Google Makes Statement (With Doodle) About Russian Anti-Gay Law
Source: Associated Press
Google makes statement about Russian anti-gay law
Feb. 6 2014 11:06 PM EST
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) With the Winter Games underway in Sochi, Google Inc. quietly but vibrantly added its voice Thursday to the chorus of U.S. companies speaking out against Russia's law restricting gay-rights activities by updating its iconic search page logo to depict illustrations of athletes skiing, sledding, curling and skating against a rainbow-colored backdrop.
The company declined to comment on the new Google Doodle that appeared on its home pages worldwide, saying it wanted the illustration to speak for itself. But the logo clearly was meant as a show of support for gay rights and a rebuke of the law that bans pro-gay "propaganda" that could be accessible to minors: below the updated logo appears a two-sentence section of the Olympic charter that reads, in part, "The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind."
"Google has made a clear and unequivocal statement that Russia's anti-LGBT discrimination is indefensible," said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin, whose Washington-based group has been lobbying American corporations, especially those sponsoring the Games in Sochi, to condemn the law signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in July. "Now it's time for each and every remaining Olympic sponsor to follow their lead. The clock is ticking, and the world is watching."
Although Google is not an Olympics sponsor, its action came a day after three sponsors of the U.S. Olympic Committee AT&T, DeVry University and yogurt maker Chobani issued statements explicitly speaking out against the Russian law.
Read more: http://wintergames.ap.org/article/google-makes-statement-about-russian-anti-gay-law
Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)Here: https://www.google.com/
"The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play." Olympic Charter
joshcryer
(62,276 posts)Which means that Google is in direct violation of the anti-gay propaganda law. Meaning that Google employees in Russia could get in trouble. So you know damn well Google likely consulted them before doing this. It's a really great show here, by a multi-national corporation, spitting in the face of a totalitarian government.
Google often does evil, but sometimes, they live up to the "do no evil" motto.
Kablooie
(18,641 posts)It seems the rainbow hues are the official design for the Sochi Olympics.
I don't know if it was done deliberately for LGBT support or not but it wasn't Google that designed it.
http://www.sochi2014.com/en
Behind the Aegis
(53,986 posts)If it is at the link you provided then it isn't clear.
Kablooie
(18,641 posts)At the top of the page are graphics illustrating each event and each has its own rainbow color.
I've seen photos of Sochi street signs for the Olympics and they also had the rainbow colors.
It may well be in support of LGBT rights but it would have been decided by the designers for the Olympics.
Behind the Aegis
(53,986 posts)The Google doodle is in the order of the Rainbow Flag. Also, the sports events aren't represented on the same color. The Flag of the Olympics has the same colors of the Rainbow Flag, but they also have white and black, not represented in the Rainbow Flag because the Olympic flag was designed to have at least one color from every flag of every nation.
joshcryer
(62,276 posts)In fact they clearly and obviously attempted to avoid mimicking the spectrum though the human eye is most adapted to recognizing it (in fact I would say their page looks ugly because of that).
Xithras
(16,191 posts)The Russian's do use a multicolor design, but the colors don't make a rainbow.
Google was deliberately mocking their design by re-creating it using the Pride colors.
Life
Healing
Sunlight
Nature
Harmony
Spirit
Good for Google
Kablooie
(18,641 posts)and refocused it into the pride colors.
MADem
(135,425 posts)And for their trouble, Pootie Poot, Mister Defender of Truth and Freedom (cough, choke) isn't letting their yoghurt into his crappy country!
The blockade has prompted protests from yogurt-promoting politicians in New York and in Washington, who express outrage that American athletes could be deprived of a protein-rich food that had been part of their training regimen.
The Russian government says the American-made yogurt cannot enter Russia because the Americans have not submitted the proper paperwork. The United States says the certification required by the Russians would be impossible to attain.
countryjake
(8,554 posts)Now that I think on it, maybe that's why Chobani used a big old bear in their commercial.
MADem
(135,425 posts)davidpdx
(22,000 posts)Google banned in Russia
joshcryer
(62,276 posts)If they do it the entire world will call them out.
If they don't they won't be upholding their very own "anti-gay propaganda" law.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)I meant it in a joking way. They seem to be digging themselves a hole. Personally I hope they keep on digging.
joshcryer
(62,276 posts)But it'd be an immeasurable error on their behalf. And I know they have guys sitting in a room somewhere deciding on these sorts of image issues, so it would shock me if they did it.
No worries, I knew you were teasing / joking, but damn, if that happens, which it could if Putin called for it, in order to be "consistent" I'd be blown away. In theory they should ban google.ru because that is a flagrant violation of the "anti-gay propaganda" law. But I don't see it happening because google.ru accounts for 40%+ of Russian searches and it would immediately be "noticed."
For what it's worth I hope they do it. I'd crack the fuck up. What an error that would be if they did it.