Senate Resolution Will Call On IOC To Denounce Russia's Anti-Gay Laws

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) will introduce a resolution which calls on the International Olympic Committee to explicitly denounce Russia's ban on "homosexual propaganda." Via Chris Geidner at Buzzfeed:

The resolution will ask the IOC both to oppose the law itself and to receive a guarantee that athletes and spectators will not be discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity at the Sochi Winter Olympics, Merkley spokesman Jamal Raad said. The language is still being finalized, however, and he said the resolution will not be introduced formally until the Senate returns from its August recess. The resolution would be the Senate’s first formal statement regarding the Russian law, which was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in June. The Human Rights Campaign praised Merkley — also the lead sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would ban anti-LGBT discrimination in employment in the U.S. — for the move.