Later that afternoon, a 17-year-old sat in a cafe a few blocks from City Hall, discussing his life as a gay resident of Sochi. “They are implementing policies that equate large families with same-sex partnerships, belief in God with the belief in Satan.” “They are denying moral principles and all traditional identities: national, cultural, religious and even sexual,” he said. He accused the West of rejecting the values underlying Western civilization. In a recent speech to international scholars, Putin had little patience for what he called political correctness. On Sunday, the Olympic torch was lighted in ancient Olympia, beginning its seven-day journey across Greece and on to Russia, which Putin calls a very special country, different from the West. Looking past the piles of gravel and seas of mud, ignoring the deluge, the IOC declared the competition venues ready and offered Russia hearty congratulations. They had been lobbying the IOC to confront Russia over its policies, which they say encourage not only discrimination but also violence toward gay men and lesbians.
“The spirit of the Games is awakening here,” said Jean-Claude Killy, chairman of the coordinating commission. Russia, they said, was not violating Olympic anti-discrimination principles. 7, its members added fuel to this particular flame.
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And Thursday, as the International Olympic Committee coordinating commission made its last inspection tour of Sochi before the opening ceremony Feb. The law has made gay athletes and spectators fearful of discrimination, and even arrest, at the Olympics. It has been interpreted as banning gay pride parades - children might see them - and preventing any discussion of homosexuality among teenagers. President Vladimir Putin signed a law at the end of June prohibiting the promotion of nontraditional sexual relationships to minors. Last week, the downpour was so heavy and roads were so flooded that the Emergency Situations Ministry deployed 1,800 workers to pump out water and shovel debris off streets.
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Then came the wrath of the gods: The city has had nearly 20 inches of rain in September - 2.3 inches is the average for the month - setting off landslides requiring mayoral attention. When Sochi won the 2014 Games, life went epic.įirst Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov and the mere mortals of Sochi were sent on a marathon of construction that clogged traffic and made heads throb. This is an Olympic city, and here’s the jeans-clad mayor striding into his office on a recent afternoon, fresh from a landslide, and not the electoral kind. SOCHI, Russia - Let other mayors fret about potholes, taxes and sewers.