Should The LGBT Community Boycott The Rio Summer Olympics?

With one LGBT person killed in Brazil nearly every day, the crisis there is arguably worse than at Sochi.
From: NewNowNext

 We’re just days about from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil, where thousands of top-notch athletes will go for the gold in competitions they’ve trained a lifetime for.

There’s a record number of out athletes this year, too: 42 and counting, by some estimates. And the Pride House has returned, offering support, awareness and camaraderie to athletes, coaches and families.

But, like the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, the Rio Games risk being tainted by the specter of homophobia and hate.

 Not from the government, exactly: Brazil has among the most progressive LGBT protections in the world, having passed marriage equality in 2011 and the Constitution of Brazil prohibits discrimination in any form.

But there is an epidemic homophobic and transphobic violence in Brazil: Some 1,400 LGBT people have been murdered in the past four years—that’s almost one every day.

 “On the one hand, we are a pink country, celebrating sexual diversity and showing gay couples easily on our telenovelas,” says Luiz Mott, founder of Grupo Gay da Bahia. “Then, there is another color, the red blood of victims.”

Trans people, in particular, are victimized: Almost half of all the transgender murders in the world take place in Brazil.

And while there is no “gay propaganda” ban, as in Russia, police indifference and corruption has contributed to the dire situation. In some instances, cops themselves are the perpetrators: On Vice’s Gaycation, an anonymous officer admitted to Ellen Page that he has murdered gay people.

The rise of right-wing fundamentalists in Brazil’s congress has only exacerbated the situation. How can queer people feel safe in a country when someone like Congressman Jair Bolsonaro declared he’d rather his son die than come out as gay?

“It is hard to be LGBT in Brazil because the threat is constant,” Dayana Gusmao of Rio Sem Homofobia (Rio Without Homophobia) told USA Today. “We have had so many cases of fathers beating their gay children to make them straight. We still have people who want to correct lesbians by raping them. Brazil is not a safe place to be LGBT.”

So while gay and bi people will be more welcome than ever at the Olympics, those outside the stadium continue to fear for their lives.

Should we put that aside and just enjoy the sportsmanship on display? Should we boycott the games in hopes of drawing attention to this human rights crisis?

Many feel the issue just can’t be ignored—not by fans and not by the International Olympic Committee, which took a thrashing over Sochi.

 “If Brazil is the home of the largest percentage of [LGBT] hate crimes, and we have LGBT athletes competing, then this is an Olympic issue,” Athlete Ally director Hudson Taylor told USA Today. “It’s that simple.”

President Obama sent a mostly gay delegation to the Sochi Games—including sports stars Brian Boitano, Caitlin Cahow and Billie Jean King—to send a message to Russia. Should he do the same again in Rio?

Veteran Olympics commentator Charley Walters, who is heading to Rio for his eighth Olympics, says it’s crucial we pay attention to the Games this year.

 “It’s scary realizing all the chaos in the world—but I feel more passionate than ever that we have to go, and we have to celebrate our athletes,” he says. “But that doesn’t mean we ignore what’s happening to LGBT people in Brazil. The media should report on it while they’re there. It’s such an opportunity to make a major statement about humanity when everyone is so scared.”

It’s also a chance to keep the pressure on and keep other nations on their toes.

“L.A. is trying to get the games for 2024, and they’re paying a lot of attention to what’s being scrutinized in Rio,” says Walters. “And the IOC sees pays attention to this stuff, too—they got a lot of flak for Sochi.”

Walters also says the Rio Games are important because of the record number of out athletes participating.

“Tom Bosworth in racewalking, gymnast Jeffrey Wammes. Megan Rapinoe is making a surprise return. Tom Daley is obviously getting a lot of attention—amazing performance, amazing personality—and he has a real shot at the gold.”

 But with 12,000 athletes in the Games, Walters believes the number of out competitors should be much higher. “We can’t just say ’There must not be any,” he says. “If they’re not out, we’re not hearing their authentic stories.” He also predicts “we’re going to see a major person come out at the games or right after.”

So, a boycott would seem to be a misstep. But activists, celebrities and athletes themselves need to keep attention on what’s happening. And we, as viewers, need to do our part, too: We need to watch and share news about protests planned during the Games.

And, just as with Sochi, we should be tweeting and chatting about the violence against LGBT people in Brazil and the reasons for it.And we should be supporting groups like OutRight, All Out and Grupo Gay da Bahia, which fight to keep LGBT people safe and free.

The Olympics have always attempted to symbolize the best of humanity. Sometimes that means putting a spotlight on our worst.