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Russian Athlete Says She Was Misunderstood on Antigay Law

Russian Athlete Says She Was Misunderstood on Antigay Law

Yelena-isinbayevax400

'I am opposed to any discrimination against gay people,' says Yelena Isinbayeva.

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Russian pole-vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, being criticized for her comments supporting her nation's antigay law, now says she was misunderstood.

"English is not my first language and I think I may have been misunderstood when I spoke yesterday," Isinbayeva, one of Russia's top athletes, said in a statement issued Friday, the Associated Press reports. "What I wanted to say was that people should respect the laws of other countries particularly when they are guests. I respect the views of my fellow athletes and let me state in the strongest terms that I am opposed to any discrimination against gay people."

Yesterday, at the track and field world championships in Moscow, she defended Russia's so-called gay propaganda law by saying, "If we allow to promote and do all this stuff on the street, we are very afraid about our nation because we consider ourselves like normal, standard people. We just live with boys with woman, woman with boys." Two Swedish competitors at the championships had protested the law by painting their fingernails in rainbow colors, and Isinbayeva denounced them for the protest. Her comments drew attention especially because she is a representative for the Winter Olympics, to be held next year in Sochi, Russia, and has been appointed "mayor" of the Olympic village.

Isinbayeva's remarks brought swift reaction. "It blows my mind that a young, so well-educated woman can be so behind with the times," Nick Symmonds, an American runner who won a silver medal at the championships, told the BBC. "Guess what, Yelena: A large portion of your citizenship are normal, standard homosexuals." Symmonds had said earlier that he was dedicating his medal to his gay and lesbian friends.

He has continued speaking out strongly against Russia's recently adopted law, which essentially prohibits any public discussion of LGBT issues and even acknowledgment of LGBT identities. "As an American who believes in freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, I take huge offense that the Russian government is limiting their people in that way," he told CNN today. He added that LGBT rights "is the defining civil rights movement of our time."

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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.