Reuters: Sports News: Russian minister tells athletes to relax about anti-gay law

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Russian minister tells athletes to relax about anti-gay law Aug 8th 2013, 16:51 Tweet Share this Email Print Related News IAAF approves return to four-year doping bans 10:38am EDT U.S. runner Symmonds attacks Russia's anti-gay law Wed, Aug 7 2013 Athletics-U.S. runner Symmonds attacks Russia's anti-gay law Wed, Aug 7 2013 Athletics-Turkey bans 31 athletes for doping Mon, Aug 5 2013 Olympians to march in gay parade as Sochi outrage grows Fri, Aug 2 2013 Analysis & Opinion Guestview: Gay marriage and U.S. evangelicals: conciliatory tone, traditional doctrine It's time for Obama to defy Putin Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko attends a news conference in Moscow September 30, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Maxim Shemetov By Mitch Phillips MOSCOW | Thu Aug 8, 2013 12:00pm EDT MOSCOW (Reuters) - 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 August 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. "All the athletes and organizations should be relaxed, their rights will be protected...but of course you have to respect the laws of the country you are in." 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." (Editing by Mark Meadows) Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above.

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