Think of the Athletes, or Why Boycotting Sochi 2014 is the Wrong Idea

The Russian government has recently passed a law essentially criminalizing talking to kids about being gay and "propagandizing" (whatever the hell that means) being gay. Because Russia will be hosting the Olympics in Sochi in a few months, this has already brought up a few awkward issues for the Russian government and the Olympics. Already couple of gay-rights groups are calling for boycotts of the Olympics.

I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen. And Lindsey Graham, the US isn't going to boycott the Olympics of Edward Snowden either, so we might as well get that out of the way. The US has already boycotted an Olympics once before, and it was an absolute disaster for American athletes. The US and several other countries boycotted the Moscow Olympics in 1980 when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.

Here's the thing: an anti-LGBT law (which might not be enforced during the Olympics) is nothing compared to that. Also, there were calls to boycott the 1936 Olympics over Adolf Hitler. It's a good thing our athletes went, because if they hadn't, Jessie Owens would never have become the legend he is now. Kareem Abdul-Jabar boycotted the 1968 Olympics, but the ones who are remembered at the two black athletes who raised their fists with black gloves in the air.

Even Johnny Weir, an openly gay athlete, has said that if he qualifies, he will go to the Olympics. He is a voice of reason in this debate. He also discussed the downside to a boycott: the athletes.

These athletes have been training and waiting their whole lives to take part in this one big chance at the Olympics. To unceremoniously rip that away will be a bigger stab in the back than what Brutus did to Caesar. I wonder how people can just throw around the word "boycott" without thinking of the consequences to athletes. Some boycotts are necessary, like the Rush Limbaugh boycott, but boycotting the Olympics?

If you want to, you can personally boycott the Olympics. I won't. I'll be cheering on my country's athletes as they pursue their dreams of Olympic glory. And if Johnny Weir decides to kiss his Russian-born husband in clear defiance of the law, that is a much more powerful statement than any boycott will ever make.