Selling Sochi in Rainbow Colours

"No, we just say that is your business, it's your life. But it's not accepted here in the Caucasus where we live. We do not have them in our city."
"Our hospitality will be extended to everyone who respects the laws of the Russian Federation and doesn't impose their habits on others."
Anatoly Pakhomov, Sochi mayor

"As far as I know there are several gay clubs in Sochi. How do they survive? Why they are not bankrupt?"
Boris Nemtsov, leader of the opposition RPR PARNAS party

Dismissive of M. Pakhomov's claims of Sochi harbouring none of that element whatever, despite the peculiar presence of several gay bars in the city, Mr. Nemtsov ventured the opinion that the mayor's statement appears rather ridiculous. Mr. Pakhomov, however, is a member of President Putin's United Russia party, and while denying the presence of gays in his city, he also made haste to add that gays would be welcome during the Winter Olympics.

Sochi Bar -- Buzzfeed LGBT

Paraphrasing the president who recently made an attempt to mollify fairly universal outrage over recently passed laws further marginalizing gays in Russia by announcing that gays would be 'allowed' at the Games as long as they remembered they would be expected to "Just leave the children alone". Not, of course, that their presence would be an inspiration to children confused by their own ambiguity relating to their gender, perplexed because they seem different than their peers, but obviously by 'taking advantage' of these vulnerable children.

Actually any of Russia's children, by gays inviting them to be themselves and let it all hang out, since the condition is a counterpart of pedophilia according to popular Russian belief. Russia has no young people struggling to find their identities and fearful of revealing what they believe they truly are. Obviously the presence of degenerate, unregenerate gays propagandizing risks turning ordinary boys into extraordinary gays, a condition forbidden in decent society.

Mr. Pakhomov was being interviewed as co-host of the Winter Olympics, by John Sweeney, a reporter for the BBC's Panorama program. Mr. Sweeney had visited a gay bar in Sochi before he interviewed the mayor, and expressed his puzzlement over the statement that no gays exist in the city, despite the existence of several gay bars. Causing Mr. Pakhomov to rephrase his assertion about a non-presence of gays in his city: "I am not sure, but I don't bloody know them".

The American sport delegation will be replete with high-profile gays who will not be mistaken for shrinking violets. From Canada, Sochi will be blessed by the appearance of a United Church Minister who happens also to be an openly gay member of Vancouver's city council, where the previous Winter Games were held, with no problems relating to the presence of gays, nor of rabidly murderous terrorists bedevilled the organizers.