And that’s not a joke. That’s what he said. From the Washington Post:
President Vladimir Putin said Friday that gay people have nothing to fear in Russia as long as they leave children alone.
Putin met with a group of volunteers in the Olympic mountain venue at Krasnaya Polyana on Friday to wish them success at the Games. During a question-and-answer session, one volunteer asked him about Russia’s attitudes toward gays, a subject that has provoked worldwide controversy, and Putin offered what was apparently meant to be a reassuring answer for visitors to the Olympics.
“One can feel calm and at ease,” he said. “Just leave kids alone, please.” [Read more…]