Associated Press Coverage of Sports Comes Out Against Homomphobia

Sports Stars, at UN, Speak Out against Homophobia
By Cara Anna

Read the full article in the Merced Sun Star, Salon.com, Miami Herald, aol.com

UNITED NATIONS — Former professional basketball player Jason Collins and tennis great Martina Navratilova on Tuesday urged world sports bodies like the International Olympic Committee and FIFA to take gay rights into consideration when awarding major sporting events.

The two openly gay athletes spoke at a special United Nations event celebrating International Human Rights Day.

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In a recorded message, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also praised straight athletes who speak out against homophobia. "They understand an abuse against any of us is an affront to all," he said.

In a related event Tuesday, U.S. ambassador Samantha Power called the Russian law "as outrageous as it is dangerous."

Power, who was meeting with dozens of gay activists from around the world, said 78 countries still have laws that criminalize consensual sex between adults.

"To deny gays and lesbians the right to live freely ... is in fact barbarian," Power said.

This year was the first time the U.N. held a ministerial meeting on LGBT issues, with Secretary of State John Kerry attending. "That's progress," Power said.

Russian journalist and gay right activist Masha Gessen then read part of the Russian law on gay "propaganda" and said, "It actually enshrines second-class citizenship and makes it a crime to talk about equality."

Zambian activist Juliet Mphande listened to Gessen's comments and said, "I imagine Russia to be an African country right now." She said at least six people from her country's gay community had been arrested this year.