Billie Jean King Sent to Tweak Russia’s Homophobia at the Olympics

President Barack Obama and
other top political officials will not be attending the Winter
Olympics in Sochi, Russia. But never fear: While the president
remains locked in a life-and-death battle with the Internet for the
soul of Obamacare, he’s sending a delegation to attend. That it
includes the most famous openly gay athlete in the world is no
doubt just a coincidence. From
USA Today:

The White House delivered a strong message of opposition to
Russia’s anti-gay laws Tuesday with the announcement of its
delegation to the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics.

The White House delegation will include an openly gay athlete:
tennis great Billie Jean King.

It will not include the president, first lady or the vice
president, all who headed the previous four Olympic delegations, or
a cabinet secretary, only a former one. This marks the first
Olympics since the 2000 Sydney Summer Games that a U.S. president,
vice president, first lady or former president has not been a
member of the delegation for the opening ceremony, which will be
Feb. 7 in Sochi.

The delegation will also include openly gay Olympic
medal-winning hockey player Caitlin Cahow:

“It’s obviously a statement that’s being made, but I think it’s
an incredibly respectful one,” Cahow told USA TODAY Sports.
“Basically, the White House is highlighting Americans who know what
it means to have freedoms and liberties under the constitution.
That’s really what we’re representing in Sochi and it’s not at all
different from what’s espoused in the spirit of Olympism.”

The delegation also includes figure skater Brian Boitano, and
that’s where that sentence ends, because apparently talking about
his personal life is
not one of the things Brian Boitano would do.  

It’s a fun, in-your-face decision, though it’s not clear if it
will have much of an impact beyond a signaling statement. Since
Russia has decided to blame non-heterosexuals for its cultural
ills, the blowback has arguably gone beyond anything President
Vladimir Putin can control, even if he wanted to. Being openly gay
(or even friendly to gays) has become
increasingly dangerous in the country.

Bonus libertarian video! Something Brian Boitano would
do is help John Stossel illustrate how “spontaneous order”
works: