Olympic Boycotts Never Work

Okay, I really don't want to keep talking about this, but I feel like I have to, anyway. There are so many people in the West who are calling for boycotts of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. I have to say this: Listen, first.

The controversy is getting even more heated with reports that the IOC might allow enforcement of the law, which criminalizes "propagandizing" homosexuality and holding pride parades. This is obviously making things a little more difficult, especially once Johnny Weir steps on the ice for his performances (although we'll get to that later).

The calls for boycotts have gotten more publicity, as I'm sure you've heard, thanks to Stephen Fry, who demanded that the British Olympic Committee boycott the Olympics. Even George Takei has gotten in on the act. Others have delivered a petition to the same group demanding that they boycott the Games. However, David Cameron and Lord Coe have refused to do so.

Even President Obama has refused to boycott, saying that he's offended by the law, but he won't boycott the games. And as the days go by, it seems as if more athletes are coming out in support of attending... and they're gay.

Johnny Weir, the ever-flamboyant figure skater and Russophile, has said that he will go to the games and wear a rainbow pin, even if it means he gets arrested. Kiwi speed skater Blake Skjellerup, who is also gay, has said he'll wear a pin. The popular gay soccer player Robbie Rodgers has made many of the same arguments that have been touted, and will be touted, that boycotts punish the wrong people: The athletes.

Diver Gref Louganis can vouch for that point-of-view. He is one of America's most decorated gay athletes. He won medals in 1976, '84 and '88. See the gap there? Louganis had to miss the 1980 Olympics because the US boycotted the Games in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (sounds pretty familiar).

Now Louganis is speaking from experience here, and that's not all. The boycott didn't do a damn thing, the Soviets stayed in Afghanistan until 1989. In fact, their response was simply to boycott the 1984 Games in L.A. You see what happens? This kind of argument is going to keep being pulled out, because honestly, it's a valid point.

A point I likely haven't brought up is that it might alienate the people needed to help advance LGBT rights. I'm going to make this clear: I'm not gay, but I do support gay rights, and I am also an Olympic fan. I get angry seeing all these so-called "advocates" of gay rights demanding a boycott. I even got one comment on another site saying that Johnny Weir can say these things because he's "privileged".

Well, excuse me--and Weir--for disagreeing! The fact of the matter is, gay athletes want to go, and they're going to make their voices heard, whether the Russian government wants it or not. You're not thinking about the people who matter most in this, the athletes! Imagine you're a dancer and you've been preparing your whole life for this one big recital and then right before it, someone who's not even involved in dancing demands you not take this opportunity, how would you feel? Damn right, you'd be devastated!

These folks have their hearts in the right place, but not their thinking. I see so many blogs and posts that are like the person mentally grabbed a hot potato and went with their gut. You need to think these things through. I know you're mad, but boycotting the Olympics is not going to help anyone. And this is the last thing I'm going to say about it, so listen up:

It. Won't. Work.

There, I said it. Now, go ahead and boycott personally, if you'd like. I'll be watching the USA Hockey team beat the snot out the Russians, thank you very much.