Statement from Harvey Fierstein: With the news breaking that the International Olympic Committee has asked Russia to suspend their anti-gay laws during the games. QUEER NATION asked me for a statement. This is what I gave them:

“I was glad to see President Obama upset by the abuse the LGBT community is suffering at the hands of the Russian government, but outrage is not enough.

These are NOT bullies saying unkind things in a schoolyard. These are heads of state enacting a national policy of bigotry aimed at limiting the freedoms of an entire minority. 

Finally the IOC realized that the Games cannot go on while these anti-gay laws stand. But suspension of these laws for two weeks is not enough.

Our lives, our families, our freedom are endangered while laws like these are tolerated anywhere in the world. We demand the repeal of Putin’s propagandistic legislation.

We now put the world community on notice that we are no longer available to be your scapegoats.

Enough.”

  -Harvey Fierstein