Pennsylvania State Rep. Brian Sims says that a Russian anti-gay
law cannot suppress Olympian Johnny Weir at the Winter Olympics.
Russia's “gay propaganda” law prohibits the public promotion
of gay rights in a venue where minors might be present.
Its passage in June provoked worldwide outrage and calls for a
boycott of the Winter Olympics to be held next year in Sochi.
(Related: Russia
raids Nikolia Alexeyev's home; people encouraged to turn in gay
neighbors.)
The 29-year-old Weir has previously said that he's opposed to a
boycott but is prepared to get arrested while attending the Winter
Olympics.
“You know, like anyone I'm afraid of being arrested but also I'm
not afraid of being arrested,” Weir
said. “Myself even walking down the street going to get
Starbucks in the morning and somebody could arrest me just because I
look too gay.”
In a wide-ranging interview with gay glossy The
Advocate, Sims, Pennsylvania's first openly gay elected
lawmaker and the former captain of an NCAA Division II championship
football team at Bloomsburg University, quipped that suppressing Weir
wasn't possible.
“Listen, I think that LGBT athletes know their way around civil
disobedience,” Sims said. “I'd be excited to see the kind of
tension would be drawn to that. I'd love to see them try to suppress
a Johnny Weir. Good luck!”