THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD
(apologies to Keith Olbermann)
Yelena Isinbayev
Moscow — The intensifying debate over a new Russian law that has been criticized in the West as antigay moved into the realm of global sports on Thursday when one of Russia’s most prominent athletes publicly backed the measure even as competitors from other nations at the world track and field championships here criticized it. Yelena Isinbayeva, the world champion pole-vaulter and the biggest star in Russian track and field, said she supported the law, which bans “propaganda on nontraditional sexual relationships,” and she urged athletes to respect Russia’s views on sexuality.
It’s probably not realistic to expect Russia to welcome the GLBT community with open arms. After all, hatred and repression are as old as the Evil Empire itself (see pogroms, anti-Jewish) and Russia’s history isn’t exactly replete with examples of tolerance and acceptance. Even in light of history, though, Russia’s collective attitude towards homosexuals and homosexuality is abhorrent at best and an unbelievable example of potentially lethal intolerance at worst. There’s an argument to be made that not only does the Russian government tolerate violence against gays and lesbians, it implicitly encourages and tolerates it. The most distressing part of this sorry saga is that the government (and the law’s supporters) claim that it all about “protecting children.”
Putin and other supporters say the law is meant to protect children and does not discriminate against gay people, critics say it is clearly intended to suppress homosexuality and could be used as a pretext to arrest anyone who appears to support gay rights.
If that argument sounds familiar, it should; it’s much the same argument used by Conservative haters in this country. The difference is that the Russian government has overwhelming support from the Russian people on this issue, and the law’s been used as a reason and an excuse to attack and beat homosexuals. Even better, Russians demand that foreigners respect their right to hate and oppress a minority class, even when that right is interpreted as justifying burning the hearts of gays and lesbians. This is where Isinbayeva comes in.
“It’s unrespectful to our country,” she said at a news conference Thursday. “It’s unrespectful to our citizens because we are Russians. Maybe we are different than European people, than other people from different lands. We have our law, which everyone has to respect.”
Isinbayeva also described the legislation as reflecting the legitimate social and cultural views of Russia.
“It’s my opinion also,” she said, adding: “You know, to do all this stuff on the street, we are very afraid about our nation, because we consider ourselves like normal, standard people. We just live boys with women, and women with boys.”
She added, “It comes from history.”
And, as it’s often been noted, history is written by the victors, and so Russians like Isinbayeva interpret history in a way that supports their hatred and prejudice. As for being “normal, standard people,” isn’t it interesting that Isinbayeva complete blows by the idea that her idea of “normal, standard people” might not be someone else’s. She seems incapable of recognizing and understanding that this meaningless phrase is merely a way of rationalizing her hatred of and revulsion towards homosexuals. No one is saying that she needs to be the grand marshal of this year’s Gay Pride parade in Moscow, but supporting a law that’s being used as justification to attack and beat homosexuals is abhorrent…in ANY country. It’s difficult to believe that any public figure would openly condone mistreating a minority class that by and large just wants to be left alone to live and love as they choose.
I don’t know whether there should be a boycott of Russia’s Winter Olympics next year in Sochi. That’s a question I’ll leave to those with intellects nimbler than my own. What I do know is that it’s about time that we begin isolating and exposing homophobes like Isinbayeva for what they are and what they advocate. She may not believe that homosexuals are people whose rights are every bit as valid as her own, but she deserves every bit of opprobrium she should be getting in regard to her very public hatefulness. Until Neanderthals like Isinbayeva are isolated and ostracized, hatred and repression will continue to be accepted.
Respecting Russia doesn’t- and shouldn’t- mean tolerating the treatment of a minority class as second-class citizens unworthy of the protections enjoyed by the majority.
