From The Advocate:
The International Olympic Committee asked Russian officials to provide written guarantees that LGBT Olympic athletes and spectators will be safe in Sochi next year.
BY Sunnivie Brydum
August 09 2013
Responding to calls from activists to secure written guarantees that LGBT athletes and visitors to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, will be safe, the International Olympic Committee said Friday that it is seeking further “clarification” from Russian officials, reports BuzzFeed.
The IOC previously said it had received “assurances” that LGBT athletes and spectators would not be punished under Russia’s harsh law imposing fines and jail time for anyone who disseminates so-called “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations.” But earlier this week, LGBT sports organization All Out delivered more than 300,000 signatures to the IOC’s Swiss headquarters on a petition demanding the IOC take a firm stance against Russia’s discriminatory laws.
Today, the head of the IOC confirmed that Russian officials have provided repeated “assurances” that the propaganda law will not impact the Olympics, but also noted that the IOC is not yet convinced, according to BuzzFeed.
Complete article at: http://www.advocate.com/politics/2013/08/09/olympic-committee-asks-russia-clarification-anti-lgbt-laws
