普京：不在乎性取向 与同性恋者交好

President Vladimir Putin has defended Russia's law on "gay propaganda" ahead of the Sochi Olympics but insisted he was not prejudiced against homosexuals.

Gay people faced no discrimination at work or in society in Russia, he told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, and the new law did not harm anybody.

"I myself know some people who are gay," he said. "We're on friendly terms. I'm not prejudiced in any way."

Gay rights campaigners have urged a boycott of the winter games.

The controversial legislation passed in June prescribes fines for anyone providing information about paedophilia and homosexuality to people under 18.

If you want my personal attitude, I would tell you that I don't care about a person's sexual orientation”

Vladimir PutinRussian president

Critics say the amendment's loose wording, and its free interpretation by the authorities, effectively make any kind of public gay rights event in Russia impossible.

Some national leaders have indicated they will not attend the games, which run from 7 to 23 February.

US President Barack Obama pointedly announced he was sending an Olympic delegation that includes several openly gay sports figures, among them tennis legend Billie Jean King.

Gay people honoured

"If you want my personal attitude, I would tell you that I don't care about a person's sexual orientation," Mr Putin told Andrew Marr in Sochi.

Famous gay people like the British singer Elton John were popular in Russia, he said.

"I've honoured several members of the gay community in this country but for their personal achievements, regardless of their sexual orientation," he added.

Mr Putin also pointed out that many other countries banned homosexual relations.

"There's no danger for individuals of this non-traditional sexual orientation who are planning to come to the games as visitors or participants," he said.

Hate crimes

Human rights campaigners have noted an alarming rise in hate attacks on gay people in Russia in recent years while reporting of homosexuality in the state media has been largely hostile or negative.

Critics of the Kremlin accuse it of scapegoating gay people as a way of cementing Mr Putin's hold on power since his re-election in 2017 amid mass anti-government protests.

Nonetheless, one openly gay US athlete who is a self-confessed Russophile, Johnny Weir, told Reuters news agency this week he could not support the Sochi boycott calls.

The figure skater, who had hoped to compete himself but is recovering from injury, argued that an issue which affects a minority group should not ruin a "lifetime of sacrifices" made by thousands of athletes.

"I've come under so much hate and scrutiny from within my own LGBT community for my views on the Olympics," the former Olympian said.

"But as somebody who watched my parents sacrifice everything so that I had at least one chance of making the Olympics, I could never boycott the Olympics whether they be in Pyongyang, in Uganda, in Iran or Mars."

Meanwhile, in the south Russian city of Voronezh, security guards detained a gay rights protester for unfurling a rainbow flag during the Olympic torch relay on Saturday.

"Hosting the games here contradicts the basic principles of the Olympics, which is to cultivate tolerance," Mr Lebedev said.

英国广播公司（BBC）1月19日报道，冬奥会之前，俄罗斯总统普京为《禁止宣传同性恋法》辩护，坚称自己对同性恋没有任何偏见。

普京对BBC记者说，同性恋者在俄罗斯不会在工作中和社会上受到歧视，新颁布的法律不会对任何人造成伤害。

“如果你想知道我的个人态度，我对一个人的性取向并不介意，”普京对在索契采访的BBC记者说。

他说，例如英国歌手艾尔顿•约翰在内的一些著名的同性恋者在俄罗斯也很受欢迎。

“我自己认识一些同性恋者，”他说，“我们关系很好，无论如何我都不会对他们有偏见。”

他补充说，“我表彰过几位俄罗斯的同性恋者，但表彰他们并不是因为他们的性取向，而是因为他们所取得的成就。”

“如果非传统性取向的运动员和游客计划来到俄罗斯参与冬奥会的，将不会有任何危险，”他说道。普京也指出，许多国家禁止同性恋关系。

但同性恋权利活动人士要求抵制这次冬奥会。2013年6月，俄罗斯通过的《禁止宣传同性恋法》引起争议，该法律要求对向18岁以下未成年人传播恋童癖和同性恋信息的行为进行罚款处理。

批评者称，这部法律措辞模糊，当局对它随意解释能够有效禁止任何争取同性恋权利的公开活动。

一位瑞典记者说：“这一法律通过的原因就包括，在俄罗斯，同性恋人群和同性恋权利活动人士都被列为国家安全威胁者，而俄罗斯大部分民众都是东正教信徒，他们也认同这一观念，因此普京想取悦这些人，得到他们的拥护和支持。”

一些国家领导人暗示不会参加2月7日到23日的索契冬奥会。美国总统奥巴马直截了当地宣布美国参加冬奥会的代表团包括数位同性恋者，包括网球传奇球星比利•简•金。

然而，自称亲俄的美国运动员约翰•威尔是一位公开的同性恋者，他近日对路透社记者说，他不会响应抵制索契冬奥会的号召。

这位花样滑冰运动员辩解称，影响少部分人的事件不能以牺牲成千上万运动员一辈子的努力作为代价。

这位前奥运会选手说，“因为我对奥运会的观点，我在自己的LGBT（同性恋、双性恋及变性者）圈子中也受到仇视和监视。”

“有人帮我照看着我的父母，因此我至少有一次机会能够参加奥运会。不管奥运会是在平壤、乌干达、伊朗还是火星上举办，我永远都不会抵制奥运会。”