The International Olympic Committee needs to move the 2014 Winter Olympics from Sochi, Russia to ensure the safety of all the athletes, coaches, spectators and journalists.
· Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has declared war on homosexuals.
· Mr. Putin signed a law allowing police officers to arrest tourists and foreign nationals they suspect of being homosexual, lesbian or pro-gay and detain them for up to 14 days.
· In addition, a law banning the adoption of Russian-born children not only to gay couples but also to any couple or single parent living in any country where marriage equality exists in any form.
· Another anti-gay bill, classifies "homosexual propaganda" as pornography.
· Recently, Four Dutch tourists have been jailed under Russia's "gay propaganda" law after they were suspected of promoting homosexuality to children.
· Russia is a scary and unsafe place for LGBTQ people. Peaceful Gay Pride events routinely end in violence as anti-gay protesters take over and the police beat and arrest gay activists.
The International Olympic Committee cannot ensure the safety of LGBTQ athletes, coaches, spectators and journalists. Foreign LGBTQ people coming to the Winter Olympics risk being detained, arrested and/or prosecuted by the Russian authorities.
Russia’s human rights violations against LGBTQ people are completely contrary to the spirit, values and solidarity of the Olympic Games. For these reasons, the IOC has no other choice than to move to the Winter Games from Russia. There are several previous winter game locations that might be viable alternatives.
