News
IOC faces renewed criticisms over Russia
LGBT rights advocates blasted Olympic official’s comments on anti-gay law

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) speaks about Russia’s LGBT rights record during a Council for Global Equality reception at the Rayburn Building in D.C. on Sept. 30, 2013. (Photo courtesy of Gabriella Boffelli)
The International Olympic Committee has faced renewed criticism from LGBT activists over its apparent reluctance to challenge Russia’s gay rights record ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
The Associated Press reported that IOC Coordination Commission Chair Jean-Claude Killy said during a Sept. 26 press conference in Sochi, Russia, the Olympic body is “fully satisfied” the Russian law that bans gay propaganda to minors does not violate the Olympic charter. An IOC spokesperson later sought to clarify Killy’s comments to the Washington Blade.
“That is clearly not expressing any view on the law itself,” the IOC said. “Mr. Killy made it abundantly clear that the IOC never comments on national legislation.”
The IOC added it will “continue to work to uphold the Olympic Charter, which allows all participants, from spectators to athletes, to attend the games regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.” IOC President Thomas Bach reiterated this point on Sunday before the lighting of the Olympic flame in Greece.
“The Olympic Torch Relay will be a messenger for the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect without any form of discrimination,” he said.
The IOC has repeatedly said the Kremlin has assured them the gay propaganda ban will not affect athletes and others who plan to travel to Sochi, even though Russian officials have said the statute will apply to those who go to the games.
“The safety of millions of LGBT Russians and international travelers is at risk,” Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said in response to Killy’s comments. “And by all accounts the IOC has completely neglected its responsibility to Olympic athletes, sponsors and fans from around the world.”
Members of COC Nederland, a Dutch LGBT advocacy group, on Sept. 17 met with members of the National Olympic Committee of the Netherlands to discuss their concerns over the safety of LGBT athletes who will compete in Sochi and others who will travel to the games. They also requested a meeting with Dutch IOC member Camiel Eurlings to further discuss the aforementioned issues.
“This conclusion is unheard of,” COC Nederland President Tanja Ineke said in response to Killy’s comments. “The European Union, Council of Europe, United Nations and numerous governments have all clearly stated that this law is discriminatory and an infringement of the human rights of LGBT people. The IOC disregards these conclusions and instead chooses to be the accomplice of the homophobic Russian government.”
President Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) are among those who have publicly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government’s LGBT rights record. Actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein, author Dan Savage, Cleve Jones and other gay activists have called for a boycott of the Sochi games and Russian vodka over the issue.
Olympic skier Bode Miller on Monday described the gay propaganda law as “embarrassing” as he spoke during the U.S. Olympic Committee media summit in Park City, Utah. USA Today reported figure skater Ashley Wagner also spoke out against the statute during the same event.
“I have such a firm stance on this that we should all have equal rights,” she said.
U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun in August told RIA Novosti, an online Russian newspaper, that American athletes should comply with the laws of the countries in which they compete. USOC spokesperson Patrick Sandusky later sought to clarify Blackmun’s comments by tweeting Russia’s gay propaganda law is “inconsistent with fundamental Olympic principles” and the American Olympic body has “shared our view with the IOC.”
Blackmun on Tuesday told reporters the USOC would support efforts to bolster anti-discrimination provisions within the Olympic charter
“We are not an advocacy organization or a human rights organization,” he said as Reuters reported. “What we can do is advocate for change within our group.”
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.,) who met with Russian LGBT advocate Igor Kochetkov and two other activists from Ukraine and Georgia last month, told the Blade earlier this week she feels the USOC has not done enough to challenge Russia’s gay rights record.
“The U.S. Olympic Committee has been complicit in this act of aggression because they say we respect Russia’s right to do this,” the Florida Republican said after she spoke at a Council for Global Equality reception on Capitol Hill. “That is not worthy of Olympic standards.
Ros-Lehtinen and gay California Congressman Mark Takano continue to seek additional signatories for a letter they plan to send to the USOC that asks it to explain the steps it plans to take to ensure the safety of American athletes who plan to compete in the Sochi games. She applauded both Obama and Kerry for publicly criticizing Putin over his government’s LGBT rights record, but she suggested to the Blade they can do more to respond to concerns over athletes and others who will travel to Russia for the games.
