The Conundrum of Sochi

I can't quit the feeling that the Sochi Olympics happening as planned is just such an impossibility. There he is, Vladimir Putin, presiding over the Opening Ceremonies, all smug, that cold, soul-less look in his eyes that makes Dick Cheney seem warm -- all this happening while Russia's gay citizens are being rounded up, Nazi-style, Putin's own "Pink Ghetto" realized in our time.

And nothing happens? No acts of protest, not a single rainbow flag, even a pin? Just business as usual, Bob Costas commenting on some peculiar factoid of country X.

Too many gay voices arguing against a boycott (namely Johnny Weir, but soon to be followed by many more) would seem to doom that possibility, although world events should sort that out (I still say unlikely to happen).

Moving the Olympics to another venue seems a pipe dream, for many reasons. George Takei has taken up this mantle, along with MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell. Takei says it is still "possible". Rhetoric like that usually means pipe dream.

So that leaves Sochi 2014 Winter Games, fill in the blank. I can't fathom a total IOC-censored event, given the European representation.

And -- Figure Frickin' Skating! Johnny Weir! The IOC may warn athletes against openly political symbols during the OCs, but that doesn't prevent the commentators, friends and former athletes from showing up and displaying same. And exactly where does Bob Costas stand on this?

This is such a big deal, the huge, gigantic Elephant in the Stadium that can't be ignored. Tilda Swinton said it all in that rainbow flag-waving act of defiance in Red Square.

An ego-maniacal madman such as Putin couldn't stand the embarrassment that's about to descend on him, could he? Will All Of It be whitewashed? Or will all these laws just magically go away -- never happened, just a typo, sorry for the confusion?

Because somehow or other there will be a showdown on gay rights for all the world to see. And gay people in lots of countries are indeed persecuted, jailed, tortured and killed. And frankly Putin can't afford the unavoidable embarrassment resulting from the havoc his laws would wreak upon hundreds of influential foreigners. Putin is nothing but a pathetic Joseph Stalin-wannabe coward. He doesn't have the guts to stand this down, nor frankly the religious conviction of, say, an Ayatollah. He will be forced to squirm like the 12-year-old bully he is.

What an unexpected turn of events these Olympics have spawned. And it's about time.