Today, gay-rights advocates in London protested the ban on a Pride House event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Amassing at the Kensington Garden exhibit on Sochi, protestors picketed the Russian Ministry of Justice’s decision to block what would be an LGBT haven at the Games.
Pride Houses have been a part of the Olympics since the 2010 Winter Games in Vancover, offering services and hospitality to LGBT athletes, their families and spectators—as well as special events, exhibits and talks. “This is part of an official crackdown on LGBT communities and visibility in Russia. It is an attack on freedom of expression and association. said noted activist Peter Tatchell. “This ban is contrary to the equality and non-discrimination provisions of the Olympic Charter.”
The ban was upheld in Russian courts recently, with judgeSvetlana Mordovina saying a Pride House was “propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientation” that could incite “social-religious hatred.”
No, apparently that’s what the Russian court system is for.
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LancerLaw
They should lose the games. 2 years is plenty of time for another city to pull it together.
Andrew
I agree with LancerLaw – take it away from them!
Scribe37
“I am so sick of white culture abusing gay rights! These people offer nothing and should be wiped from the world!” The stupid sort of comments that would be made if this was an African or Middle Eastern country.
PTBoat
It’s hard enough to get a city ready for the Olympics in six years, let alone 2, so I wonder how the Olympic committee is going to handle this. They should lose the Olympics, but it’s a near logistic impossibility now. They’ve been held in hostile countries, in the past, so I guess this is nothing new. My mind immediately goes to Berlin.
comus
Now Dan: your queen Madonna just said she has respect for the Russian government. Your jab at the court system was a tad disrespectful, dontcha think?
Biting Truth
Good for Russia.
MJ (different from the other one)
@Biting Truth: move to Russia where you can abuse all the people you want and get away with it then
Tom
@Biting Truth: why the fuck are you on this website if you are against gay people…….. maybe you have some deep unresolved issues yourself if you know what i mean …..* Cough GAYYYY Cough*
Mk uktra
In Soviet Russia, it’s Boris and Natasha.
Not Boris and Boris.
Maybe Soviet Russia should remember their past that they seem so happy to return to.
The embarrassing collapse and failure.
They seem hellbent on entertaining the rest of the world with part 2 of that show
Marcel
Too late for Sochi (and Rio), but the IOC should make a provision that guarantees Pride House to happen in the future.
Schlukitz
Biting Truth probably came to this site looking for pictures of hot swimmers in skimpy Speedos.
Not that there is anything wrong with that, mind you. LOL At least we are honest with ourselves about it.
Mighty
The Olympic committee should re convene and change their decision on where to hold the olympics. There are plenty of countries capable of holding it without the bigotry.