Ban Ki-moon criticizes discrimination and attacks against gays.
"We must all raise our voices against attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people [of ambiguous sexuality]. We must oppose the discriminatory detentions, imprisonments and restrictions they face," said the UN Secretary-General, during a speech in Sochi, Russia, on the eve of the opening of the Winter Olympic Games.
Ana Cristina Campos - Reporter for Agência Brasil
On the eve of the opening of the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Ban Ki-moon, criticized today (6) discrimination and attacks against gays. According to him, many athletes, both homosexual and heterosexual, are speaking out against prejudice.
"We must all raise our voices against attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people [of ambiguous sexuality]. We must oppose the discriminatory detentions, arrests and restrictions they face," said the Secretary-General, in a speech during a meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Sochi.
The UN Secretary-General's statement came amid controversy over a Russian law prohibiting the dissemination of information about homosexuality to minors, which has encouraged discrimination and violent acts against homosexuals in the country. A series of protests have been organized worldwide against violence against gays and civil rights activists in Russia.
"The United Nations strongly supports the campaign for freedom and equality. I look forward to working with the IOC, governments and other partners around the world to build societies based on equality and tolerance. No form of hatred should have a place in the 21st century," Ban stressed.