The Winter Olympics in Putin’s Russia

The Winter Olympics in Putin’s Russia

The Winter Olympics in Putin’s Russia

Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky
Pocket
Email

Russia protestGay rights activists hold a banner reading "Homophobia – the religion of bullies" during their action in protest of homophobia, on Red Square in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, July 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Evgeny Feldman)

“Putin signs anti-gay legislation into law.”
—news reports

It’s possible a skier’d have to pray,
As he zoomed down the steepest slope one day,
That he did not, by accident, display
A manner that those eager to obey
The laws that under Putin now hold sway
Might video as evidence, then say
This shows with certainty that he is gay,
Illegally, and must be sent away
To some gay gulag, where he will decay
In dungeons like the cages of Bombay.

And meanwhile Putin leads the cheers: “Let’s hear it!
Let’s celebrate that grand Olympic spirit!”

Your support makes stories like this possible

From illegal war on Iran to an inhumane fuel blockade of Cuba, from AI weapons to crypto corruption, this is a time of staggering chaos, cruelty, and violence. 

Unlike other publications that parrot the views of authoritarians, billionaires, and corporations, The Nation publishes stories that hold the powerful to account and center the communities too often denied a voice in the national media—stories like the one you’ve just read.

Each day, our journalism cuts through lies and distortions, contextualizes the developments reshaping politics around the globe, and advances progressive ideas that oxygenate our movements and instigate change in the halls of power. 

This independent journalism is only possible with the support of our readers. If you want to see more urgent coverage like this, please donate to The Nation today.

Ad Policy
x