Obama Weighs in on Controversial Russian Law

(ATR) U.S. President Barack Obama says athletes heading to the Sochi Olympics should be judged on their performance--not their sexual orientation.

Obama made the comments on Tuesday's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." He was discussing a law that bans "pro-gay" propaganda. Foreign Olympic visitors could face jail time under the law for displaying rainbow flags or other perceived crimes.

Leno then asked if the law would "affect" the Olympics.

In his response, Obama said Russian President Vladimir Putin and the government have "a big stake in making sure the Olympics work."

"I think they understand that for most of the countries that participate in the Olympics, we wouldn’t tolerate gays and lesbiansbeing treated differently," Obama said.

"They’re athletes, they’re there to compete. And if Russia wants to uphold the Olympic spirit, then every judgment should be made on the track, or in the swimming pool, or on the balance beam, and people’s sexual orientation shouldn’t have anything to do with it."

It remains unclear whether the law will be enforced during the Games. Comments from Russian political figures have indicated conflicting interpretations of what could happen, some say it will be enforced, while others say it will be suspended during the Olympics.

Speaking more broadly about the law, Obama added that the Russian law "is not unique."

"When I traveled to Africa, there were some countries that are doing a lot of good things for their people, who we’re working with and helping on development issues, but in some cases have persecuted gays and lesbians. And it makes for some uncomfortable press conferences sometimes."

Written by Ed Hula III

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