“It’s up to the U.S. to step up,” Ros-Lehtinen told the Blade.
The USOC did not respond to the Blade’s request for comment on Ros-Lehtinen’s criticisms.
Hungary
New Hungarian prime minister takes office
Péter Magyar’s party defeated anti-LGBTQ Viktor Orbán last month
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar took office on Saturday.
Magyar’s center-right Tisza party on April 12 defeated then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP coalition. Vice President JD Vance less than a week before the election traveled to Budapest, the Hungarian capital, and urged Hungarians to support Orbán.
Orbán had been in office since 2010. He and his government faced widespread criticism over its anti-LGBTQ crackdown.
The European Commission in 2022 sued Hungary, which is a member of the EU, over the country’s anti-LGBTQ propaganda law. The European Union’s top court, the EU Court of Justice, on April 21 struck down the statute.
The EU while Orbán was office withheld upwards of €35 billion ($41.26) in funds to Hungary in response to concerns over corruption, rule of law, and other issues.
Hungarian lawmakers in March 2025 passed a bill that banned Pride events and allowed authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify those who participate in them. MPs later amended the Hungarian constitution to ban public LGBTQ events.
Upwards of 100,000 people last June defied the ban and marched in Budapest’s annual Pride parade.
“Congratulations to [Péter Magyar] on becoming prime minister of Hungary,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on X.
“This Europe Day, our hearts are in Budapest,” she added. “The hope and promise of renewal is a powerful signal in these challenging times.”
“We have important work ahead of us,” noted von der Leyen. “For Hungary and for Europe, we are moving forward together.”
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
Congratulations to Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-Del.) on being honored with this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health. Amy Nelson, senior director of Legal Services, said, “Congresswoman Sarah McBride is working to make healthcare accessible to all, and this award recognizes her support of healthcare as a human right. Our legal program supports families facing unprecedented challenges to stay healthy and safe – families that Congresswoman McBride champions with a deep understanding of the issues they face and the legislative expertise of how to support them.”
McBride, in a press release, said, “I am honored to accept this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health — an organization that has spent 40 years doing vital work to ensure every person can access the dignity of care. In the wealthiest and most developed nation on earth, the ability to receive care should not be a matter of luck—it should be the law of the land. I am proud to be recognized as a partner in this work and to support Whitman-Walker Health in their mission to build a healthier society for all.”
Congratulations also to Wes Drummond who will join Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, Del., as its third artistic director. Managing Director Joe Gfaller said, “This is an exciting moment of growth for Clear Space as we welcome Wes to join our remarkable team. I am confident he will be an excellent partner as we work with our entire staff, board, and committed team of volunteers, to ensure Clear Space can achieve its full potential in pursuit of our mission to unite and enrich our community through every production on stage, and every arts-based learning program we offer throughout our community.”
On accepting the position Drummond said, “I’m honored to join Clear Space Theatre Company as artistic director, and beyond excited for what we’re about to create together. Clear Space has established itself as a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of coastal Delaware, and I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this next chapter alongside such a passionate and dedicated team. Rehoboth Beach is a place defined by creativity and community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and building meaningful relationships across the region in the months ahead. My vision is to help Clear Space continue to grow as a bold, forward-thinking, cultural force, that champions fearless storytelling.”

Drummond served in leadership roles at Duluth Playhouse in Duluth, Minn., from 2021 to 2026, including four years as executive director followed by one year as executive producing artistic director, guiding the organization through a period of significant transformation and stability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a director, he has worked extensively in New York City, Chicago, and at regional theaters across the country, directing both musical theater and plays with a focus on storytelling that bridges classical works with contemporary perspectives. He has collaborated with leading figures in the industry, including Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, and Tony-nominated director Michael Greif. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Wes earned his MFA in directing, Penn State University, where he studied under Tony-nominated director, Susan H. Schulman.
Virginia
Va. Supreme Court invalidates Democrat-backed redistricting plan
Voters narrowly approved new congressional districts last month
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Democrat-backed redistricting plan that voters approved last month.
Ten of 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts favor Democrats in the plan that passed by a 51-48 vote margin in last month’s referendum.
The Human Rights Campaign PAC is among the groups that support it. The court by a 4-3 majority invalidated the referendum results.
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