News
Putin: Gays will not suffer discrimination during Olympics
Russian LGBT rights advocate dismissed comments

Queer Nation members protest outside a U.S. Olympic Committee press conference in Times Square on Oct. 29. (Photo by Scott Wooledge)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 28 said gays and lesbians will not suffer discrimination during the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi.
“On my own and on your behalf, I have assured Mr. (International Olympic Committee) President (Thomas Bach) that we will do our best, and our athletes and fans will do their best too, so that both participants and guests feel themselves comfortable at [the] Sochi Olympics regardless of their ethnicity, race or sexual orientation,” Putin said during a Sochi press conference that Bach attended, as the Associated Press reported. “I would like to underline that.”
Putin’s comments come amid lingering outrage over Russia’s LGBT rights record that threatens to overshadow the Sochi games that will take place in February.
Putin in June signed a bill into law that bans gay propaganda to minors. A second statute that bans foreign same-sex couples and any couple from a country in which gays and lesbians can legally marry from adopting Russian children.
LGBT advocacy groups are among those that face fines under a 2012 law that requires non-governmental organizations that receive funding from outside Russia to register as a “foreign agent.”
“It is hard to imagine how people can be welcomed equally regardless of sexual orientation when such a law… is in place,” Russian LGBT rights advocate Anastasia Smirnova said during an Oct. 29 conference call with reporters that All Out hosted as she discussed Putin’s comments and the gay propaganda law he signed.
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and more than three dozen other members of Congress earlier in October asked U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun to outline how he plans to ensure the safety of gay American athletes who plan to compete in the Sochi games
Author Dan Savage and playwright Harvey Fierstein are among those who have called for a boycott of the Sochi games over Russia’s LGBT rights record.
Two dozen members of Queer Nation, an LGBT advocacy group, on Tuesday protested outside a Times Square press conference at which the U.S. Olympic Committee officially launched a 100-day countdown to the Sochi games. Activists with the same organization in September interrupted the Metropolitan Opera’s opening night gala to protest Russia’s gay rights record.
“The USOC and the international community should not legitimize Russia’s violations of fundamental human rights by holding the games in that country,” Queer Nation member Duncan Osborne said.
Blackmun on Oct. 11 said Russia’s gay propaganda law is “inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the Olympics and Paraolympic movements.” The USOC Board of Directors the day before voted to add sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policy.
The IOC has repeatedly maintained it has received assurances from the Kremlin that the gay propaganda ban will not affect athletes and others who plan to travel to Sochi, even though Russian officials have previously said the statute will apply to those who go to the games. Bach in September stressed during a speech he delivered in Greece before the lighting of the Olympic flame that Olympic values include “respect without any form of discrimination.”
Bach is scheduled to meet with Russian LGBT rights activists at the IOC’s headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, this week. Smirnova said he declined to meet with them during his most recent trip to the Olympic host city.
“It is a shame that despite the advanced notice, the president couldn’t find the time to meet with representatives of the coalition of LGBT organizations,” she said.
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.
-
Arts & Entertainment5 days agoA reign defined by commitment and human impact
-
Ukraine5 days agoUkrainian MPs advance new Civil Code without protections for same-sex couples
-
Federal Government4 days agoDOE investigates Smith College’s trans-inclusive policy
-
Florida4 days agoKey West Pride’s state funding pulled
