organization:u.s. olympic committee

  • U.S. Olympic Committee adds sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policy | Steve Rothaus’ Gay South Florida
    http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2013/10/us-olympic-committee-adds-sexual-orientation-to-its-non-discrim

    U.S. Olympic Committee adds sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policy
    BY EDDIE PELLS
    AP NATIONAL WRITER

    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The U.S. Olympic Committee board revised its non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation, a nod to its disapproval of the Russian anti-gay law recently passed by the Olympic host country.

    At his annual address to the USOC Assembly on Friday, CEO Scott Blackmun said the federation is not in the business of trying to influence Russian policy.

    “The fact that we do not think it is our role to advocate for a change in the Russian law does not mean that we support the law, and we do not,” Blackmun said.

    The board passed the measure Thursday, a week after chairman Larry Probst, a new member of the International Olympic Committee, said he would support a similar change to the IOC Olympic charter. Currently, it does not mention sexual orientation as a form of discrimination.

    “We thought it would be good to take a look at our own code of conduct,” Probst said after the USOC’s quarterly board meeting. “It was the appropriate thing for us to do. It’s important to us to walk the talk.”

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