Vitaly Mutko, the Russian sports minister who affirmed that yes, all athletes and spectators will be subject to the 1936-esque “gay propaganda” laws, and who represents a nation which turns a blind eye to neo-Nazis attacking and torturing LGBT youth, stated in a press conference that everyone needs to just calm down and focus on the Games, not the evil pogrom his country is waging on its own people:
Russia’s sports minister Vitaly Mutko on Thursday told world athletics championship contenders to “relax” about his country’s anti-gay propaganda law and said their private lives were safe during the Aug. 10-18 Moscow event.
The recently-passed legislation outlawing gay propaganda has led to worldwide protests, with even U.S. President Obama weighing into the debate.
When asked how it would affect athletes competing in the championships beginning on Saturday and next year’s winter Olympics in Sochi, Mutko was dismissive of any concerns.
“I want to ask you to calm down as in addition to this law we have a constitution that guarantees all citizens a private life,” he told a packed news conference in a Moscow hotel.
“It is not intended to deprive people of any religion, race or sexual orientation but to ban the promotion of non-traditional relations among the young generation.
See, you can be as gay as you want in your “private life,” but if you disrupt Russia’s plan to eliminate homosexuality (read: “eliminate homosexuals”) among their young population (which isn’t possible without murdering people) by being honest about you are in the earshot of a young person, you’ll be subject to the law. So just relax, you guys!
Sorry, Vitaly. We will not be calming down. Also, this isn’t going to be over after your nation hosts the Olympics.
Lamine Diack, head of the IAAF, similarly would like everyone to calm down:
IAAF president Lamine Diack was similarly unconcerned about a law that led British writer Stephen Fry to compare the Sochi Games to the Nazi-controlled Berlin summer Olympics of 1936.
“I don’t feel there is a problem whatsoever,” he said.
“There is a law that exists, it has to be respected, we are here for the world championships and have no problem whatsoever and I’m not worried at all.”
Naive, party of one.
[h/t Towleroad]
