Russia anti-gay law casts a shadow over Sochi's 2014 Olympics And now, the clash of civilizations. President Vladimir Putin signed a law at the end of June prohibiting the propaganda of nontraditional sexual relationships among minors. It has been interpreted as banning gay pride parades - children might see them - and preventing any discussion of homosexuality among teenagers. The law has made gay athletes and spectators fearful of discrimination, and even arrest, at the Olympics. And Thursday, as the International Olympic Committee coordinating commission made its last inspection tour of Sochi before the opening ceremony Feb. 7, its members added fuel to this particular flame. Russia, they said, was not violating Olympic anti-discrimination principles. "The spirit of the Games is awakening here," said Jean-Claude Killy, chairman of the coordinating commission. Advocates in the West were furious. They had been lobbying the IOC to confront Russia over its policies, which they say encourage not only discrimination, but also violence toward gays and lesbians. Looking past the piles of gravel and seas of mud, ignoring the deluge, the IOC declared the competition venues ready and offered Russia hearty congratulations. On Sunday, the Olympic torch was lit in Ancient Olympia, beginning its seven-day journey across Greece and on to Russia, which Putin calls a very special country, different from the West. In a recent speech to international scholars, Putin had little patience for what he called political correctness. He accused the West of rejecting the values underlying Western civilization. "They are denying moral principles and all traditional identities: national, cultural, religious and even sexual," he said. They are implementing policies that equate large families with same-sex partnerships, belief in God with the belief in Satan. For mayor, no concerns Some LGBT and human rights activists have wondered whether an Olympic boycott is in order. Although President Obama condemned the Russian law, he counseled against a boycott. Last week, after the IOC statement, various organizations said they would apply pressure to sponsors, which include Coca-Cola, McDonald's, General Electric, Dow, Procter & Gamble, Samsung, Panasonic, Visa and others. In Sochi, Pakhomov, the mayor, insists there is no cause for alarm. "We are a multiethnic and tolerant city," he said. We respect each other. We respect different points of views.