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Sochi mayor Anatoly Pakhomov told BBC homosexuality “was not the custom in the Caucasus where we live.” File photo
The mayor of Sochi, host of the Winter Olympics, has said there are no gay people in the city.
Anatoly Pakhomov said homosexuals were welcome at the Games, as long as they "respect Russian law" and "don't impose their habits on others".
In June 2013, Russia passed a law banning the promotion of "non-traditional" sexuality to under-18s, which was widely seen as an attack on gay rights.
BBC reporter John Sweeney visited a gay bar in Sochi, where most people did not want to be filmed, while the others were cautious about what they say.
Asked whether gay people will be welcomed at the Sochi Olympoics, the mayor said their hospitality will be extended to everyone as long as those people "respect Russian law" and "don't impose their habits on others".
Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov confirmed there were several gay bars in Sochi and laughed heartily when told there were no gay people in Sochi, according to the mayor.
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