Painted nails - Russia offended

Controversy was aplenty in Russia at the World Athletic Championships in Moscow. First, here is a picture of the nails that offended the Russians  They are from a Swedish lady Emma Green-Tregaro who was showing support for the LGBT community whilst poll vaulting. They are not a pin or any article of clothing.

But still this was too much for Russian Yelena Isinbayeva, who will be like a mayor or something for one of the Olympic villages, and a poll vaulting competitor of Green-Tregaro. After the event these were Isinbayeva comments, although Green-Tregaro wasn't arrested:

"It's disrespectful to our country, disrespectful to our citizens because we are Russians," Isinbayeva, speaking hesitantly in English, told a news conference.

"Maybe we are different than European people and people from different lands. We have our law which everyone has to respect. When we go to different countries, we try to follow their rules. We are not trying to set our rules over there. We are just trying to be respectful. more

Apart from this outrageous suggestion that the Russians are offended by the west raising the issue of LGBT people (as innocuously as with painted nails) being murdered and beaten in Russia whilst the authorities look the other way, this really makes me mad. 

Imagine what it must feel like, to be a Russian gay and to know someone who was murdered or beaten because they were gay (or even just knowing what's going on over there) to have a Russian athlete to claim offence at painted nails  FFS. 

And they accuse us of "propaganda"?

And no Isinbayeva, Russians are human beings just like everyone else on the planet. Wherever there is humanity, there will be gays.

Perhaps the worst thing about this is the comment from the US athlete in the article, Symmonds. Maybe he's got the same delusions of grandeur that our Australian athletes had in London, I dunno, but this comment was to me highly offensive:

"My aim was to come here and race and try to win a medal for the United States," he said. 

"Having done that, if I can help to advance the cause then that's something I'd like to do." more

In other words, what comes first for him is a bloody gold medal. "Having done that" he will help the cause "if he can". What an asshole. His own sporting career is what he's worried about, that's why he doesn't want a boycott. I don't believe for one minute that he wants to win a medal for his country either, that's just to make his position more rosier. Well I don't buy it; he wants a medal for himself and his career. 

Why should what's happening to our brothers and sisters in Russia be swept under the carpet for two weeks for the like of assholes like that? Assholes who are willing to put human rights abuses as less important than winning a fuckin medal?