Russia, the Winter Olympics and the Boycott Debate

The winter Olympic Games are now upon us, but up until now the talk has been about boycotts, protests and gay rights. The question is, should we, the international community, have boycotted the games and what impact would it have had?

          Those that argue for a boycott say that Russian policy towards the gay community and the perceived risk to their safety during the games goes against the Olympic principle of being all inclusive. Thus, it is argued that to protect the safety of athletes and visitors as well as the Olympic ideal, we should be boycotting the games and pressing the point by our non-participation. But it can also be argued that boycotting the games simply as a political gesture also goes against the Olympic ideal. Now if people fell too unsafe to attend the games, then it is their right not to attend. In this case, the responsibility falls to the Russians for not ensuring a safe and secure environment, perceived or otherwise, for all the game's athletes and attendees.

          It is my view that boycotting the games will be a good "protest" but it won't change anything within Russia, legally or culturally. Thus, any impact it may have will be short lived and will be long forgotten come the next winter Olympic Games. If we are to make an impact, even a small one, we need to show that the gay community is just as capable as any other and they should be made to feel welcome at the Olympic Games. As such, countries around the world should be willing to send and support gay athletes at the Olympics and helping them to win the gold. This I believe will have more of an impact than any boycott. Agreed, there are gay athletes who may feel unsafe at the games and they shouldn't be forced to take part if that is the case, but it would be better if that weren't the case. Furthermore, by sending our athletes to the games, Russia becomes open to scrutiny and if anything happens, the world will be watching. This increased accountability wouldn't come about if we had a boycott and I doubt the Russians would very much care if this happened and thus, nothing would change.

          Now we should be careful not to cross the line and force things such as gay marriage onto the Russians. It is not our place to do so and the world wouldn't like it the Russians were forcing their views on others. But by holding a major international event and inviting the world to participate, it has fallen to the Russians to ensure that the people that come to watch or participate feel safe and secure. This is regardless of race, religion, creed or sexual orientation. This is a responsibility all countries accept when they sign up to host an event like the Olympic Games and it's their responsibility to make sure it happens.

Jason Cates