Olympics Committee Recognizes Frisbee

This doesn't necessarily mean that frisbee will become an Olympic sport. The list of other officially recognized sporting organizations includes those for chess, bridge, bowling, billiards, and orienteering. (Yeah, I had to look that one up.)

Did The IOC Just Ban Anti-Gay Nations From Hosting Future Olympic Games?

Via the Associated Press:

Thomas Bach never thought it would be this easy. In rapid fashion and without a single vote against or even an abstention, the International Olympic Committee on Monday overwhelmingly approved its president's 40-point reform package — the biggest shake-up of the organization in decades. Among other measures approved was the rewording of the IOC's non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation — a move that followed the controversy over Russia's law against gay "propaganda" ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The new Principle 6 clause says the Olympics should be free of discrimination "of any kind, such as race, color, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status." Former Olympic diving gold medalist Greg Louganis said the new wording removes all doubt about the interpretation of the clause. "Today's move will make it clear about open hearts and open minds in the spirit of the Olympic Games," he said.

More from Gay Star News:

Principle 6 originally read: "Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement." With sexual orientation included, it implies that countries with laws that actively discriminate against gay people will not be able to apply to host. It must be noted the IOC remains unclear whether this decision will affect any future bids. It comes after several people were arrested during the Sochi Olympics earlier this year, held in the shadow of Russia's "gay propaganda" laws. "Today is a great step forward for the Olympics, and particularly for the athletes, spectators, and residents of host countries who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual," said Human Rights First’s Shawn Gaylord. "Our hope is that potential host countries, like Kazakhstan and China, will understand that protecting the rights of sexual minorities is no longer something they can dodge. We call on the IOC to continue its efforts to support equality by including gender identity in Principle 6 as well."

I'll update this post if further analysis becomes available.

IOC: All Future Olympics Host Cities Must Agree To LGBT Discrimination Protections

The International Olympic Committee today announced that future Olympics host cities must sign a contract with an added clause vowing to protect LGBT participants and attendees from discrimination. Via press release from All Out:

“This is a significant step in ensuring the protection of both citizens and athletes around the world and sends a clear message to future host cities that human rights violations, including those against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, will not be tolerated,” said Andre Banks, co-founder and executive director of All Out, the global movement for love and equality. “This is a particularly important moment for the world’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens who face discrimination and persecution not only in Russia but in countries all over the world. We will continue working to make sure this change is powerfully enforced - these new rules must prevent a replay of Sochi.”

According to IOC Sports Director, Christopher Dubi, the new clause will include “the prohibition of any form of discrimination, using the wording of Fundamental Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter." This clause will ensure that future host cities must abide by international human rights standards in order to host the games, including the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens and athletes. “By adopting a non-discrimination clause into its host city contracts, the IOC is showcasing its own realization that we must protect the rights of every athlete to live free and openly,” said Hudson Taylor, Executive Director of Athlete Ally. “The Principle 6 campaign sought to shed light on the responsibility of host countries to uphold the olympic values, and this action validates all of the hard work by organizations and individuals across the world who’ve engaged in the fight for LGBT equality.”

RELATED: The 2016 Summer Games will be held in Rio De Janeiro, where robust LGBT protections already exist. The 2018 Winter Games will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where homosexuality is legal, but anti-discrimination laws do not exist.

TRAILER: Olympic Hunger Games

New from Queer Nation.

IOC Backs Arrests Of LGBT Activists

Yesterday dozens of LGBT activists were arrested across Russia for staging pro-gay demonstrations. While in custody, one of the activists arrested in Moscow's Red Square tweeted that Russian police had beaten them and threatened them with sexual assault. Which the IOC apparently has no problem with.

The International Olympic Committee has said Russia was acting in accordance with its laws when police detained 14 protesters in Moscow and St Petersburg on the day of the Olympic opening ceremonies. Some of those held in Moscow report being beaten while in police custody. “We understand that the protesters were quickly released,” Emmanuelle Moreau, the IOC’s head of media relations, said in an email to BuzzFeed. “As in many countries in the world, in Russia, you need permission before staging a protest. We understand this was the reason that they were temporarily detained.” The speed of the police response in both cases made organizers believe police may have been tapping their phones to monitor their movements. Russian police arrested at least 61 protestors nationwide on Friday — some protesting for causes other than LGBT rights — according to a count by the New York Times.

