The International Olympic Committee today claims it has gotten stronger assurances from the Russian government that LGBT people will not be discriminated against in any way during the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
The International Olympic Committee has today received strong written reassurances from the Russian government that everyone will be welcome at the Games in Sochi regardless of their sexual orientation.
In his letter deputy Prime Minister Kozak underlines that ‘Russia has committed itself to comply strictly with the provisions of the Olympic Charter and its fundamental principles, according to item 6 of which "any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement."
The problem with this, as I told Mike Lavers at the Washington Blade, is the old "sinner v. sin" argument. they may say they won't discriminate based on sexual orientation (which isn't listed in the Olympic charter), but once someone performs an action — say, kissing their partner or holding a rainbow flag in the street — all bets are off.
