Russian state TV channels have issued offensive comments towards openly LGBTQ+ athletes competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Russia is not competing in the 2020 games after being found guilty of state-sponsored doping programmes, however, the country’s state-sponsored TV Olympic commentary has caused a stir for using extremely offensive language.
The insensitive language was used by hosts and personalities on Russian talk shows aired by the country’s two most popular television channels, according to the BBC.
The hosts and guests were heard using slurs and offensive terms such as “perversion,” “abomination,” and “psychopaths” when addressing LGBTQ+ athletes such as Laurel Hubbard and Tom Daley.
Hubbard and Daley were focal points for the disgraceful language by state-TV channel Rossiya 1.
The BBC reported the 60 Minutes programme, airing on July 26, was laden with slurs in reference to athletes part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Alexei Zhuravlyov, a member of the Russian parliament, who appeared on the show said he was “disgusted” by gay and transgender people.
The deputy of the State Duma continued with inflammatory comments, saying: “We stand opposed to all this smut and perversion, strongly opposed,” he said during the show, directly alluding to Hubbard.
The politician also aggressively described LGBTQ+ athletes as an “abomination” and later used an offensive Russian word to describe gay men.
Spiridon Kilinkarov, a former member of the Ukrainian parliament, also issued comments questioning the eligibility of trans athletes at the Olympics.
“I do not think transgender people have any prospects in Russia, because they love men, while Russian men love women,” he said.
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