Mayor Sochi: There are no gays in our city

Sochi mayor Anatoly Pakhomov is sure that there are no gays in the capital of the 2014 Winter Olympiad. He stated this in an interview with the BBC One TV channel.

“We don’t have them in the city,” the mayor said. According to him, "homosexuality is not accepted in the Caucasus." Specifying, the mayor added that he was not sure of this, but personally with representatives of sexual minorities is not familiar.

However, according to him, during the Olympics, local hospitality will spread to everyone who respects Russia's laws and does not impose their habits to others. ”

The International Olympic Committee previously announced the receipt of guarantees from Russia that the law on the prohibition of promotion of homosexuality will not apply to the participants and spectators of the Olympiad.

A number of European and American politicians spoke out for the boycott of the Olympics in Sochi because of the homophobic law. Representatives of Russia, including the preparation for the Olympiad, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, Minister of Sports Vitaly Mutko, representative of the Foreign Ministry Konstantin Dolgov repeatedly stated that the LGBT members of the Olympiad did not threaten anything. At the same time, they all emphasized that the authorities expect from athletes and guests of the games of strict observance of Russian laws .

The refusal to participate in the opening ceremony and other official events of the Olympiad previously stated a number of world leaders, including the first persons of Germany, the USA, France, Belgium, Poland and Lithuania.

On September 9, the world famous singer Cher said in an interview with Macleans.ca stated that she refused to participate in the opening of the Olympics in Sochi. The singer explained her unwillingness to go to Russia with the horror she experiences at the thought of what an explosion of hatred had to experience Russian gays.