(not satire – it’s the IOC!)
The International Olympic Committee has announced it will punish – for example disqualify – any athlete wearing rainbow coloured pins at the Winter Olympics in Russia as a protest against the country’s draconian anti-gay laws.
The IOC said wearing pins or badges etc would amount to what it calls political ‘propaganda’ and could lead to disqualification of athletes.
This would presumably be after the IOC had allowed Russian police to arrest and detain the athletes first – as the Russian authorities have said they will do.
The IOC statement comes just days after Human Rights Watch released a report highlighting how the Russian authorities are harassing and silencing journalists who have been exposing corruption related to preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
To be fair – considering the long, long inglorious joint histories of outright corruption, intolerance of free speech and turning a blind-eye to human rights abuses by both the International Olympic Committee and the Russian authorities – it’s not surprising they’re in total agreement with each other on this, is it?
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Pride's Purge 
The Olympics are such a farce. How can they stand back, hands in their pockets and ignore such a blatantly discriminatory country host what should be a unifying sports event? I sincerely hope that the athletes boycott it and that everyone who gives a damn about LGBT rights withdraws any support. Hopefully the TV companies etc. would avoid covering such a discriminatory event but I won’t hold my breath on that. It’s all rather disgusting
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hullo and thank you Mr. Pride, for Prides Purge I so enjoy reading it You seem to be an extremely clued up person I was wondering if you could give me your thoughts on a subject that I have never ever been able to define or find the right answers You must be extremely busy writing all your e mails etc, but if you would have time to try and give me some advise I would be more than grateful. If you would not mind please let me know and I shall e mail you back Thank you again for your interesting reads Beryl Korner
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Beryl – you look suspiciously like a spambot to me. If you’re real flesh and blood – my apologies – but your object-oriented access modifiers seem to be showing.
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This re enforces the case for a boycott, the idea of going IN ORDER TO show solidarity was worth thinking about but its quite clear that the IOC are hand in glove with the Russian Authorities they wont allow protest asumming as pointed out above you are not arrested first. If you are known as a rights activist you will probably not be granted a visa anyway, No it must be a boycott
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TO SUPPORT THE BOYCOTThttp://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/
SIGN PETITION
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Sorry the link should be
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/52656
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Done. Thanks for the link, I doubt the government will listen because of the political fallout that will happen if as a country we didn’t attend but you never know it may put pressure on them to do something at least
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Reblogged this on Dawn Willis .
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Let’s urge ALL the competing athletes to wear rainbow pins and badges at the Winter Olympics! Would the IOC dare to disqualify EVERY athlete?
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The IOC should have had the balls to make wearing rainbow pins mandatory and advise the Russians that the IOC would cancel unless they guaranteed freedom from harassment and arrest for any athlete who chose to indicate solidarity with Russian LGBTs.
I don’t believe athletes should be expected to withdraw from competition because of government pressure and won’t sign the petition.
I would, however, be more than happy to sign a petition requesting the goverment to apply trade restrictions and sanctions against Russia while LGBTs are persecuted.
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The International Olympic Committee, supporting fascists since 1936
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Very true.
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Thats a good point, if we knew they were all willing to do it then it would be worth while
but would they? Tommy Smith and the two others who supported his protest did not get much support, also there is the question of people who go as spectators who cannot be openly gay. Unfortunately the IOCs position show that as ever they are not concerned with human rights(other wise the games would not have gone to Russia in the first place. This is true of sporting bodies in general, yet a precedent was set in respect of South Africa. We have a long way to go to persuade the majourity of the importance of human rights
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The petition does not suggest that the Goverment should dictate to the athletes that they should not go but to ADVISE the BOC to withdraw. Such advice could be on the basis of safety of LGBT athelets for example. I dont support the right of the state to prevent anyone from leaving the country unless they are faceing charges so it would really be advice. but it might make a difference. I would certainly sign a petition calling for trade santions., but failing the imposition of same I would urge a boycott of Russian goods and Russian Holidays. Would trade santions in clude a ban on commericial flights?
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They have a very poor record, Germany Russia China Russia again
also they dont consider wider questions like the economic and enviromental consequences which would apply to both London and Rio people have actually been made homeless to make way for the games, and in Brazil it impacts on spending on health care and education, thats sport in the corporate age for you, but of course 1936 was not the corporate age and they still handed the games to a fascist
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sounds like atos dwp and cams and co
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Just wait until they disqualify a gay athlete, i think that will be a wake up call for everyone who supports the Olympics. it would be the worst P.R. ever.
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