed feelings about this entire proposal. On the one hand, if the sponsors don't drop out then I will probably boycott them for the rest of my life anyway and will actively encourage others to do so. On the other hand, I do feel it would be so much easier and more viable to move the Olympics to somewhere they've been held recently and ban Russia from competing, instead of boycotting the sponsors temporarily. I'm shocked and almost outraged that the IOC hasn't done anything in reaction to this already.

 

I still believe a boycott will achieve nothing.

Let the gaymes go ahead (yes, deliberate typo), the eyes will be on Russia and all those Nations with all those athletes who all support Gay Rights wear a rainbow badge and show their support for Gays and Lesbians....then let the Russians take note.

 

I would have tremendous respect for any athlete who did this. But I also do not expect them to martyr themselves. It doesn't matter if Russia is under scrutiny from the rest of the world, Putin is clearly a depraved psychopath and I would not put it past him to treat foreign athletes, even in their ambassadorial roles, any better than the gay men and straight allies walking around his own streets.

Boycotting will almost certainly not get us anywhere but neither will allowing the games to go ahead as planned. Putin needs to know that he does not have the support of the civilised world.

 

Gay Speed Skater Blake Skjellerup Plans To Defy Russian Ban At 2014 Olympics

Blake is doing exactly that (actually wearing a rainbow pin, even).

Putin doesn't care if he has the support of the rest of the world or not. The only thing that is going to make a noticeable difference for the victims in Russia is if we go there and fuck shit up for them. Voluntarily taking ourselves out of Russia in protest isn't going to do anything except make them more vulnerable and isolated.

 

I hope some Aussies will join the Kiwi's. I have an enormous amount of respect for the Kiwis as I see NZ as a progressive nation while I see my own country as repressive compared to NZ

 

Hey, McDonalds may not pay much, but it is something; and it does give experience for the workforce and practically has low standards when it comes to employee's.

 

I doubt a boycott would be effective—none of them seem to be these days (more noise than substance). What I'd instead like to see is every single Olympic sponsor use its advertising clout to flood the media with pro-LGBT messages between now and the Olympics. Keep the pressure on: "We support LGBT rights and LGBT athletes even if Russia doesn't," or something like that... ride:

And we, as consumers, need to apply pressure to sponsors to broadcast those messages loudly and clearly...

 

Nazi Germany hosted the 1936 Olympics. 'Inferior' black athletes like Jesse Owens showed up, proceeded to kick the living crap out of the competition and won multiple gold medals.

I want to see our gay athletes show up in spite of Putin. I will be following our gay athletes closer than ever before now. I hope the world will see their participation as a heroic act, leading to applause rather than continued silence.

 

It wouldn't really be fair to the athletes who train their whole lives to be in the Olympics.

 

VISA's the only thing I can't..guarantee I'll avoid lol.

 

Well, I sure as hell won't ever be visiting russia, and I'm all for boycotting russian products like vodka, but these are olympic sponsors...not sponsors of the anti gay laws. Still, if the olympics comes and goes with no fallout at all, i probably will at that point take it out on some of these companies.