RUSSIAN GROUPS SEEK TO BAR GAY WESTERN CELEBRITIES

Openly gay performers and other celebrities supporting gay rights may find themselves barred from entry into Russia under the recent ban on “homosexual propaganda” if conservative groups in the country have their way. On Wednesday Reuters reported that a Russian “parents’ committee” has demanded that President Putin cancel a scheduled concert by Elton John, saying that he “intends to come out in support of local sodomites and break the current Russian law, directed at protecting children.” John had told Britain’s Guardian newspaper earlier this month that he would “support the gay community” in Russia during his concerts there. He last performed in Russia in July, rejecting demands that he not wear his flamboyant costumes, which Russian groups said were part of his propaganda agenda to promote the “homosexual lifestyle.”