With respect, though, for gay and lesbian or gender-variant athletes, it is a distraction to have such a threat. Both the minister of sport for Russia and the minister of the interior have contradicted the president and said that these laws will be enforced at the time of the games.
We in the NDP have suggested that a special consular official be appointed at the games to assist any Canadians who run into problems with the application of this law. We haven't had an official response from the government on this idea of appointing, as New Zealand has done, a special consular official to assist any Canadians with problems resulting from this law.