NBC Edits Out IOC Anti-Discrimination Statement From Opening Ceremony

Deadspin has what may be the biggest scoop of last night's opening ceremonies of the Sochi Olympics, noting that NBC edited out IOC president Thomas Bach making a "strong statement against 'any form of discrimination' and in favor of tolerance." Everybody else in the world heard Bach's statement, but Americans did not.  Below is the edited-out portion of the speech.

Now you are living in an Olympic Region. I am sure you will enjoy the benefits for many, many years to come. Thousands of volunteers have welcomed us with the well-known warm Russian hospitality. Many thanks to all the wonderful volunteers. Bolshoi spasiba, valantyoram! Thank you very much to everyone. Russia and the Russians have set the stage for you, the best winter athletes on our planet. From this moment on you are not only the best athletes, you are Olympic Athletes.

You will inspire us with your outstanding sports performances. You have come here for sports. You have come here with your Olympic dream. The International Olympic Committee wants your Olympic Dream to come true. This is why we are investing almost all of our revenues in the development of sports. The universal Olympic rules apply to each and every athlete- no matter where you come from or what your background is.

You are living together in the Olympic Village. You will celebrate victory with dignity and accept defeat with dignity. You are bringing the Olympic Values to life. In this way, the Olympic Games, wherever they take place, set an example for a peaceful society. Olympic Sport unites people. This is the Olympic Message the athletes spread to the host country and to the whole world. Yes, it is possible to strive even for the greatest victory with respect for the dignity of your competitors. Yes, Yes, it is possible - even as competitors - to live together under one roof in harmony, with tolerance and without any form of discrimination for whatever reason. Yes, it is possible - even as competitors - to listen, to understand and to give an example for a peaceful society.

Visit Deadspin to watch the two clips and see NBC's "very awkward edit."

RELATED: Bach, a German, was elected to an eight-year term as IOC president in September 2013.

Italian IOC Member Slams U.S. For Sending "Four Lesbians" To Sochi

Italy's senior IOC member today denounced the United States for including gays in its delegation to Sochi. Via Sports Illustrated:

"It's absurd that a country like that sends four lesbians to Russia just to demonstrate that in their country gay rights have (been established),'' Mario Pescante said at an Italian Olympic Committee meeting in Milan on Wednesday, in comments widely reported by Italian media. ''The games should not be an occasion and a stage to promote rights that sports supports daily." The Italian Olympic Committee would not confirm or deny Pescante's comments, but his speech was reported by the Gazzetta dello Sport and the ANSA news agency. Asked for clarification later by The Associated Press, Pescante said he is not against gays. "Of course not," the 75-year-old Pescante told The AP by telephone. "I just wanted to make the point not to let politics interfere with the Olympics."

Actually, the US is sending two lesbians and Brian Boitano. The USOC has refused to comment on Pescante's statements.

HRC Slams Sochi Protest Zones

"Given the Russian government’s history of strong-arm authoritarian tactics, the existence of a protest zone is ironically rich. Olympic athletes should be free to speak their minds about the heinous nature of these laws. You don’t stop being human when you become an Olympian. It tells you a lot about President Bach and the IOC’s commitment to human rights that they believe this issue should be easily compartmentalized into a protest zone. The fact that these laws exist is an outrage. The fact that the IOC believes they should be the subject of a protest zone is an even bigger outrage." - Human Rights Campaign vice president Fred Sainz, speaking to Chris Geidner at Buzzfeed.

Russia To Create Protest Zones At Sochi

The International Olympic Committee today revealed that the Russia government will set up protest zones near the venues for the Sochi Olympics.

The announcement came during a news teleconference held by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach. "This was under discussion with the IOC for quite some time," Bach said. "This is a measure we welcome so that everybody can express his or her opinion." Bach did not offer any details about the size or location of the zones. He said Russian officials have assured him protesters will not face negative consequences. "I think this is the purpose of these protest zones," Bach said. "This is what we’ve been discussing with Russian authorities."

A spokesman for All Out responded to today's news by renewing a demand that Bach denounce Russia's anti-gay laws.

