December 6, 2013
Lady Gaga: Boycott the Sochi Olympics
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Lady Gaga stopped by British talk show "Chatty Matt," hosted by Alan Carr, on Wednesday and said that there should be a boycott on the Sochi Winter Olympics, due to Russia's controversial anti-gay laws, the U.K. newspaper the Independent reports.
After praising British Olympic diver Tom Daley for announcing this week that he is in a relationship with a man, Gaga went off on a rant about the Sochi Olympics.
"I don't think that we should be going to the Olympics at all," she told Carr. "I mean, I would never take anything away from [the athletes'] hard work, I just think it is absolutely wrong for so many countries to send money and economy in the way of a country that doesn't support gays."
"They pepper spray and beat them in Russia," Gaga continued. "It made me very sad to see the pain that some of the gay kids are in in Russia, and for the world to send their finest to the Olympics... I can't, it just feels so wrong and sad. I hate saying that, because I'm so excited for those like Tom Daley to go and to win and to rejoice."
It should be noted that Daley, a 19-year-old diver, will not be competing in the Winter Olympics as he is only eligible for the Summer Games.
Shortly after Daley announced in a YouTube video that he is in a relationship with a man, Gaga took to Twitter to congratulate him, writing, "Between @TomDaley1994 and @Magicjohnson 's Oprah Interview about his son, what an inspiring and brave week!"
When the pop star was asked if she would ever go back to Russia, she said, "I don't think I'm even allowed in anymore because I screamed 'I'm gay, arrest me' on stage last time I was there, so..."
In November it was reported that Russian officials fined the organizers behind Gaga's 2012 Moscow concerts, claiming that the shows and the singer's support of LGBT rights "harmed children."
In August the pop star condemned Russia's laws on Twitter and said, "Sending bravery to LGBTs in Russia. The rise in government abuse is archaic. Hosing teenagers with pepper spray? Beatings? Mother Russia?"
"The Russian government is criminal," she went on to say. "Oppression will be met with revolution. Russian LGBTs you are not alone. We will fight for your freedom." She later added, "Why didn't you arrest me when you had the chance, Russia? Because you didn't want to answer to the world?"