Stephen Fry published an open letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron and the International Olympic Committee, calling for the IOC and world pressure to move the winter games from Russia and its increasingly hostile environment toward the LGBT community. Here’s an excerpt:
I am gay. I am a Jew. My mother lost over a dozen of her family to Hitler’s anti-Semitism. Every time in Russia (and it is constantly) a gay teenager is forced into suicide, a lesbian “correctively” raped, gay men and women beaten to death by neo-Nazi thugs while the Russian police stand idly by, the world is diminished and I for one, weep anew at seeing history repeat itself.
In response to Fry’s erudite, well-reasoned and heartfelt letter, Cameron responded with two posts on Twitter:
Thank you for your note @stephenfry. I share your deep concern about the abuse of gay people in Russia.
However, I believe we can better challenge prejudice as we attend, rather than boycotting the Winter Olympics. DC.
The IOC has remained characteristically mum on the topic.
