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Like most people, I had no idea the rainbow doodle was coming. When I first opened my Google homepage that day, I did a double-take! The doodle itself caught my eye first, with the athletes on the rainbow background. I knew immediately what it meant, that Google was making a statement about their opinion of Putin’s ban on the distribution of “gay paraphernalia”, and gay rights in general at the Sochi Olympics. But what really got my attention was the quote underneath the image. It was a quote from the Olympic charter describing how competing in sports is a human right, and that all people should have the right to compete in sports in general, and the Olympics specifically. I’ve always been a fan of the Olympics, but I had never previously heard or seen any part of the Olympic charter. To say this quote was a pleasant surprise, especially given how long ago the Olympic charter was written, would be a vast understatement.
I’ve been watching the Olympics for at least 20 years (I think I watched some of the 1992 Olympics too, but 1994 is the first time I remember deciding for myself to watch them, and actually watching almost all of the events). Figure skating was always my favorite event, but I also enjoy most of the other offerings. My favorite thing about the Olympics, though, has always been watching the entire world come together to support the athletes, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc. People love to support their country’s athletes, but we also love to root for the underdog, so sometimes we find ourselves rooting for other countries as well. The spirit of the Olympics has always felt to me like the ultimate human triumph: love for our fellow humans overcoming all superficial divisions that society creates. Clearly, the Olympic charter has succeeded in its mission!
I have not yet watched any of the Sochi Olympics. This is not out of any intent to boycott, I just simply haven’t had a chance yet. However, from what I’ve heard from people who have been watching, it sounds like despite all of Putin’s attempts to defy it, the spirit of the Olympics as I described above is ever-present and still as strong as ever. We’ve seen over and over throughout human history that love and humanity, and this Olympic spirit too, have always ultimately shone through despite many attempts to thwart them. The fact that Google, a company whose impact is immediate and worldwide, has chosen to put this message of solidarity up for all the world to see, despite the possible ramifications of such action, is more than just a statement of their opinion. It’s a beacon for other organizations to follow if they’ve been afraid to stand up for equality. It’s a show of support whose reach rivals that of Olympic fans themselves. But most importantly, it’s a symbol of how far we’ve come and just how pervasive support for the gay rights movement has become in our society.
Yes, we still have a long way to go on the path to equality. The fact that these news items are such a big deal shows that. When we achieve true equality, these events will not be newsworthy. Equality will just be accepted as common sense and basic fact, and all people will truly be perceived as equal. Obviously, we are nowhere close to that idealistic state yet. But all of these news items show that we are moving in the right direction. Every day, new strides are being made, and more and more people are outwardly showing their support of this ideal. Legalization of gay marriage is obviously important, as is the allowance of marriage benefits to those who have already gotten married. We are seeing both of those things happen in more places all over the world every day. But to have a company with the global presence of Google make a statement like they did, I think is the most telling of all about the direction we are moving as a global society. And I love what I am seeing!
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