UK's Cameron rules out boycott of Winter Olympics despite concern over Russia's anti-gay laws

8/10/2013
ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON — British Prime Minister David Cameron has ruled out a boycott of the 2014 Winter Olympics, saying that attending the games is a better way of tackling prejudice against gays.

Cameron was responding today to a letter from British actor and writer Stephen Fry, who called for the Olympics to be taken away from Sochi because of a new Russian law that bans “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” and imposes fines on those holding gay pride rallies.

Echoing remarks made by President Barack Obama a day earlier, Cameron used Twitter to say he shares the actor’s “deep concern about the abuse of gay people in Russia.”

Cameron said believes prejudice can be better challenged by attending — rather than boycotting — the Olympics.