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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach meet at the Bocharov Ruchei residence at the Black Sea resort of Sochi, southern Russia, Monday, Oct. 28, 2013. Making his first trip to Sochi since being elected head of the IOC last month, Bach met Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin to inspect the host city. Bach told Putin he was deeply impressed with the amount of work Russia has done for the Feb. 7-23 games. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

Russian gay activists says IOC chief refused to meet with them to discuss LGBT discrimination

MOSCOW – Russian gay activists say the new president of the International Olympic Committee refused to meet with them while visiting the 2014 Winter Games city of Sochi.

Preparations for the Sochi Olympics have been overshadowed by criticism of a recently enacted Russian law outlawing “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors.” Many worry the law may apply to gay athletes and visitors.

LGBT Network said in a statement Wednesday that Thomas Bach turned down their invitation to sit with activists, offering to meet at an unspecified date in Lausanne, Switzerland, instead. Activists say they have been asking for a meeting for more than two weeks.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams says in a statement that they can meet this week at IOC headquarters in Lausanne and “we look forward to welcoming them.”

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