Communism Is Dead, Now the Cold War Is Against Gays

The gay rights issue is a new territory of struggle between the Kremlin and Washington. While there is much disapproval of the legislation in Moscow, Obama has stated, “I do not think it’s appropriate to boycott the Olympics.”

At this rate, with all the jokes being made, we will seriously regret the Cold War — the real one, with the Russian cataphracts on the Kremlin wearing their Siberian coats, so rigid it seemed they were waiting for their own death. Men like Brezhnev, Chernenko and Andropov were the mummies of a power that was undoubtedly chauvinistic (at least publicly) and subliminally embodied by the missiles erected beneath them on the Red Square. Issues happening here and there are being exposed on purpose to show that Moscow was always ready to do something to upset Americans. Since then, in an all-male Kremlin, not much has changed in this respect. It is unlike America, where gay marriage became legal a few weeks ago, reflecting the tremendous pressuring power of the homosexual lobby. However, the fact that this type of freedom and these rights for gays have become part of the territory of struggle between Putin and Obama, thus emphasizing their antipathy toward one another, was hard to predict until recently. What emerges among the fears and growing controversy is the international standard promulgated in June by Vladimir Putin, which punishes any homosexual “propaganda” in the presence of minors with fines and even imprisonment for up to 15 days. This means that any behavior considered to be the expression of a sexual minority, if expressed publicly, may be punished. Civil rights groups consider this law discriminatory, but Putin knows that the majority of Russians agree with him. However, criticism coming from abroad is growing stronger, especially in light of the international sports events that Russia is hosting. The athletic championships started in Moscow on Aug. 10, and the Winter Olympics will start in February next year in Sochi.

For this reason, the Russian minister of sports, Votaly Mutko, told people to “calm down” in an attempt to reassure those preoccupied with the potential consequences of the Russian homosexual “propaganda” law.

However, Mutko excluded the Western Hemisphere, for which he showed no mercy by claiming that they had raised the tone on gay rights to put pressure on Russia because Russia is strong and scary.

To reignite the controversy, there was a letter asking for a ban on the 2014 Russian Olympic Games written by the openly gay British actor Stephen Fry, who accuses Putin of “making scapegoats of gay people, just as Hitler did Jews.”

One thing is certain: Behind these debates, there is a direct and open conflict between Obama and Putin.

Obama declared, “I have no patience for countries that try to treat gays or lesbians or transgender persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful to them,” and added that the 2014 Olympics will not be boycotted. President Jacques Rogge of the International Olympic Committee also intervened in the debate. Rogge said that Russia sent the International Olympic Committee “written confirmation,” indicating that the rule will not be applied to sportsmen or the general public attending the Winter Olympics. The Washington Post also attacked Putin vehemently, stating that if Putin thought this was only a problem at a national level and the rest of the world is not interested, he had misconceived the extent of the problem.

Russian gays are more serene, however, because they are not alone, as Lady Gaga has guaranteed. “We will fight for your freedom,” proclaimed Ms. Germanotta, who is ready to stand up for the cause.

In conclusion, even if it does not seem so, it is a serious matter, even though at the time this would have frozen the blood of the already-petrified Brezhnev, Chernenko and Andropov.