Fierstein Comments On Russian Anti-Gay Op-Ed

Theatrical luminary, multi-Tony Award-winner and vocal human rights activist Harvey Fierstein published an eloquent op-ed piece in the New York Times earlier this week decrying Russia's recent anti-gay legislation and opens up about the essay and the issue at large in an informative new interview.

So, what does Fierstein prescribe as a valid defensive move to help thwart Russian leader Vladimir Putin's virulently homophobic new laws? Fierstein says, "There's only one way to change somebody like Putin and that's in the pocketbook. You can't get him with angry words. He feeds on that and his followers feed on that. You make the West angry, they're thrilled. You can't get them that way. You can't get them through a U.N. sanction: 'Oh boy, the U.S. is mad at me. I'm shaking all the f--k over.' There's only one way and that's in the pocketbook. You hurt them in the pocketbook, they shut the f--k up and back the f--k down."

As for our own President Obama and the need for him to address this issue, Fierstein relates, "Hopefully they will. I have a lot of faith in President Obama. The thing that seems to be true of him is that he doesn't speak when you would expect him to speak. He's very measured in his response to things. He likes to get all the facts first before he shoots his mouth off. It makes me crazy, it makes a lot of people crazy. I have a lot of black friends who were very angry that he didn't speak out immediately about Trayvon Martin, but when he did, he spoke unbelievably powerfully. And so I am hoping that he will get involved in this."

Furthermore, what can everyday people do to show their support of gay rights and display clear opposition to Putin's new laws in Russia? "The biggest thing you can do is make sure you put no money toward Russia at all. Check and see what Russian products are and refuse to [buy them]. Write up on your social media -- copy the story about the young man that was killed, copy the story about the [four Dutch tourists] arrested, copy the stories about the adoptions and these poor people whose hearts have been ripped open by the stupid laws that [Putin is] passing. Copy anything and just make sure that people know. Then write to your representative and say, 'I don't want you whitewashing this sh*t. I want a condemnation of Russia. I don't want any of my tax money going to Russia.' You've got to write to the Olympic Committee and say, 'I think we should boycott.' People in our industry should write to our unions. We have a TV union, there are lots and lots of unions that will be involved in the Olympics and our unions should refuse to let our union members go. That's the only way to stop this, is to starve the rat. I'm telling you," Fierstein states.

Check out the original article on the matter here.