In Case you Missed It: There Will Be No Olympic Games in A Country Where There Are Anti-Gay Laws

[Fearless]

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved Proposal 14 of the Olympic Agenda 2020 to include non-discrimination with regard to sexual orientation in Principle 6 at a vote in Monaco today (8 December).

It says: 'Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.'

'Today is a great step forward for the Olympics, and particularly for the athletes, spectators, and residents of host countries who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual,' said Human Rights First’s Shawn Gaylord.


'Our hope is that potential host countries, like Kazakhstan and China, will understand that protecting the rights of sexual minorities is no longer something they can dodge.

http://lgbtfeed.com/post/there_will_be_no_olympic_games_in_a_country_where_there_are_antigay_laws

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[uppityperson]

1. Excellent!

[Initech]

2. The IOC is officially a more progressive organization than FIFA.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Also far less corrupt

but that is not hard

[BrotherIvan]

9. Are you sure?

Because the IOC is pretty known for corruption I think. They just haven't gotten caught yet. I could be wrong though.

[dflprincess]

16. There was an article in The Nation last year about how corrupt the IOC is

not knowing much about FIFA I can't say if it is more or less so.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Which is saying something

the ioc is corrupt, but FIFA is epic from what we have seen.

I think international sports are not that clean, some are worst than others.

[iandhr]

18. Not saying much

FIFA would make Boss Tweed blush

[Initech]

23. True.

[joeybee12]

3. Unfortunately too late for Sochi...nt

[stevenleser]

5. +A Billion. You beat me to it.

[davidpdx]

12. That was my first thought as well

I'm glad they did it, but disappointed that they acted as though everything was hunky-dory during Sochi.

[City Lights]

32. Yep...my first thought. nt

[sam_i_am]

6. It sounds more like a PR statement.

Almaty, Kazakhstan has little chance of winning an Olympic bid. People were critical of China and many predicted they would not get the Olympics based on human rights violations. They could not have been more wrong. And Almaty has it's own reputation regarding human rights.

Other factors play a much bigger role. I think Munich and Stockholm and maybe some other European cities have already backed out of future Olympics because of cost. Issues now are building venues and infrastructure that go unused after the Olympics. Costs and other issues take precedence over human rights and social issues. The IOC might sound bold, but they are just capitalizing to be popular. Their stance will be long forgotten.

[tymorial]

7. I am seeing Boston 2024 in my future

I have never been in the position to love something so much and be nervous at the same time. As a member of the lgbtq community, the IOC rule makes me smile. As someone who lives and works in Boston... sweet Jesus do I NOT want the olympics here.

[Fawke Em]

36. But the United States still has a ton of anti-LBGT laws.

How could the IOC pick Boston when more than half the states still allow LGBT people to be fired from their jobs, lose their apartments or not be allowed to adopt?

Seems to me their sweeping statement would include the good ole U.S. of A.

[brer cat]

8. K&R

[BrotherIvan]

10. Excellent!

[RKP5637]

11. Wow! Excellent! n/t

[mountain grammy]

13. K & R

[SoapBox]

14. Excellent!

I'm one of the weirdos that love the Olympics...I'm in a very fortunate position, where I can bid off all (or almost all) of the Olympics...absolutely must have the opening and closing ceremonies off.

Friends think I'm nuts because I have channels on in every room, to try and catch as many of the events as I can...love going to the Training Center in Chula Vista, CA.

Go Team USA!

[AngryAmish]

15. A better headline: There Will Be No Olympic Games

We should ignore those thugs and grifters.

[Omaha Steve]

17. I did miss that

K&R!

[Lordquinton]

19. So... Where will they go?

'Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.'

that pretty much eliminates every country I can think of.

Not that anyone actually wants them near their city.

[StevieM]

20. I think this might finish off Almaty 2022.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/23/sports/olympics/almaty-kazakhstan-battles-perceptions-and-beijing-in-2022-olympic-bid.html?module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=Olympics&action=keypress&region=FixedLeft&pgtype=article

Scroll down to the human rights section.

The Winter Olympics in Beijing are going to be a joke. They have almost no real snow and the events are going to be very far away from each other. Also, the pollution in Beijing--always a disaster--is even worse in the winter time.

If the U.S. had bid we would have won it in a near unanimous vote. Instead we decided to wait until 2024 when there are many strong competitors in Europe, especially Paris, which last held the Olympics in 1924.

[MattSh]

27. It's sad if the Olympic committee would even consider the USA...

considering it's record of wars (Afghanistan, Iraq) of overthrowing stable governments (Libya, Syria, Ukraine) in favor of less stable replacements, or establishing military dictatorships in their place (Egypt).

Apparently a few million dead doesn't qualify as human rights violations these days...

[tritsofme]

31. Your post reminds of the old "Debbie Downer" skits on SNL, family gatherings must be a hoot!

[MattSh]

33. Must have hit a nerve, huh? nt

[LanternWaste]

34. It is rather self-validating to pretend a reference to an old SNL sketch is a response

It can be rather self-validating to pretend a reference to an old SNL sketch is a response to hitting a nerve. Inaccurate of course, but very self-gratifying to anyone maintaining a thin veneer of cleverness...

[tritsofme]

35. Nope, just gave me a chance for a laugh on a Monday.

Thanks!

[msongs]

22. see the new greek ruins - olympic facilities = driving greece to financial collapse..

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2723515/Athens-Olympics-leave-mixed-legacy-10-years-later.html

[LW1977]

24. big k&R

K&R

[marym625]

25. K&R!

I did miss it. Glad I didn't miss your post!

Thank you!

[Uncle Joe]

26. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Fearless.

[merrily]

28. GOOD! ABOUT DAMNED TIME.

[PoliticAverse]

29. So if a country doesn't allow same-sex marriage they are ineligible to host the games? n/t

[GreatGazoo]

30. also no Olympics in countries where taxpayers refuse to pay $40+ billion for velodromes and other

wasteful boondoggles.

Beijing 2008 $44 billion
Soochi 2014 $55 billion
Boston 2024 $70 billion+ (?)