Queer Nation Protests U.S. Olympic Team Event in Times Square

As we reported yesterday, the activist group Queer Nation was on hand today at the U.S. Olympic Team's promotional "Road to Sochi Tour" which kicked off today in NYC's Times Square. These shots were posted to the Queer Nation FB page and feature a 50-foot-long 'Don't Believe Putin's Lies' rainbow banner designed by Pride flag creator Gilbert Baker.

USA Today reported on the protest:

Yelling "Homophobia's gotta go" the protesters unfurled banners that said "don't buy Putin's lies " and "boycott homophobia" while Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls spoke to a crowd of bystanders, news media and sponsors....

...Though the group's chants occurred during opening remarks from several Olympians during a media session, it wasn't disruptive.

"We made our point," Osbourne said as the group began to dissolve after 30 minutes. "The public is being allowed in shortly and we don't want to scare any little kids with loud chants."

Queer Nation to Protest U.S. Olympic Team 'Road to Sochi Tour' in Times Square on Tuesday

Activists from Queer Nation will be on hand when the U.S. Olympic Team kicks off its "Road to Sochi Tour" in NYC's Times Square on today at noon.

Writes the USOC in a press release about the event:

The 100 Day Countdown event has become a celebrated commemoration prior to each Olympic Games. In 2013, the event will include athlete demonstrations on a towering ski and snowboard ramp; an ice rink for curling, figure skating, speedskating and hockey demonstrations; and the Flying Ace All-Stars performing ski and snowboard tricks on trampolines – all in the heart of Times Square. The event will also include 12 interactive sport elements for fans to try, and more than 40 athletes are expected to participate in autograph sessions, demos and on-stage interviews, including the following Sochi 2014 hopefuls: Kelly Clark – snowboarding (halfpipe) · Sarah Hendrickson – ski jumping · Steve Holcomb – bobsled · Hannah Kearney – freestyle skiing (moguls) · Ted Ligety – alpine skiing · Taylor Lipsett – sled hockey · Evan Lysacek – figure skating · Elana Meyers – bobsled · Tom Wallisch – freestyle skiing (slopestyle) · Torin Yater-Wallace – freestyle skiing (halfpipe).

Writes Queer Nation on a Facebook page for its protest:

Join Queer Nation NY and the US Olympic Committee in Times Square at noon to "celebrate" 100 days until the start of the Winter Games at Sochi, Russia. Help Queer Nation NY s make a statement that "The Road to Sochi" is paved with the blood of LGBT people. Representatives of International and United States Olympic Committee will be on hand. Presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance, there will also be a reception for Olympic Sponsors and VIPs at 1:30 pm.

The USOC has spoken out about Russia's anti-gay law:

In a show of its disapproval for Russia's anti-gay laws, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) decided yesterday to add sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policy, the AP reports. Though unwilling to go further and insist upon a change to the anti-gay laws currently in effect in Russia, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun added "The fact that we do not think it is our role to advocate for a change in the Russian law does not mean that we support the law, and we do not."

U.S. rep aims to send message on Russia antigay law

The sixth item in the charter's "Fundamental Principles of Olympism" says "any form of discrimination ... on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement." It does not specifically mention sexual orientation. "If it came to a vote of IOC members, I would absolutely vote yes to amend the charter," Probst said Tuesday during a news conference at the USOC media summit. 

America's newest member of the International Olympic Committee would vote to amend the Olympic charter to list sexual orientation as a form of discrimination. U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman Larry Probst, voted onto the IOC last month, said such an amendment is one of the few avenues available to the USOC as it tries to send a message to Russia, which recently passed an antigay law, less than a year before it hosts the Winter Olympics.

Probst reiterated that an American boycott of the Sochi Olympics is not an option, but when asked what moves the USOC could make, both Probst and CEO Scott Blackmun mentioned the possible amendment, which would have to be done at an IOC meeting. "There are people who would like to see sexual orientation added to that list," Blackmun said. "We'd support a change in that direction."

Besides mentioning the amendment, the USOC leaders stuck mainly to their party line: They are not there to change Russian law, and their top priority is ensuring a safe and successful Olympics for their athletes. They are also not telling their athletes to not speak their minds. Among the few athletes at this week's Olympic summit to speak against the Russian law was skier Bode Miller, who called the existence of such a law "absolutely embarrassing." Most others have said, in one way or another, that they'd let the USOC handle the politics while they focus on sports.

IOC officials have said they don't have the authority to intervene in Russia's lawmaking and are convinced there will be no discrimination against athletes or spectators at the games.