Mutko, the Russian minister of sports, said that athletes at the Games could be subject to the new “homosexual propaganda” law, people got nervous. Russia has never been a welcoming place for gays and lesbians-being gay was a crime under the Soviets-but the Olympics are a big stage. Putin’s war on gays will only become a more visible issue in the next six months. But Obama had put gay rights and the Winter Olympics, to be held next February in Sochi, Russia, on the agenda. There are other issues-Edward Snowden’s sojourn in Moscow among them. The next morning, the White House announced that President Obama would not meet with Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, as part of the G20 summit. 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. They’re athletes, they’re there to compete. Obama: I think Putin and Russia have a big stake in making sure the Olympics work, and I think they understand that for most of the countries that participate in the Olympics, we wouldn’t tolerate gays and lesbians being treated differently. Leno: Do you think it will affect the Olympics?
