No gays in Sochi, mayor of Winter Olympics city tells BBC
Anatoly Pakhomov says gays welcome in his city, as long as they don't 'impose their habits' on locals
THERE are no gay people living in Sochi, the mayor of the Russian city hosting the Winter Games has said.
But Anatoly Pakhomov, a member of president Vladimir Putin's United Russia party, insisted homosexuals would be welcome in his city so long as they don't "impose their habits on others", the BBC's Panorama programme reports.
Pakhomov made his comments to the BBC's Panorama programme after he was asked if gay visitors to the 2014 Winter Games should disguise their sexuality while in Russia. The issue has been contentious since Russia passed anti-gay laws which criminalise public support for same-sex relationships.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The mayor replied: "No, we just say that it is your business, it's your life. But it's not accepted here in the Caucasus where we live. We do not have them in our city."
The comment is remarkable – from a statistical point of view, if nothing else – given that Sochi is home to almost 350,000 people.
When challenged on his assertion, Pakhomov admitted he couldn't be certain there wasn't a single gay person in Sochi, but said: "I don't bloody know them."
As part of its report, Panorama visited a gay bar in Sochi and interviewed a drag queen, Miss Zhu-Zha. She told the programme: "In some places there's serious prejudice against gay people. In other places it's not as bad."
Meanwhile, the British government has warned that terrorist attacks are "very likely to occur" in Russia before or during the Games. A threat assessment seen by the BBC, identifies a Caucasus group, Imarat Kavkaz (IK), as the main danger - saying it has repeatedly expressed a desire to target the event.
Whitehall believes that the city of Volgograd – the gateway to Sochi – is a more likely target due to the massive military presence in the Olympic city, the BBC reports.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
India elections start amid violence, hate speech accusations
Talking Points Narendra Modi seeks a third term while critics worry about the future of the country's democracy
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'Biden is smart to keep the border-security pressure on'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Bird flu worries mount as virus found in milk, cows
Speed Read The FDA found traces of the virus in pasteurized grocery store milk
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Olympics 2024: is Paris ready to party?
Talking Point Build-up to this summer's Games 'marred' by rows over national identity, security and pollution
By The Week UK Published
-
Iker Casillas and homophobia in football
Talking Point Spanish player has been accused of ‘flippancy’ after joking about being gay
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Winter Olympics: ‘disaster averted’ for Team GB as curling stars win medals
feature Team GB finished a disappointing games with just two medals
By Mike Starling Published
-
Kamila Valieva: tears, outrage and a distressing conclusion at the Winter Olympics
Why Everyone’s Talking About After the doping scandal, Russia’s 15-year-old skating prodigy crumbled in her final event
By Mike Starling Published
-
Winter Olympics: 3,000 snowflakes and a Uyghur skier
Why Everyone’s Talking About For both winners and losers alike, an air of unreality hangs over these games
By The Week Staff Published
-
Mason Greenwood: footballer arrested on suspicion of rape and assault
Speed Read Man Utd confirm the striker will not train or play until further notice
By The Week Staff Published
-
A guide to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics
In Depth Everything you need to know about the winter games
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
A guide to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics
In Depth Everything you need to know about the winter games
By Mike Starling Last updated