Being gay in Russia isn’t easy, there is a new law passed in 2013 against gay ‘propaganda’ which includes any ‘demonstration of nontraditional sexual attitudes’, and since, violent attacks on gays or ‘suspect gays’ have become commonplace… the problem is that Russian lawmakers also have a tendency to assimilate homosexual behavior to pedophilia and this doesn’t help, Russia has now declared a war on gays… Well, Elton John wants to change all this, and the famous singer has offered to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin to discuss gay rights in his country!
While speaking to BBC News, John said ‘I would like to meet [Mr Putin],’ ‘It’s probably pie in the sky… He may laugh behind my back when he shuts the door, and call me an absolute idiot, but at least I can think I have the conscience to say I tried.’ At least he is realistic! ‘Give me a break,’ said Elton John. “You are President of Russia, and you go and say stupid things like that?’ I guess he is preparing himself when he has the big meeting with the president whose anti-gay attitude is ‘isolating and prejudiced’ and ‘ridiculous’, according to John.
Of course it’s ridiculous, but a lot of things are plain ridiculous in Russia, sorry for my politically incorrect attitude once again but it is a fact. Russia is a weird and tough country if you believe the statistics. I have gathered a few of them for your entertainment: For example, the life expectancy for men in Russia is 64! One out of four Russian men die before they reach 55 year-old, can you believe it? In 2012, Puttin was elected for a third term and one region registered a voting turnout of 146%… errr? The predominant religion is Christianity and it is said that Islam was rejected because of its prohibition of alcohol, of course Russians love their vodka very much. In 2007, the country averaged 25.2 traffic fatalities per 100,000 people, compared to 13.9 per 100,000 in the U.S., where there are six times more cars, it’s such a dangerous place. Plus it’s corrupted at every level, rich people hire fake ambulances to beat the traffic which is absolutely awful (sources, the Guardian, Gawker, Business Insider, the Huffington Post…). They have other strange laws like the one which came into force that bans the use of profanity in theaters, film and other cultural events. Even Russian bloggers are forbidden to use profanity or they will face fines.
At the top of this, it is horribly cold, there are bears everywhere, but despite all the problems, Putin is venerated like a god by most people… what can I say, it is a very weird and fucked up country with a completely different set of mind. So good luck to Elton John, he may have the best intentions but his talk with Putin will certainly be like talking to a wall, a very solid wall… and the rumors generated by all these homo-erotico pictures of Putin – this guy is always half-naked by these crazy temperatures – aren’t helping, there is nothing more stubborn and unreasonable than a gay in the closet.