IOC Reminds Athletes: Don't Protest

The International Olympic Committee is crafting a letter that contains its final warning against athletes participating in any protests at the Sochi Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee executive board is expected to approve the instructions at its meeting in Lausanne on Tuesday. The letter will then be sent to the national Olympic committees that are sending athletes to the Sochi Games, which run from Feb. 7-23. The memo will focus on Rule 50 in the Olympic Charter, which states: "No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas." "We will give the background of the Rule 50, explaining the interpretation of the Rule 50 to make the athletes aware and to assure them that the athletes will be protected," IOC President Thomas Bach said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I know from my own experience, this is key," added Bach, a former Olympic fencer who won a team gold medal for West Germany in 1976. "As an athlete you do not want to be confronted in the Olympic Village or the Olympic Stadium with any kind of political controversies."

Athletes who so much as wear a rainbow pin could face expulsion from the Games or the loss of their medals. The IOC says that rule will be "interpreted and applied sensibly and proportionately."

HomoQuotable - Ian McKellen

"As a gay participant in the opening ceremony of the London Paralympics in 2012, I am angered by the International Olympics Committee's announcement that harsh Russian anti-gay laws do not transgress its own Sixth Fundamental Principle of Olympism that 'any form of discrimination is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic movement.'  In Russia, it is now effectively illegal to speak about homosexuality in public. That means that openly gay visitors to Russia, including Olympians, are only welcome if they bring their closets with them. I agree with the Human Rights Campaign that, 'The IOC has completely neglected its responsibility to athletes, corporate sponsors, and fans.'" - Ian McKellen, writing on his Facebook page.

Athlete Ally Slams IOC

"When given the choice to stand up and affirm Principle 6 of the Olympic charter, the IOC simply backed down. And so we now head into uncharted territory in Sochi, a place where LGBT people - and others trying to support them - will be subject to persecution because of these heinous laws passed after Sochi was named the host city. Ultimately, enduring this travesty may be the great legacy of the 2014 Games because the complete disconnect between the gay propaganda laws and the Olympic charter is galvanizing people to join together. And together, we can change a sports culture, which is apparently not only rife with homophobia, but in need of a serious priority check. Standing up for equality is always the right thing to do." - Hudson Taylor, founder of Athlete Ally, via press release.

HRC Slams IOC Over Russia Inaction

"If this law doesn’t violate the IOC’s charter, then the charter is completely meaningless. The safety of millions of LGBT Russians and international travelers is at risk, and by all accounts the IOC has completed neglected its responsibility to Olympic athletes, sponsors and fans from around the world. The IOC and its new president, Thomas Bach, are putting the good reputation of the Olympic Games and its corporate sponsors in jeopardy." - Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin, via email.

IOC: We Are Fully Satisfied Russia's Anti-Gay Laws Don't Violate Our Charter

The International Olympic Committee today announced that it has no grounds to challenge Russia's anti-gay laws in advance of the Sochi Olympics.

IOC officials told a news conference in Sochi, where they were making their final inspection tour before the Games begin Feb. 7, that they were “fully satisfied" that a Russian law banning gay propaganda does not violate the Olympic charter’s anti-discrimination guarantee, the Associated Press reported. The committee considered its decision for several days, IOC Chairman Jean-Claude Killy said, but finally agreed it lacked authority to criticize a host country’s laws if they did not specifically violate Olympic rules. Russian officials have issued contradictory statements about how the law might be enforced. Some have promised that gay athletes and spectators will not encounter any problems, but others have warned that all visitors must respect the nation’s laws.

The Washington Post notes that today's announcement "will likely to set off a furious reaction among human rights activists." You think?

Headline Of The Day

From The Australian:

In the midst of answering a question from The Australian about the imminent challenges of the Rio 2016 preparations immediately after his election, Bach was interrupted to take an important phone call. It was the Russian president Vladimir Putin. "Yes it was Mr Putin, " confirmed Bach, stressing "we did not discuss the law". That law, the recently passed Russian anti-Gay propaganda legislation is one of the pressing issues Bach faces before next February's Sochi Winter Olympics. Bach confirmed that the "highest sources in Russia" had assured the IOC the Olympic Charter preventing discrimination would be upheld but Bach confirmed the IOC would clarify the interpretation of the charter's rule 50.

The IOC's Rule 50 forbids political demonstrations during the Games.

Sochi Olympics Head Asks IOC To Stop Bad Press About Russia's Anti-Gay Laws

The head of the Sochi Olympics yesterday asked the IOC for help in squashing the international headlines about Russia's anti-gay laws.

