Yelena Isinbayeva, The IAAF and The Tolerance of Intolerance.

A STATEMENT FROM JODY AND BAYO REGARDING YELENA ISINBEYEVA AND THE IAAF RESPONSE:

Yelena Isinbayeva, The IAAF and The Tolerance of Intolerance:

I don't write often. I'm too lazy. I've often told I'm good at it, but the most I can usually manage is a snarky post on an internet forum or a badly punctuated 140 character tweet. I really can't be bothered to actually formulate a coherent argument and there is little that I care enough about to try and convert others to my way of thinking. The only subject in years that I have written more than 200 words about is the various permutations of the UK women's 4x4 team.

I also don't do angry. Ok so me and my brother my bicker continuously but I very rarely actually get angry. I can count the times I've lost my temper in the last 5 years on one hand. I know exactly where and when this happened. In my mind there is little point. Seldom is anything ever solved by shouting and 9 times out of 10 I don't care enough about the person who has crossed me to waste my energy (And lose my dignity) by castigating them.

Tonight I'm going to write. I'm going to write because I'm angry. No, I'm furious. I'm also confused and strangely emotional.

A few hours ago I stood in the Luhzniki Stadium in Moscow, whilst the Russian national anthem played and I wildly applauded, with a big grin on my face, the fabulous Yelena Isinbayeva. There she was on the big screen receiving her Gold medal in front of her home crowd. 'What a legend' I thought. 'What a great ambassador for our sport. What a way to go out'. I even tweeted about how lovely she was looking. 30 seconds later my brother and I sat mouths agape as we read the disgusting homophobic comment that she's made earlier in the day. I can't ever remember having my illusions shattered so comprehensively or so quickly.

For those you that are unaware of what she said here's the link...........

http://thescore.thejournal.ie/yelena-isinbayeva-homosexuality-comments-1039347-Aug2013/?utm_source=shortlink

Basically Swedish athletes Emma Green - Tregaro and Moa Hjelmer made a subtle and classy show of support for their gay friends and colleagues and in return Isinbayeva went on that astonishing rant.

I'd interviewed her a couple of days before. She was lovely. Chatty and friendly and happy to talk to us despite already having done interviews for an hour or so. It was great we got a bit of a scoop and the video has already has over 3000 views. If only I'd known. If only SHE'D known.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6RWeHgIIS4 

I'm not sure you're aware but I'm one of them you see. A gay. A homosexualist. A 'problem'!!!

Would she have been so lovely had she known this? Would I have wanted to interview her had I known she was a world class bigot?

She is of course perfectly entitled to her opinion. As I'm not a politician I'm not getting into the politics of the whole thing. What I am is an athletics fan. No, I'm what's called a 'Stan'. An obsessive. My life revolves around Track and Field. The first thing I do of a morning is open up the Track & Field News/Athletics Weekly forums and they stay minimised on my computer all day at work. I've never had a job that didn't mean I could take 2 weeks of in the summer to watch and I've travelled the world, spending tens of thousands of pounds in the process, following my favourite sport as far afield and South Korea and Australia. Jody and I have been dubbed 'The Worlds Most Famous Athletics Fans' (Not a lot of competition I know). In recent times we've been lucky enough to be considered 'IAAF Family' and invited to amazing events that have made us happier than anyone can possibly have realised.

And this is where my major problem lies. In the response to her disgusting comments my 'family' released this cowardly statement............

“The IAAF constitution underlines our commitment to principle of nondiscrimination in terms of religious, political or sexual orientation,” IAAF spokesman Nick Davies told The Associated Press.

“Allied to this is our belief in free expression as a basic human right, which means we must respect the opinions of both Green Tregaro and Isinbayeva.”

To me this is more troubling that that pole vault women's original comments. No Nick we don' have to "respect the opinions of both Green Tregaro and Isinbayeva". To even equate the 2 is repugnant. If she had suggested black people were not 'normal or standard' would such a bland mealy mouthed response have been issued? If she had opined about Jewish or Muslim people "We never had these problems in Russia, and we don’t want to have any in the future." would Lamine Diack, Irena Szewinska or Nawal el Moutawakel be happy for it all to be brushed under the carpet?

You Don't Tolerate Intolerance.

There are no grey areas on the issue. It doesn't call for a reasoned weighing up of arguments or trying to see both sides of the issue.

You Don't Tolerate Intolerance. PERIOD!!!

What this basically tells me and Jody is that we're not wanted here. We're not welcome. But to be honest we're not the issue. Much more importantly what message does this give to the gay athletes competing at these championships? (And there are really plenty of them even if they haven't all made it public). One of the most admired ambassadors in our sport can make such ugly remarks and the response from those that are essentially her bosses, is to wash their hands of the whole matter. To shrug their shoulders and bury their head in the sand. Leaving the moral stand to be taken by brave athletes risking like the aforementioned Swedes and the 800m Silver medallist Nick Symmonds, who are risking the possibility of being arrested.

What I love most about our sport is that it's 100% inclusive. There is something for everyone no matter your sex, ethnicity or size. Kids across the globe can find someone that they can identify with be they a 4'10 Ethiopian distance runner or a 6'10 Eastern European thrower. Unless it seems, you're gay in which case the message being sent is shut up, keep quiet, Don't Ask Don't Tell. It's a wholly unacceptable stance from such a supposedly inclusive sport.

To a certain extent I blame myself. I feel a bit ashamed. I had major reservations about coming in the first place. Friends were really worried and I've been sent multiple messages since I came along the lines of 'Be careful' and 'Stay safe'. I kind of laughed them off. I was told stories of black friends being subjected to monkey noises in the streets and you only have to read the papers to hear of homophobic attacks but I didn't for one minute think that Russia as full of raging homophobes and racists. And so it proved, or so I thought. Everyone has been lovely. I've seldom been to a country where everyone was so welcoming. Rather than refuse us service in restaurants (As I'd been warned) people have been stopping us in the street to have their photo taken and complimenting us on our style.

But this all changed for me last night. Much as I've loved these championships so far I took little interest in Britain's misfortunes or the great 400h & HJ competition. I sat in the stadium feeling sick to my stomach. All I could think was what would that lovely waitress that we gave a big tip to think if she knew? Would those girls who were so excited to get a photo really feel differently? Am I surrounded by 40,000 people who hate me?

As a gay, black man it may surprise to hear that I have never experienced discrimination. I live in my own naïve little, liberal, artsy, Guardian reading London bubble where everyone gets along and no one cares if you black/white/old/young/gay/straight etc. If someone aimed discriminatory remarks at me they'd be laughed at. I simply don't have to deal with it. Tonight has opened my eyes. There is a whole wide world out there that we all need to be aware of it.

I may feel differently tomorrow but for now I actually want to go home. The whole championships has been soured and I don't want to be here anymore. I wish I'd never come. For me to say that about an athletics competition is incomprehensible, but I suppose I've learnt that I love myself more than I love this sport.

So well done Yelena. Well done IAAF. It may just be that 'The World's Most Famous Athletics Fan' is a fan no more (x2).