Sport

The Italians at the Olympics in Sochi will condemn the law against gays

Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta has confirmed his decision to go to the XXII Olympic Games, which will be held in Sochi from February 7 to 23. At a press conference in Doha, the politician said that he intends to attend the Olympics not only in order to support the Italian national team, but also to raise the issue of a law recently adopted in Russia directed against people of non-traditional orientation.

“I made this decision after I discussed it with the President of the Republic, the Minister of Sports and the chairmen of CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee). We believe that my presence will be very justified.

  

I will present the candidacy of Rome as the host city of the 2024 Olympics, whose victory we sincerely believe.

I need to be in Sochi to put forward our proposal. ”Speaking about his other motive for the trip, in particular about raising the issue of anti-gay law in Russia, Letta explained:“ I insist that our country does not welcome such laws as its territory and beyond. We are against laws that discriminate against athletes and non-gay people. This idea is part of our culture. ”

However, the head of the Gay Center, Fabrizio Marrazzo, told reporters: “Who said Letta was going to discuss this issue in Sochi? And who said that Italy is the only country in Europe where there are no laws against homophobia and same-sex marriage? We'll see. Letta was supposed to ignore the Olympics, as Merkel, Hollande, Cameron and Obama did. He is making a mistake. While he will be present at the opening of the Olympic Games, we will protest near the Russian Embassy in Rome. ”

The Italian Mario Pescante, who is a member of the International Olympic Committee, said earlier that he was shocked by America’s decision to send four athletes to the Olympics who do not hide their unconventional orientation. Pescante explained that by doing this, the United States is simply trying to clearly demonstrate to Russia that the rights of gays and lesbians are in no way infringed on the territory of their country.

Pescante’s statement made a lot of noise in the press and was even accused of homophobia, but the IOC member denied everything, asserting that he “only wanted to avoid any political background at the Olympics.”

In mid-summer 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a ban on gay propaganda among people under the age of 18. The adopted document provides for fines from four thousand to one million Russian rubles.

Soon after the signing of the law, Putin received a flood of criticism from the heads of other states. For example, the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, condemned the measure, saying to the media that he has no tolerance for countries that pass laws that violate the rights or dignity of homosexuals. Later, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande joined Obama. All three declined Vladimir Putin’s invitation to attend the Olympics.

Watch the video: LGBT rights activists hold protests across Europe (November 2024).

Popular Posts

Category Sport, Next Article

7 best Rome destinations for travelers
Cities of Italy

7 best Rome destinations for travelers

Which area is better to stay in Rome? There is no single answer to this question. Someone prefers the proximity of attractions, while others are willing to spend time and money daily on the road, if only to escape away from the tourist crowds and enjoy the authentic atmosphere of the city. Therefore, BlogoItaliano prepared a special review of the areas of Rome and decided to share his observations about their pros and cons.
Read More
How to get from Turin to Milan and / or from Milan to Turin
Cities of Italy

How to get from Turin to Milan and / or from Milan to Turin

Although most Russian-speaking tourists arrive in Italy, bypassing Turin, in recent years, the Turin airport has increasingly accepted flights from the CIS. And since the capital of Piedmont is far from always being the course point for “ours,” BlogoItaliano decided to devote separate material to how to get from Turin to Milan and from Milan to Turin.
Read More
Milan: How to get from Malpensa Airport to the city center
Cities of Italy

Milan: How to get from Malpensa Airport to the city center

Although there are three major airports in the vicinity of Milan, if you fly from abroad, then with a high degree of probability you will land in Malpensa. Malpensa Airport is the second largest in Italy and in terms of passenger traffic served one-on-one goes with the country's largest airport named after Leonardo da Vinci in Rome.
Read More
The best hotels of Milan 5 stars
Cities of Italy

The best hotels of Milan 5 stars

Milan knows no shortage of excellent hotels, but even among them there are exclusive options. Some of them can hardly even be called housing. Rather, this is another luxurious addition to the treasury of impressions from visiting the Italian capital of business and fashion. In this article, we tried to collect 5 of the most remarkable hotels in the city of the "Major League" for those who travel to Milan with a special occasion.
Read More