I Didn't Say It ....

President Obama, on the Russian Olympics:

"I know that one question that's been raised is how do we approach the Olympics. I want to just make very clear right now I do not think it's appropriate to boycott the Olympics. We've got a bunch of Americans out there who are training hard, who are doing everything they can to succeed. Nobody's more offended than me by some of the anti-gay and lesbian legislation that you've been seeing in Russia. But as I said just this week, I've spoken out against that, not just with respect to Russia, but a number of other countries where we continue to do work with them but we have a strong disagreement on this issue. And one of the things I'm really looking forward to is maybe some gay and lesbian athletes bringing home the gold or silver or bronze, which I think would go a long way in rejecting the kind of attitudes that we're seeing there. If Russia doesn’t have gay or lesbian athletes, it will probably make their team weaker." 

Once again, I agree with The President.

Cyd Zeigler, Outsports founder, on the Russian Olympics:

"Asking the United States and other nations to boycott the Olympics simply punishes 19-year-old athletes, not Vladimir Putin. Buying Ketel One instead of Stolichnaya might take a swipe at a business owner in Moscow or a factory worker in St. Petersburg, but it's just a pesky mosquito to the Russian government. And caviar? Who eats it anyway? To make a real statement, to send a message to the Russians that these laws cannot stand, the IOC has to go a step further. Instead of the rest of the world refusing to go to Sochi, there's one step that the IOC can take that will land a wake-up slap on the face of the Kremlin: Ban Russia from competing in their own Winter Olympic Games."

I agree that a boycott by any country only hurts their athletes; and dumping Stoli in the streets doesn’t hurt the Russian government, it hurts Russian people. But telling the Russians they can’t attend their own Games? That would be monumental.

Of course, Russia would then cancel the whole thing and we’re back to square one …

Greg Louganis, on why he's against an Olympic boycott:

"There’s a better way to speak out against President Putin and call out his bigotry for exactly what it is: speaking up for equal rights and educating people around the world about the persistence of homophobia. I’ve spent my post-diving career doing just this. I’ve promoted HIV/AIDS awareness, defended the civil liberties of the LGBT community, and taken a stand against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Rather than boycott, I, along with several amazing organizations including Athlete Ally and All Out, plan to use the Sochi Games as a teachable moment for the world."

I like the idea of a ‘teachable moment’ unless it turns out that the teachers would be arrested and jailed.

What then?

Todd Starnes, Fox News commentator, on Obama’s position on the Russian Olympics:  

"Obama said he is looking forward to 'maybe some gay and lesbian athletes bringing home the gold or silver or bronze, which I think would go a long way in rejecting the kind of attitudes that we’re seeing there.' It sounds like the president is suggesting a litmus test for membership on the U.S. Olympic team. The president also suggested that Olympic teams without gay or lesbian athletes are somehow weaker than heterosexual athletic teams. 'If Russia doesn’t have any gay or lesbian athletes, then that would probably make their team weaker,' the president said during the nationally televised press conference. Why can’t President Obama support all of our Olympic athletes — regardless of who they choose to love, regardless of their sexual orientation?"

Toddy.Toddy.Toddy.

How can you call yourself a commentator when you apparently can’t read? Obama never said he’d only be happy to have LGBT Olympic winners. He simply said that it would be a great thing to have LGBT Olympic medalists at the games to show Russia, and other homophobic countries, and homophobes such as yourself, that LGBT people can do anything anyone else can do, and do it just as well.

Get off the Fox, asshat.

Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senator from New York, ridiculing Russian President Vladimir Putin over his country's recent anti-gay legislation and how he thinks we should respond:

"When we march initially, all the countries should wave the multicolored flag for gay rights. That would be pretty embarrassing for Putin, let our athletes participate and still take a stand. … All these athletes train for so long, standing up to Putin right now is important because he’s a bully. He resents being an old KGB guy, being brought up when the Soviet Union and the US went head to head...He resents that Russia is no longer the major power in the world that it used to be. Its population, of course, with all the states – Ukraine, all the Baltic states, the east Asian states gone -- they’re no longer a big power."

Sounds like Schumer wants to go head-to-head with Putin.

And since Putin loves to fight the mens without his shirt, he might go for it.

Alexy Sorokin, Russian World Cup head, on Russia’s anti-gay laws and athletics:

"Would you like a World Cup where naked people are running around displaying their homosexuality? The answer to that is quite obvious. The Olympics and World Cup are not a stage for various views, not for Nazis, not for any other ways of life. It should be about football and nothing else. They have nothing more to fear. They have guarantees and assurances that they will not be affected. The minister of sport [Vitaly Mutko] has given a full and detailed explanation. It would be strange to see someone choose such an event as the Olympic Games as a stage to propogate these ideas. We suppose people come to participate or to watch and be part of it not to display their views. Private life should remain private."

Excepot, Alexy, when your private life can get you arrested or killed. Then we should speak up, loudly.

Now, to answer your first question: Yes, yes, oh god yes!

Dmitriy Kiselyov, a Russian state-funded TV host who said gay people’s hearts are not suitable for organ donation, is going off again on The Gays, and the attacks of The Gays in his country—like a recent attack where a gay man was raped with a beer bottle:

“Our [Russian] problem with homosexuals is that they behave in a provocative, victim like way. They deliberately provoke situations, so that they become victims. Nobody prevents them from loving each other the way they want to. They are aggressively foisting minority’s values on majority. It is likely that society would counteract this. Naturally, right? In various ways, including brutal ones. Since they are brutally foisting this [on others]. Wanna fight? Get it, then. So what?”

So, I guess holding your partner’s hand, or living with your partner, or, god forbid, marrying your partner, would be foisting you’re your values on Dmitriy?

And then it’s okay to beat me, rape me, murder me, because I’m a victim who asked for it.