Life For Gay Athlete in Sochi? Not Good
Russian leaders have said gay athletes and visitors will not face discrimination during the Sochi Olympics, but human rights advocates aren’t convinced.
Gay rights groups will continue to push for a repeal of the country’s anti-gay laws, with the spotlight firmly centered on the Olympics.
A two-minute video imagining life for a gay Olympian in Sochi, Love Always Wins, was viewed by more than 250,000 people since Tuesday’s launch, according to All Out, the global gay rights group which produced the film.
“Putin would like us to think gays and lesbians are welcome during the Olympics, but no one will feel safe and welcome while this law is in place,” Andre Banks, All Out’s executive director, said in a statement.
“It’s not too late,” Andre Banks. “China made serious concessions ahead of Beijing to ensure the 2008 Olympic Games were consistent with international standards and Russia should not be exempt from doing the same. Russia must overturn the law before the Winter Olympics.” Sochi organizing committee president Dmitry Chernyshenko said Tuesday that there will be no repercussions at the Olympics for anyone who wears rainbow pins or rainbow anything in response to Russia’s anti-gay legislation.
Chernyshenko also said an athlete will not be arrested if they speak out about the issue during a press conference.
“These are more meaningless reassurances from Russian authorities. We have seen any number of contradictory statements from various parties in Russia over the last few months on the issue of the federal anti-gay law,” wrote Marc Naimark, vice president of the Federation of Gay Games, in an email to USA TODAY Sports after Chernyshenko’s comments were published Wednesday.
“Part of the perversity of this law is its vagueness. By referring not to homosexuality but to ‘non-traditional relationships’, and not to being gay but to ‘propaganda to minors’, it opens itself to any number of interpretations, which itself has a stifling effect.”
Source: USA TODAY
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