WASHINGTON — In a letter sent to the various sports' organizing bodies, the head of the U.S. Olympic Committee said that the organization is "engaged in active discussions with the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. State Department" regarding Americans' safety at the Olympics in light of Russia's anti-LGBT laws.
"The Olympic Charter prohibits any form of discrimination and clearly calls out the practice of sport as a human right that should be available to all. Like us, the IOC recognizes the seriousness of this issue," U.S Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun wrote on July 25.
The letter, obtained by BuzzFeed, was sent in the midst of ongoing questions about the enforcement of Russia's anti-LGBT propaganda law in advance of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
The IOC announced on July 26 that it had "received assurances from the highest level of government in Russia that the legislation will not affect those attending or taking part in the Games." On Tuesday, however, it was reported that the lawmaker who had sponsored the legislation said that the law would continue to be enforced during the Olympics.
