Openly gay MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow
told David Letterman on Thursday that being openly gay in Russia is
an act of bravery.
Letterman asked Maddow if she were an
athlete would she be going to the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
“As a gay person, there's that little
inflection to it,” Maddow responded. “I'd be safe in jail.”
Maddow was referring to the nation's
anti-gay law which prohibits the promotion of “gay propaganda” to
minors.
“Should there have been a larger,
more active, aggressive boycott or, pardon the expression, stink
raised about their views on gay rights and human rights in Russia?”
Letterman asked. “I was hoping that everybody would pull out.”
“The people that have made that case,
I think have made a very articulate case,” she responded. “At
the same time, the athletes, including the gay athletes, they want to
compete in the Olympics.”
“Being openly gay in Russia is itself
an act of bravery right now,” Maddow said, adding that “simply
being open about your sexual orientation is a one-finger salute to
Vladimir Putin.” (The video is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)