Sochi organizing chief Dmitry Chernyshenko was asked at the IOC general assembly about the possible impact of the legislation that bans gay "propaganda." He said the Russian government had made clear the law would not affect the games, and he urged the IOC to convey the message to "those who are still trying to speculate on this very transparent and very clear topic." "It's very important to have your support to stop this campaign and this speculation regarding this issue," Chernyshenko said. Chernyshenko reiterated that the law doesn't ban homosexuality in any way and "doesn't contradict any element of the Olympic Charter." He noted that President Vladimir Putin has assured that the Russian constitution "guarantees the equality of rights and freedom for everybody" in the country, including guests, visitors, athletes, fans and the Olympic family.

(Tipped by JMG reader Deanna)

Wrestling Reinstated For 2020 Olympics

The International Olympic Committee has reversed itself and reinstated wrestling for the 2020 Summer Games, which will be held in Tokyo.

Wrestling, which was surprisingly dropped from the list of core sports in February, received 49 votes to win in the first round of secret balloting by the International Olympic Committee. Baseball-softball got 24 votes and squash 22. The decision capped a frantic six-month campaign by the wrestling body FILA to revamp the organization and reshape the sport to save its Olympic status. “With this vote, you have shown that the steps we have taken to improve our sport have made a difference,” FILA President Nenad Lalovic said. “I assure each of you that our modernization will not stop now. We will continue to strive to be the best partner to the Olympic movement that we can be.”

(Tipped by JMG reader Dwight)

IOC Responds To New York's LGBT Pols

The International Olympic Committee has responded to a letter sent them by New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other local LGBT elected officials. Their letter asked the IOC to publicly condemn Russia's abuses of LGBT people. Here's the IOC's response in full:

Dear representatives of the state and City of New York,  We would like to confirm receipt of your letter of 9 August to IOC President Rogge. Thank you for having shared with us your concerns and proposals on the important topic of LGBT rights in Russia in the context of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

The IOC agrees that the Olympic Games should be free of any kind of discrimination and I can reassure you that we work hard to make this a reality at each of the games. However, it is important to stress that the IOC remit is limited to the scope of the Games. For instance, the IOC cannot influence national legislation and has to respect the law of any host country.

In regard to Sochi 2014, the IOC is currently in close discussions with the highest government level in Russia and has received a number of assurances, but we are continuing the dialogue with Russian authorities on this important topic. As you will understand, it would be inappropriate and counterproductive to comment publicly on the details of the discussions while they are on-going.

However, we have widely communicated our position which was also published on our website at the end of July. Rest assured that the safety of athletes, spectators and others attending the Games remains a top priority for the IOC and we will continue to work to ensure that this will be the case in Sochi and future editions of the Games. I hope you find this background information helpful. Thank you for your important work and for your commitment to ensuring an environment free of discrimination.

The letter is signed by Christophe De Kepper, Director General of the IOC.

Editorial Of The Day

From from the editorial board of Bloomberg News:

IOC pressure on South Korea’s military dictatorship helped bring about democratic elections before the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul. Ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the IOC pressed China to drop its law requiring foreign journalists to get government permission before interviewing Chinese citizens. Now, the IOC should be telling Russia to revoke its anti-gay law in order to conform with the Olympic Charter and remain the host of the Winter Games. As the committee has so far shown no such inclination, sponsors of the Olympics and television networks that plan to cover the event ought to push. Otherwise, come February, they may find themselves in an embarrassing mess.

Image via Memeographs.

Putin Bans Protests During Olympics

Pink News has the story:

A decree banning demonstrations and rallies has been signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and will take place over the duration of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. The decree, signed today will block all demonstrations and rallies from taking place, will take effect for two and a half months covering the games, reports the Associated Press. Published in the government newspaper, the decree states that all “gatherings, rallies, demonstrations, marches and pickets” which are not part of the Winter Olympics or Paralympics will be barred in the city between 7 Jan and 21 March 2014.

John Aravosis weighs in at AmericaBlog:

This fits a larger pattern of Russian threats against Olympics in the past few weeks, when both the Russian Sports Minister, Vitaly Mutko, and the Russian Interior Ministry, responsible for overseeing domestic order (i.e., clamping down on dissidents and any public criticism of the Kremlin), threatened to jail gay and gay-friendly Olympians, guests and media during the Sochi games. This isn’t the first time that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) got egg on its face by claiming, falsely, that the Russians would not restrict human rights during the Sochi Games. But it is perhaps the most embarrassing for the IOC, as only 24 hours ago, Olympic President Count Rogge, claimed the situation was settled.