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“We will address it if it becomes an issue,” he said. Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBC Sports Group, was asked about the matter during a weekend meeting with television critics. NBC also is coming under pressure, including an open letter from the Human Rights Campaign saying it would be wrong to televise Sochi’s opening ceremonies without reporting on the anti-gay legislation. “So does the International Olympic Committee, which too often fails to defend the Olympic ideals and should be leading a full-throated international campaign to insist that Russia repeal these laws,” the editorial said. government “needs to be more forceful” in denouncing the new laws. The New York Times, in an editorial Sunday, said the U.S. “Rescinding this heinous law must be our collective goal.” “They should be advocating for the safety of all LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) people in Russia, not simply those visiting for the Olympics,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. gay-rights group, said the IOC should take a stronger stand. However, the Human Rights Campaign, a leading U.S. Responding to the furor, the IOC said it has received assurances “from the highest level of government in Russia that the legislation will not affect those attending or taking part in the Games.” It pledged to ensure there would be no discrimination against athletes, officials, spectators and the media in Sochi. The new laws were approved by parliament with overwhelming support, reflecting animosity toward gay activism that is widely shared across the political spectrum in Russia. There also is concern about a long-running problem of violence against gays in Russia, as well as a new law restricting adoptions of Russian children by people in countries allowing same-sex marriage. Foreign citizens arrested under the law can be jailed for 15 days and then deported. The chief flashpoint is a law signed by President Vladimir Putin last month that bans the “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” and imposes hefty fines for providing information about the gay community to minors or holding gay pride rallies.
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So far, there have been only scattered calls for a full-fledged boycott of the Sochi Games, but there is active discussion of how to convey gay-rights messages once the competition begins – including gestures by individual athletes and perhaps a gay-pride parade. broadcasting rights for Sochi, to be more aggressive in criticizing new Russian laws. Activists also are pressing the International Olympic Committee and NBC, which holds U.S. For now, those are the prime targets as gays in the United States and elsewhere propose boycotts and other tactics to convey their outrage over Russia’s intensifying campaign against gay-rights activism.Īt many gay bars across North America, owners have joined a campaign to stop selling Russian vodka – notably the popular brand Stolichnaya. NEW YORK – Russian vodka and the Winter Olympics in Sochi.