Last week a top Russian lawmaker promised, however, that the Russian law against ‘gay propaganda’ is not going to apply to the participants and guests of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.
“The Olympics is a major international event. Our task is to be as politically correct and tolerant as we can be. That’s why we made the decision not to raise this issue during the Games,” Igor Ananskikh, the head of the Russian Duma Committee on physical training, sports and youth, said.
Asked whether he thinks the law would in any way affect the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Obama replied he believes Putin and Russia have “a big stake in making sure the Olympics work.”
“I think they understand that for most of the countries that participate in the Olympics, we wouldn’t tolerate gays and lesbians being treated differently. They’re athletes, they’re there to compete. And if Russia wants to uphold the Olympic spirit, then every judgment should be made on the track, or in the swimming pool, or on the balance beam, and people’s sexual orientation shouldn’t have anything to do with it,” he noted.
Article Appeared @http://rt.com/news/obama-snowden-asylum-laws-155/