Miss Universe Pageant Responds To Petition For Relocation Of Moscow Event

The Miss Universe pageant has responded to a Change.org petition which demands that this year's event be moved from Moscow. Via press release:

The Miss Universe Organization believes in equality for all individuals and is deeply concerned by the laws recently enacted in Russia and currently in place in several other countries. Both the law, as well as the violence experienced by the LGBT community in Russia, are diametrically opposed to the core values of our company. Our organization has always embodied a spirit of inclusion and is a celebration of people from all countries and walks of life. The safety of our contestants, staff and crew is of the utmost importance and we are working with our Russian hosts to ensure the security and well-being of those traveling to Russia for the pageant.

So...nothing.

RELATED: Last week previous Miss Universe host Andy Cohen announced that he had turned down this year's gig because Russia's "discriminatory policies make it unsafe for the gays who live there and gays coming to work or visit."