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Sochi Winter Olympic Games Will Have No Pride

Pride House Banned In SochiSochi, Russia will not host the Winter Olympics until February 2014, but the location has already faced their share of controversies, including one that surfaced this week.

A judge in the region of Krasnodar blocked plans for a Pride House in Sochi, where gay athletes and officials could meet for social events and conferences. Svetlana Mordovina ruled that the Pride House is "extremist" and that "fighting homophobia is immoral." 

"The aim of the organization contradicts the basics of public morality and the policy of the state in the area of family, motherhood, and childhood protection. The activities of the movement leads to propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientation which can undermine the security of the Russian society and the state,” claimed Mordovina.

In 1999, homosexuality was officially removed from the list of mental illnesses in Russia.  Advocate groups outside of Russia have vowed to protest the ruling. 

A well attended Pride House first appeared in Vancouver 2010 and another is planned for this summer's London Olympic Games. 

 

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Bruce has traveled the world, both working for and covering a wide array of the sports world’s greatest events. Below is a sampling of the level of experience and perspective he brings to ifollosports.com.

OLYMPIC GAMES:  
Munich 1972, Montreal 1976, Los Angeles 1984, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Salt Lake City 2002, Beijing 2008     
*Editor of the Official Report of the 1984 Olympic Games

PAN AMERICAN GAMES:   
Caracas 1983, Indianapolis 1987, Havana 1991, Mar del Plata 1995, Winnipeg 1999



WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES:   
Zagreb 1987, Duisberg 1989, Sheffield 1991, Buffalo 1993, Fukuoka 1995, Sicily 1997, Palma de Mallorca 1999 

USA TRACK AND FIELD:     
World Championships (Helsinki 1983), World Junior Championships (Athens 1986), World Cup (Rome 1981), World Cup (Havana 1992), Pan American Junior Championships (Barqisimeto 1982, Orlando 1986)  Editor of USATF annual calendar project (1980-1991) and Cross Country handbook (1979-1991) 

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC: 
World Baseball Classics in 2006 and 2009.

ASSOCIATED PRESS     
Correspondent covering the Los Angeles Lakers and UCLA Bruins basketball, track and field, and swimming 1977-1989
  

A California native, Bruce is a 
graduate of UCLA and resides in Venice Beach.

 

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