MOSCOW (AP) Russia's sports minister says passing the gay "propaganda" law that sparked calls for boycotting the Sochi Olympics was a mistake not because of its contents but because of its timing.
Vitaly Mutko is quoted by the RBK business newspaper as saying "Perhaps the state authorities should have waited a little ... It was possible to calculate how much resonance it would cause in the West, especially in the run-up to the Sochi Olympics."
The law passed in June bans distributing so-called propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships to minors. It does not define propaganda.
Mutko also was quoted Monday as saying foreign opposition to the law reflects resentment of Russia's strength.