Russia gay update, 13 stories worth reading from the morning papers

United States Olympic Committee (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

John Aravosis | America Blog | August 23, 2013

Russia is now censoring books.

US Olympic Committee warns American skater to “be careful,” avoid defending human rights of gay Olympians:

Skater Joshua Farris seemed on the verge of speaking out Wednesday, but caught himself.

“I don’t want to share too much about it,” he said. “I was told to be careful.”

Farris declined to name the person who told him to be careful. He did say the person worked for the USOC.

MLK III backs Russian Olympics boycott over gay rights.

US Olympic Committee denounces Russia’s anti-gay propaganda law

English: United States Olympic Committee logo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Greg Hernandez | Gay Star News | August 17, 2013

The US Olympic Committee has publicly denounced Russia’s anti-gay propaganda law but is asking athletes to abide by it anway at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun told Russia’s R-Sport. on Friday (16 August) that the law is ‘inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the Olympic and Paralympic movements.’

But that doesn’t mean the USOC wants its athletes flouting a law that makes it illegal to publicly show any support for homosexuality.

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US Olympic Committee to Graham: Boycotts of Games don’t work

United States Olympic Committee (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Julian Pecquet | The Hill | July 17, 2013

The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) said Wednesday it “strongly” opposes calls  for a U.S. boycott of the Winter Games in Russia, saying it would only hurt  American athletes.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told The Hill on Tuesday that the Obama  administration should contemplate the drastic move if Russia grants asylum to  National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden. The Carter administration led an  international boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games after the Soviet Union invaded  Afghanistan the previous year, but the war ground on for another decade.

“If there are any lessons to be learned from the American boycott of 1980, it  is that Olympic boycotts do not work,” U.S. Olympic Committee spokesperson  Patrick Sandusky said in a statement. “Our boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games did  not contribute to a successful resolution of the underlying conflict. It did,  however, deprive hundreds of American athletes, all whom had completely  dedicated themselves to representing our nation at the Olympic Games, of the  opportunity of a lifetime.”

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