Policy

Mayor of Sochi: There Are No Gay People Here

When questioned further he said, "I am not sure, but I don't bloody know them"

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The mayor of Sochi, host of the Winter Olympics, has said there are no gay people in the city.

Anatoly Pakhomov said homosexuals were welcome at the Games—as long as they "respect Russian law" and "don't impose their habits on others".

Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov said there were several gay bars in Sochi.

In June 2013, Russia passed a law banning the promotion of "non-traditional" sexuality to under-18s—widely seen as an attack on gay rights.