“I protest the conviction and sentencing of Pussy Riot to a penal colony for two years for a 40 second performance extolling their political opinions. Even if one disagrees with the location or how they chose to express themselves, the sentence is too harsh and in fact is inhumane. I call on all those who love freedom to condemn this unjust punishment. I urge artists around the world to speak up in protest against this travesty. They’ve spent enough time in jail. I call on ALL of Russia to let Pussy Riot go free.”
Madonna Sued: Russian Anti-Gay Groups Sue Pop Star For Over $10 Million
Anti-gay groups in Russia have sued Madonna for more than $10 million for "moral damage suffered by St. Petersburg residents" during a recent concert in the city, according to Reuters and a report from Ria Novosti, Russia's state news agency.
Alexander Pochuyev, a lawyer representing one of the suing parties, told Ria Novosti that attendees of the concert and those who have seen videos of her performance have suffered "psychological stress and emotional shock" because of her "promotion of homosexuality." Pochuyev also said that the pop star "trampled down" an Orthodox cross.
According to Human Rights Watch, the parliament of St. Petersburg earlier this year passed a law that bans “propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, and pedophilia to minors.”
In March, Madonna called the law a "ridiculous atrocity" and said on her Facebook page that she'd speak about it during her upcoming show.
During her August 9 concert, the singer, who turned 54 last week, told the audience that she was "here to say that the gay community and gay people here and all around the world have the same rights to be treated with dignity, with respect, with tolerance, with compassion, with love," according to a video posted on her YouTube account.
As she was speaking, members of the audience held up pieces of paper depicting rainbow flags with the words "NO FEAR" written across them.
She also asked members of the 25,000 person crowd to hold up their arms "to show your love and appreciation of the gay community."
"Maybe someone does not see the link but after Madonna's concert maybe some boy becomes gay, some girl becomes lesbian, fewer children are born as a result and this big country cannot defend its borders - for me it causes moral suffering," Alexei Kolotkov, one of the people who filed the suit, said, according to Reuters.
The gay community in Russia has suffered a series of setbacks recently. Moscow, Russia's capital and largest city, last week banned gay pride parades for 100 years.
This is not Madonna's first brush with controversy during her international tour, dubbed MDNA. The singer sparked outrage last month at a concert in Paris when she showed a video depicting the leader of the far-right National Front party with a swastika on her forehead.
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