If the NHL is serious about its commitment to fighting homophobia in sports, there is no room for their players involvement in the 2014 games in Sochi.
Earlier this year, the NHL and the National Hockey League Players’ Association made their partnership with the You Can Play Project, an organization whose goal is to end homophobia in sports. The change signals a shift, and calls for accountability from everyone — from players to team managers — to support queer players and fans.
This shift shouldn’t be taken lightly. Sports are an influential vector for positive messages; we develop a sense of place through our relationship with local sports teams. When the Canucks support a campaign like Postmedia’s Raise-a-Reader, people listen and give it a second thought because they look up to the players. What better place to teach the world what “pride” really means in Canada?
Vancouver’s 2010 Olympics saw the city taken over with a series of pavilions and houses from different regions in our nation and from areas all over the world. Some were sponsored by companies like Heineken. Others were an opportunity for areas to show off what their locales have to offer.
With two locations — one in the centre of Whistler Village, the other inside Qmunity’s resource centre — saw Pride House, a place for anyone to enjoy a game, learn about Queer Vancouver, or access information about immigration. Jennifer Breakspear, Qmunity’s executive director, announced at the Vancouver location’s grand opening that it was “a place in which all queer people from around the world [could] find community.”
This tradition, which continued during the London 2012 Olympics, will not be continuing in Sochi. Russia recently passed a law banning the promotion of homosexuality. Its interpretation puts a stop to any form of pride celebration, and could see tourists jailed for holding hands or wearing a rainbow flag on their person.
The IOC spokesperson Mark Adams has stated, “we aren’t responsible for the running of or setting up of Houses.” The only time the Olympics has taken a stand on anything was when they banned South Africa from the games over apartheid from 1964 to 1991. They okayed holding the games in Germany while Hitler grew in power, and consistently held the games in areas with serious human rights violations without batting an eyelash. They’ve made it clear on multiple occasions they aren’t going to be held accountable for the politics of host nations.
If we want to start holding people and nations accountable for their actions, we have to start by making sure we’re accountable. Iceland has already begun talks to cut ties with Russia. Some countries have broached the idea of boycotting the games.
There’s a precedent set for defending rights while still participating in the games. I doubt there are many in Canada who haven’t seen the photo of Tommie Smith and John Carlos’s 1968 Black Power salute on the 200 metre medalist’s stand. But when our own nations have protective measures in place, is it fair to expect individual athletes to stand up for human rights when their safety is at risk on foreign soil?
The NHL announced last Friday that the Canuck’s game schedule won’t be much of a problem for players going to the Olympics. No mention was made of the direct conflict the players’ presence in Sochi represents, given their promise to end homophobia in sports. Participating in the Olympics in a nation where one can be thrown in jail solely for being “out” does nothing to combat homophobia in sports. It placates the idea. Unless the NHL players going to Sochi are willing to do time for having a rainbow flag sewn onto their uniforms, they’re no allies of mine.
