OUR LATEST ISSUE
SITE SEARCH
Gay News: Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell is to meet the Olympics organisers to press for a focus on diversity during the Games
By: Nigel Robinson
"Now is the time to deliver"
"Now is the time to deliver"
Peter Tatchell in talks with London Olympics
.
In a statement Tatchell argued that the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics should feature high visibility representations of all of London’s diverse and multicultural communities.
He said that the bid for 2012 had promoted London as a multicultural city that celebrates equality and diversity and that “now is the time for the Olympic organisers to deliver on that promise”.
He went on to say: “Profiling and celebrating the many communities that make London such a wonderful, vibrant city would make the 2012 Olympics truly unique and special.
“No other Olympic host city has made cultural diversity a focus of its games…
“It is not enough to have black, female and gay staff and volunteers, or to include them in the Olympic ceremonials.
“London's diverse communities should be an identifiable, visible highlight of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
“This cultural diversity should be a key selling point of the 2012 Olympics: London as a world city that welcomes and embraces people from all cultures.
“I want the celebration of diversity and inclusion to be a centrepiece feature of the 2012 games, so that London can project the dream of a future world where people from all cultures can live, work and love together.
"This would make the London Olympics truly unique and leave a lasting humanitarian legacy with a global impact.”
"This would make the London Olympics truly unique and leave a lasting humanitarian legacy with a global impact.”
Tatchell also urged for the 2010 Cultural Olympiad, which will run parallel to the Games, to have as its major themes human rights and action on poverty.
“I hope the 2012 Cultural Olympiad will include human rights-themed events in partnership with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other humanitarian organisations,” he said.
"Having a human rights dimension would be consistent with Olympic ideal of promoting international understanding, peace, friendship and solidarity.”
"Having a human rights dimension would be consistent with Olympic ideal of promoting international understanding, peace, friendship and solidarity.”
As part of its diversity policy the London Olympics Committee recently launched a rainbow Pride pin badge targetted at the gay community.
