Billie Jean King: Olympic delegation may wave rainbow flags in Sochi

In an interview with CNN's Christine Amanour, Billie Jean King indicated the US Olympic delegation might wave rainbow flags or some other tribute to the Russian LGBT community to show support:

“Maybe we should wave rainbow flags or something, I don’t know,” she said, drawing an analogy to the Black Power salute – a raised fist – given by two American athletes at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

“As long as we’re not being malicious,” she said, “we can show our feelings.”

President Obama named the former tennis champion, who is gay, to the American delegation at the Olympics earlier this week.

“I'm very proud to go as an athlete, and as a gay woman,” she said. “I'm thrilled.”

Russia’s hosting of the Olympics has been surrounded by controversy in large measure because of a law enacted earlier this year banning gay “propaganda,” which has contributed to many gay Russians fleeing the country. “I'm not real big on boycotting,” King told Amanpour. “It has to be absolutely a last resort.”

(h/t JMG)