I’ve written here and here about the battle over boycotting the Sochi Olympics, and missing from any discussion of the the boycott seems to be mention of why a boycott is being discussed. So, I wanted to use a news story I saw about Uganda as the basis for looking at that.

As I’ve written, I am not personally in favor of an Olympic boycott. I believe the best solution is for the IOC to remove the games from Russia as their new law is incompatible with the Olympic Charter. I’m happy to defend that position, but I also want to be clear that I recognize this perspective has downsides. These deserve to be discussed too. I can think it is the best action and also recognize it isn’t a perfect action.

That said, pulling the games and a boycott share one very important aspect. It places a financial burden and pressure on Russia. Moving the games allows the athletes who have worked so hard to still compete, AND participate in a Games where a political issue doesn’t overshadow the importance of Sports itself. But this economic pressure doesn’t in and of itself change the situation in Russia totally. That is most likely a longer more complex matter. I think however, the economic burden and pressure is a first step. In addition, the IOC removing the Game from Russia has the potential to humiliate government officials who want to be seen as being ready to be a part of the growing World Community.

But that notion of financial burden and pressure- what is that? Here is a blurb from a post about Uganda, a country with even more draconian attempts at legislating the end of gay people. (emphasis is mine)

Late last year, Ugandan parliamentary speaker Rebecca Kadaga, promised to swiftly pass the “kill the gays” bill as a “Christmas gift” to Ugandans. As you know, it (thankfully) never happened. Pink News reports that Marvin Kibuuka, one of the country’s gay rights advocates, claims to know the reason: loss of aid to Uganda.

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni appears reluctant to sign the bill into law over concerns about aid implications, yet Mr Kibuuka believes he supports the spirit of the legislation.

Still the threat of financial implications isn’t enough in and of itself. Not in Uganda nor in Russia.

But he also warned that the majority of people in Uganda want the bill to pass regardless and don’t care about the threat of losing international aid.

In Uganda, it is the Evangelical Church predominately which has been working for a dozen years to create an environment where gays and lesbians are so stigmatized and hated.  In Russia, it is unclear if that same level of prejudice exists, but the Russian Orthodox church is leading the efforts in a big way.  Still Russia wants to be a partner in world affairs; wants to be seen as a super-power and equal; therefor, the Government is more likely to be swayed by the efforts of the rest of the world.

Ultimately, the goal is to help gay, lesbian, bi, trans, and queer people, especially youth in Russia. If a boycott or move of the Games can slow the progress of devastating legislation in Russia similar to how it has in Uganda, it allows local activists there more time and energy to mobilize, organize and educate people about the  reality for the LGBTQ Russians.

The efforts surrounding the Sochi Olympics are not the whole of the efforts, but must be seen as just one step forward, and part of a larger and global effort to demand nondiscrimination and fairness. This is why the Stoli boycott is also important. Stoli, while very supportive of the LGBTQ community in some countries like the US, has done absolutely nothing to promote the same fairness and equality for LGBTQ persons in Russia itself.  And that is a big deal. Change there will come as Big Business demands Russian Governmental protections for everyone. In fact the most significant next step that can be taken is to design other boycotts of specific enterprises based on how those enterprises can influence political and cultural change in Russia.

The Olympics will come and go, but the efforts of the world to help the LGBTQ community in Russia must not end with a boycott or without one. We have to accept that we are in this for the long haul, not for just a short term mini-fix.