In Putin’s Russia, this watch is a crime
June is Pride Month, though Donald Trump still refuses to acknowledge it, despite his predecessor’s precedent. It’s no surprise. During Trump’s campaign, he promised to sign a bill that would make discrimination against LGBTQ people legal. The Republican Party agreed upon the most directly anti-LGBTQ platform in its history, eschewing subterfuge and directly attacking LGBTQ rights like never before. Trump and every other Republican was on board.
While LGBTQ rights have taken a few large steps backwards under Republican rule, we need to only look over to Trump’s allies in Russia to see what the future will hold if we continue on this path. In Russia, displaying same-sex affection is illegal. Showing support for LGBTQ rights is illegal. In Chechnya, part of Russia, government officials rounded gay men up, tortured, and killed them, with no action from the Kremlin. Essentially, being gay is a crime in Russia. Decades of religious rule, propaganda, and government-sanctioned hate have made being gay treacherous. Russians use dating apps to lure LGBTQ people into a trap where they beat, rape, or kill their targets. It is not safe to be gay. That’s how Putin wants it.
You might wonder why anyone would want a Pride watch face. Why would anyone in Russia or the U.S. want to out themselves? Why make yourself a target? Because it is a selfless act. I can walk through the park holding a woman’s hand in the U.S. without fear of being arrested, beaten, or worse. That would have been a different story 50 years ago. We have rights because people made themselves vulnerable, outed themselves in public, and fought for their rights. By blocking a watch face, Apple took a small step towards silencing the cries of LGBTQ people.
Pride Watch Face
I loaded up with rainbow gear for pride this year.
Though it’s not official anymore, June is still Pride Month. Apple celebrated this year by releasing a new Pride watch band and watch face. I had both on my wrist as I waved to crowds from a float in late June. It was an awe-inspiring experience. I saw so many people, gay, straight, trans, bi, lesbians, pansexuals, and fantastic allies, cheering for a more accepting world. I got to see my senator marching with his daughter for equality. Many carried protest signs, others were just there to be proud of everything we’ve overcome.
Some hate how corporate Pride has become. To some extent, I agree. We should allow far more people to march without corporate sponsorship. However, I think it’s wonderful that corporations are willing to show their acceptance. They might be sacrificing the sales from evangelicals, but at this point, companies don’t care. I love that we’ve made a society where showing pride and supporting LGBTQ is far more acceptable than displaying bigotry. These companies have helped us spread love, display normalcy, and show the next generation that it’s okay to be who they are. Yes, Pride has become too corporate, but our goals align with the outcome of their actions. It’s wonderful when corporations stand up for what they believe in, supporting employees and human rights.
Apple Blocks Pride
Apple’s pride Watch face simply disappears in Russia https://t.co/Pn1c8o9c8y pic.twitter.com/1wRDbFVqIt
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) August 31, 2018
Above you can see what happens to your Pride watch face in Russia. If your device is set up with a Russian location, it disappears. Apple’s doing exactly what Russia wants them to do, help them erase LGBTQ people. As being LGBTQ becomes more acceptable, more pansexual and bisexual people come out of the woodwork. More trans people decide to live their authentic selves, rather than end their own lives or live with depression. Representation empowers people. That’s why Russian law forbids it. If people can pretend we don’t exist, they can ostracize us.
Apple doesn’t have to do this. Russia might fine Apple or ban them from the country if they don’t comply, but they run a risk of creating civil unrest in the country. While Russian campaigns wage cyber war on the U.S. and Europe, trying to create civil unrest and a right-wing, populist wave, they’re fighting to keep control over their own citizens. Russia is an oppressed land, with an autocrat leader. Anything that could spark unrest could spell the end of Putin’s regime. If Apple put up a fight, it’s possible that they’d be able to reach some compromise with Russia.
Workarounds
But perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to blame Apple. If Apple is banned in Russia, and it didn’t lead to an uprising or political unrest, then Apple would lose all capability to help the people of Russia. Instead, Russia still allows Apple in the country. You can still import rainbow watch bands for your Apple Watch and take an image of a rainbow and set it as a photo background on your watch. You can use an app or VPN to set your location to the United States to enable the official Pride watch face. Apple blocked the Pride watch face, but it’s still in the OS, and you can still show your pride on your wrist.
Apple is caving to legal pressure in Russia. However, they’re forfeiting a battle, rather than losing the war. We can still fight Putin’s influence here and abroad, and make the world a better place for all people. A watch face won’t change that, however, it’s disappointing to see Apple give up without a fight.
Source: Tom Warren, The Verge