Facing ever-increasing and well-deserved scrutiny for his country’s attitudes to the LGBTI community in the lead up to the Sochi Winter Olympics in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin
has defended his stance on homosexuals in a similar fashion to how some
people think that the racist undertones of whatever misguided and
ignorant point of view they have magically evaporate if they have a
black friend, telling the BBC “I myself know some people who are gay. We are on friendly terms”.
He
went on to speak on behalf of his country, proving once and for all
that, although he introduced vague laws effectively outlawing
homosexuality and banned any and all political protests during the Olympics, he can’t possibly be homophobic, because Russians really like Elton John. Putin called the singer “an outstanding person [and] outstanding musician. Millions of our people sincerely love him despite his orientation.”
Putin said his anti-gay propaganda law “does not offend anyone” – except of course, all the people it has offended in Russia and all over the world – and pointed out that “People
with non-traditional sexual orientation cannot feel like they are
second-rate because they are in no way discriminated against” – except, of course, for all the ways they’ve been discriminated against and made to feel like they are second-rate.
Sir
Elton John himself publicly criticised Russia’s anti-gay laws at a
concert in the country recently. He was Putin On The Ritz at a show in
Moscow in December, where he announced “I am deeply saddened and
shocked over the current legislation that is now in place against the
[homosexual] community here in Russia. In my opinion, it is inhumane and
it is isolating.”
Via ABC News. Lead Image by Jean-Sebastien Evrard via Getty/AFP
