Catch Olympic Fever!
February 9, 2014 4:14 PM   Subscribe

And who doesn't love a little luge? SLYT The Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Diversity has created a brief response to Russian homophobia.
posted by kinnakeet (19 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
It's official: luge is totally gay.*

*and we're all OK with that, really!
posted by Meatbomb at 4:40 PM on February 9, 2014


It's only when they do the four man luge that social conservatives get really upset.
posted by jaduncan at 4:46 PM on February 9, 2014


And then people want to luge with their dog. Slippery slope, folks.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:53 PM on February 9, 2014 [7 favorites]


One of my best friends in college suggested the term "luge" to describe a certain type of short-term relationship with another person. Fast, fun, intimate, and over, with the option open to either go again or go away. The word itself sounds kind of darkly sexy.
posted by LEGO Damashii at 4:58 PM on February 9, 2014 [2 favorites]


I'm happy that the Sochi games have brought so much scrutiny to Russia and it's LGBT human rights violations. This actually isn't the first PSA I've seen this week, and there's been a whole bunch of stuff exploding on my feeds ranging from humorous to dead serious (linked from my phone so they might be crappy mobile versions):

Russia Declares Discrimination Newest Olympic Sport from the Russian Freedom Fund (trigger warning: violence)

Gay Mountain by Channel 4

Airport Love from XXL

6 Love Letters to Russia (note: self-linkish - I work with this organization in Vancouver)
posted by Conspire at 5:14 PM on February 9, 2014 [1 favorite]


Don't get me started about the biathlon.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 5:42 PM on February 9, 2014 [1 favorite]


Fox News update: lugeing damages the sanctity of plain old wholesome sledging.
posted by arcticseal at 5:49 PM on February 9, 2014 [2 favorites]


This tweet summarizes my feels (especially with a lot of the indignation towards Russia coming from countries like Greece and the US. I guess Canada isn't so bad).
posted by FirstMateKate at 5:52 PM on February 9, 2014 [2 favorites]


This tweet summarizes my feels

That tweet is primo, grade-A bullshit. People care just as much about homophobia in e.g. the US and Uganda; the only difference is that those places don't have a massive international spotlight on them at the moment.

We all recognize the sort of rhetoric regurgitated by Fox News viewers; that tweet is an excellent example of how RT viewers "think."
posted by Sys Rq at 7:34 PM on February 9, 2014 [8 favorites]


Sadly, Rob Ford couldn't keep his nose out of it.
posted by dry white toast at 10:24 PM on February 9, 2014


Nothing is hotter than bobsledders. Do the next ad with them.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 10:37 PM on February 9, 2014 [1 favorite]


I enjoy these videos and PSAs, but they do seem generally mainly designed to make people feel less guilty for participating in the Olympics even as Putin has activists beaten up and, well, not exactly helpful for or in any way designed to be so for gay people in Russia. It's like felting against famine: nice, but not exactly helping with the issue.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 5:51 AM on February 10, 2014 [3 favorites]


Bell Canada's Olympic commercial includes a microsecond showing a couple of men kissing.

What do Canadians call "gay marriage"?

Marriage.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:49 AM on February 10, 2014 [3 favorites]


The only people who are technically participating in the Olympics are the athletes - and they really have nothing to do with Putin's policies.

The rest of us are just watching the Olympics, which doesn't give any money to Russia unless you travel there. Already there are reports that tourism is down for Sochi, though the commonly cited reasons are the expensive travel and the fears of terrorism, not human rights abuses.

No one was really going to boycott the Olympics, except for a few people who may have had no interest to start with. (I've been boycotting since 1988, on the "boredom" issue). A boycott would really hurt athletes who've been training for years for something that they have no control, no influence over.

Instead, ads and PSAs like these do something better than a boycott: they use the opportunity when everyone is watching to talk about the human rights abuses and the importance of equality.

Not that I haven't had my own moments of cynicism. I was involved in some of the local protests against the Russian laws last summer, and as I did more research for the group, I quickly realized that Russia really isn't among the most dangerous places for LGBT people. There are 83 Countries where homosexuality is illegal (recently increased from 82, with the addition of India), where people face not only bashings but jail terms and government violence. There are also American states which have similar laws to Russia's that restrict teachers, etc, from talking about homosexuality as natural and normal in front of children.

Why are we fussing so much about Russia? The cynic in me says: because they are white, and not us. The less cynical part of me - and what most human rights organizations have been saying - is that Russia is a large, very influential country, and is very much in the spotlight because of the Olympics. We have to take this opportunity now to talk about human rights because people are paying attention. It's a door that has opened the conversation to talk about India and Uganda and Jamaica as well as Russia, and it's put international LGBT rights on the front page.
posted by jb at 7:56 AM on February 10, 2014 [1 favorite]


Actual lugers don't seem to appreciate the video.
posted by smackfu at 7:58 AM on February 11, 2014


One actual luger, actually.
posted by Sys Rq at 8:23 AM on February 11, 2014


True, but I'm not surprised if they are pretty sick of the gay jokes already. Probably been hearing them their whole life.
posted by smackfu at 10:27 AM on February 11, 2014


*shrug*

Maybe I'll care about his offense at his sport being called "a little gay" when many doubles-lugers' deaths a the hands of roving mobs are treated with utter indifference by the state. Until then, let's keep a modicum of perspective, shall we?
posted by Sys Rq at 10:37 AM on February 11, 2014 [1 favorite]


Parrot Cheers Luge Teams
posted by homunculus at 11:06 AM on February 15, 2014


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