×
Enjoying ad-free content?
Since July 1, 2024, we have disabled all ads to improve your reading experience.
This commitment costs us $10,000 a month. Your support can help us fill the gap.
Support us
Our journalism is banned in Russia. We need your help to keep providing you with the truth.

Gay Norwegian Minister to Take Husband to Sochi Paralympics

Health Minister Bent Hoeie, who will be the Norwegian government's official representative at the Paralympics. Jarle Vines / Wikicommons

OSLO — Norway's health minister will make a point about gay rights in Russia by attending the Sochi Paralympics with his husband.

President Vladimir Putin has faced calls for a boycott of the Olympics over a law banning the spread of gay propaganda among minors. The Paralympics will be held in Sochi after the main Games.

Health Minister Bent Hoeie, who will be the Norwegian government's official representative at the Paralympics, said it was normal for a Cabinet official to travel with a spouse on such an official visit.

"Having said that, everyone understands what two married men think about gay rights," Hoeie told the Stavanger Aftenblad newspaper.

Norway has won more Winter Olympic medals than any other nation and is likely to finish high in the medal table in Sochi.

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more