From Moscow with hate – that’s the worldwide chorus, at least in liberal-minded nations. As Russia, under Vladimir Putin, is engaged in homophobic actions, the reaction in many countries especially in Europe and in United States is putting the upcoming hosting of Miss Universe 2013 by Moscow into jeopardy. Already, a petition was lodged online to stop Miss Universe being held in Russia. There are already more than 19, 000 signatories of the petition. Meanwhile, articles and photos of lesbians being raped and gays being beaten to death continue to circulate online.
While it could be possible that any last minute decision to pull out the pageant from Moscow is economically disastrous for both the organizing committee and the Miss Universe Organization, the online chatter points to that very possibility. Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo having tea with Miss Great Britain Amy Willerton created a stir in the pageantry circle. Could it be that London will become a viable alternative? In any case, common sense and history dictates that Las Vegas is the default venue.
Russia will be a great host and as an opinion piece here in Missosology states, it is wrong to malign the host. Laws enacted in Russia that are deemed homophobic have nothing to do with Miss Universe 2013. But things have been politically charged lately. There is an ongoing boycott of Russian vodka in many bars across United States. The granting of asylum to Edward Snowden by the Russian authorities complicated matters to the point that Barack Obama cancelled his scheduled summit with Putin.
Donald Trump, the owner of Miss Universe and a Republican, may be swayed to cancel Moscow’s hosting of Miss Universe 2013 if political noise escalates further. It would be foolish for Trump to ignore the homophobia and the Snowden controversy. It will not play well with him at home if he continues to to brush shoulders with the Russians. So, Las Vegas, anyone?
