On Sunday, LGBT rights campaigners held a rally in London against Olympic officials allowing countries to participate in the London 2012 Olympic Games who continue to maintain anti-LGBT laws. “The IOC should disqualify from the Olympics countries that discriminate against athletes on the grounds of gender, ethnicity, religion/belief, sexual orientation or gender identity. The Olympic Charter prohibits discrimination in sport but it is not being enforced by the IOC," said human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, in a press release. “The IOC and LOCOG have a duty to uphold the Olympic Charter's commitment to equality for all in sport. They are failing to do so," he added. The protest called on the IOC to enforce its own nondiscrimination policy of the Olympic Charter and “require all competing nations to sign a pledge that they do not discriminate in sport on the grounds of gender, ethnicity, religion/belief, sexual orientation or gender identity," saying, “If they refuse to sign, they should be denied participation in the games." He also wants Olympic officials to ensure participating countries “make a public statement that LGBT athletes are welcome at London 2012 and that participating nations must not discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity." The Olympic Committee has long battled between allowing countries to participate and those countries own internal laws. This year has already seen much controversy surround Saudi Arabia's participation in the Games due to their initial refusal to allow women athletes to participate in London. Only within the past three weeks have they acquiesced and allowed two women to joint their Olympic team in London.
