This week, the International Olympic Committee added a non-discrimination clause into the Olympic charter that includes lesbians, gays and bisexuals, making it difficult for homophobic countries to host future games.

 

"The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Olympic Charter shall be secured without discrimination of any kind, such as race, color, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status," the Charter now reads.

 

The change was in response, in large part, to the controversy that followed the Winter Olympics in Russia, where all "gay propaganda" is banned.

 

“Now it is signed and sealed that lesbian, gay and bisexual people are welcome in the Olympic movement and will be protected," explained Andre Banks, Executive Director and co-founder of All Out. "This gain was made possible because of the global outcry, including from hundreds of thousands of All Out members, about Russia’s anti-gay law at the time of the Sochi Olympics.”

 

A press release from All Out noted that transgender athletes and fans are not listed. It read: "In the week before the vote, All Out members called on the IOC to go one step further and also include protection on grounds of “gender identity”, which would have protected transgender athletes, spectators and fans too. IOC members did not vote on this proposal today so this amendment will not be made to the Charter."

 

Of course, this doesn't mean countries with terrible anti-gay records will be denied the right to host future games; it just means they will have to promise to be nice to the LGB community while the games are being held.