The International Olympic Committee
(IOC) has amended its host city contract to include a
non-discrimination clause.
The move comes in the wake of the
controversy surrounding Russia's staging of the Winter Olympics. A
law prohibiting the promotion of “gay propaganda” to minors went
into effect in Russia just months before athletes began arriving in
Sochi to compete.
The new language will be included in
the contract signed by the host city chosen for the 2022 Winter
Olympics.
The IOC said the language will mirror
what is found in its Olympic Charter.
“Any form of discrimination with
regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion,
politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the
Olympic Movement,” reads the charter's Fundamental Principle 6.
LGBT rights advocate All Out organized
a
petition urging the IOC to change its rules. On Wednesday, the
group declared victory.
“[This] sends a clear message to
future host cities that human rights violations, including those
against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, will not be
tolerated,” Andre Banks, the group's co-founder and executive
director, told The Chicago Tribune.