Olympic Village Mayor: Propaganda Law Protects Kids From Gay Cartoons

The appointed mayor of one of the Olympic Villages in Sochi says that the anti-LGBT propaganda law in Russia is necessary to protect minors, BuzzFeed reports.

Svetlana Zhurova is a lawmaker who voted in favor of the law banning any "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" in venues visible to minors. She's also a gold medalist speed skater, who said the law was especially necessary to censor possible messages children may see on television.

"I think they just shouldn't show a cartoon on TV -- excuse me, I have two boys -- where a king loves another king," she said to Dozhd, a Russian TV outlet.

Zhurova claimed that many of the European politicians who outwardly oppose the law have contacted her to let her know they secretly support it.

Zhurova was named the "mayor" of the mountain Olympic Village, where skiing events will be held. The "mayor" of the sea-level Olympic Village, pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, also caused controversy for defending the law.