Let's stop preaching to Russia

The Sochi Olympics have turned into a circus of homoerotic jokes, rainbow-studded advertisements and protests against Russia by pro-gay Olympic viewers.

Russia instituted its anti-gay policies June 30, 2013, making it illegal to possess, create or support propaganda of “nontraditional sexual relations to minors.” The law, dubbed the “no promo homo” law by pro-gay activists, has sparked an increase in anti-gay violence in Russia.

Gangs, which continue to equate homosexuals with pedophiles, have attacked, humiliated, raped and tortured gay men.

When I write columns, I always find it compelling how blind our own citizens are to the problems facing American society. Sure, in liberal little Bloomington we’re all safe and sound, but that’s not the case in other places.

Nine states in the United States have laws similar to the “no promo homo” laws passed in Russia, while an additional two ban anti-bullying policies for gay students in schools.

And while Utah, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina have never been considered bastions of liberal ideology, it’s shocking they have laws in place that in some form or another criminalize homosexuality.

Some — not all, but some — Republicans yell and scream about how the government should leave citizens alone, but only if those citizens happen to be rich or corporations.

When it comes to abortion or homosexuality, those same Republicans often claim it’s the government’s right to defend societal values.

Gay rights, it seems, is one of the last battlegrounds in which religion can be used as a major weapon. And this religious ammunition is effective; it is widespread and it is
disgusting.

As someone who is both gay and a devout Christian, it’s disheartening to see my own God used against me. I digress, however, because I’m not disturbed the most by the use of religion to attempt to deny me the rights shared by all heterosexuals.

What I’m disturbed by most is the apathy of our own citizens.

In the U.S., it seems, we have established a status quo of being ignorant and blind to societal issues that plague us. We regard these issues as unsolvable, unimportant or simply too difficult to discuss.

We can see this even at our own University, where student government elections are lucky to even get some attention from the student body.

And, unfortunately, when we look at the country as a whole, many of us decide that we cannot be bothered to understand what we need to improve upon as a country. The only patriotic things we can do are vote and at least have a basic understanding of our government and our society.

Otherwise, we’re no better than Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

­— ajguenth@indiana.edu
Follow columnist Andrew Guenther on Twitter @GuentherAndrew