As most of you know the spot light has fallen onto the Russia over anti-gay legislation that was passed earlier this year by the Russian Duma (Parliament). Russia has banned the promotion of non traditional relationships to minors, homosexuality cannot be portrayed in any positive light at all. Anyone who does can face a fine and prison time, the same applies to Foreigners who break the law as well. Russia has also banned adoption by same-sex couples and no discrimination protections exist for LGBT people. It has been widely reported that Neo Nazi groups have sprung up and have begun terrorising LGBT people with the authorities barely reacting to the abuse.

Anti-gay abuse would be contemptible enough but Russia is to hold the Sochi Winter Olympics next year (2014). The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been encouraged by campaigners around the world to move the Olympics out of Russia and to ensure that the rights of LGBT people are respected. The IOC has claimed that this is not possible and have promised to ensure that gay people be respected, despite the fact that the laws in Russia show no sign of going away. The Olympic Charter condemns discrimination but the IOC has been criticised for not upholding its own set of rules. Or more accurately selectively choosing which ones to uphold.

Athletes have been participating at the World Athletics Championship in the week which have been taking place in Russia, some have taken it upon themselves to protest the anti-gay legislation that has been passed in the country. Athletes including Emma Green Tregaro of Sweden and Nick Symmonds of America have both protested Russia while taking part in the competition and have both have been warned that further pro-gay statements could lead to disqualification from the Games. Stefan Lindeberg (the head of Sweden’s Olympic Committee) said it was unacceptable that athletes would use a sports arena to make political statements. I was unaware that promoting human rights was considered a simple political protest but I digress.

This is where the ridiculous double standard of the Olympic Committee shines through. Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter states that athletes cannot make political or religious statements at a sports venue. The Olympic movement claims it transcends politics, that’s blatantly a lie, I’ll cover that more concisely later. Lets assume that promoting human rights is a simple political protest and that athletes shouldn’t be pushing a political agenda in sports venues. Why didn’t the Olympics Committee in 2012 disqualify distance runner, Meseret Defar from Ethiopia when after winning the Gold medal she got out a picture of the Virgin Mary and started praying to the cameras? This is a clear violation of Rule 50 and she received absolutely no punishment whatsoever. Yet as soon as pro gay supporters use the Olympics of a platform they are penalised by the Olympic Committee. This is repugnant.

The claim that the Olympic movement has to transcend politics falls down with even the smallest bit of scrutiny, In 2012 the Olympics Committee succeeded in encouraging Saudi Arabia to allow female athletes to compete in the Olympics for the first time. If that is not a political statement then what is exactly? The IOC pushed for the country to change its culture and rules, to me that doesn’t sound like the Olympics movement is leaving politics alone. I’ve come to the conclusion that the rights of women are merely political if the rights of gays are merely political.

The same is true of South Africa, the country was barred from taking part in the Olympics from 1964 to 1992. On the assumption that the Olympics transcends politics why bother boycotting a country for the mere political disagreements taking place in that country? Of course I don’t view racism such as what we saw under Apartheid as “mere” but if LGBT rights are mere politics I have no choice but to come to the same conclusion about how the IOC approached Apartheid. The same is true of the 1936 Olympics, Hitler’s Germany did not want Jews and Black people from competing but the IOC of the time encouraged Germany to have a change of heart.

The suggestion that the Olympics are not involved in politics is insulting to every single individual who is remotely observant. The abuses in Russia cannot be in good moral conscience ignored or brushed over. Those laws may affect athletes and tourist attending the Games which is entirely inappropriate but let’s bare in mind that such laws will impact on normal Russian people every single day of the year. Inaction is condemning LGBT people and tells Putin’s regime that we’re fine with him doing what he’s doing. What exactly does that tell countries that are arguably even worse than Russia when it comes to treating members of the LGBT community?