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.
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.
-
September 13 editorial cartoonsCartoons Saturday's political cartoons include court-approved racial profiling and America's moral compass
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashionIn the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Kirsty Coventry: the former Olympian and first woman to lead the IOCIn the Spotlight Coventry, a former competitive swimmer, won two Olympic gold medals
-
The 'secretive and strange' battle for the most powerful role in sportUnder The Radar Sebastian Coe among the contenders as the International Olympic Committee gathers to choose its next president
-
And the gold goes to the wackiest events of Olympics pastThe Explainer Prior games have included contests like pigeon shooting and hot air ballooning
-
Paris Olympics: will it be a success?Today's Big Question Organisers hope the 'spectacle' of the 2024 Games will lift the cloud of negativity that has hung over the build-up
-
Salt Lake City named host of 2034 Winter OlympicsSpeed Read The Winter Games are returning to the US for the first time in 32 years
-
Olympics 2024: is Paris ready to party?Talking Points Build-up to this summer's Games 'marred' by rows over national identity, security and pollution
-
Iker Casillas and homophobia in footballTalking Point Spanish player has been accused of ‘flippancy’ after joking about being gay
-
Winter Olympics: ‘disaster averted’ for Team GB as curling stars win medalsfeature Team GB finished a disappointing games with just two medals
