International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach has announced a proposal to include sexual orientation in the nondiscrimination language in Principle 6 of the Olympic Charter.
This was one of 40 recommended changes announced this morning. Principle 6 currently includes the language, "Any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement."
GLAAD was quick to laud the move. "No athlete or fan should face fear of discrimination because of who they love," said GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. "The International Olympic Committee must seize this opportunity to protect Olympic attendees and affirm its commitment to equality across the globe."
GLAAD and other organizations, including Athlete Ally, All Out, and Russian LGBT advocacy groups, campaigned for the amendment to Principle 6 during the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, this past year. The IOC received criticism from LGBT groups for selecting a host city in Russia, given its national law against so-called gay propaganda and similar laws in some cities, which have been blamed for discrimination and violence against LGBT people. The 2014 games drew sharp attention to the safety concerns of LGBT athletes and fans.
The IOC will vote on this amendment and the rest of the recommendations at a December 8-9 meeting in Monaco.
