Russian president Vladimir Putin has expanded on his attack on western liberalism on Saturday, using a post-G20 press conference to attack musician and activist Elton John’s criticism of his record on LGBT+ rights.
“They’ve thought up six or five genders – transformers, trans… I don’t even understand what it is myself,” he said. “They need to stop violently imposing their point of view on others.”
Elton John had earlier accused the Russian president of demonstrating hypocrisy in comments he made in an interview with the Financial Times. Mr Putin not only spoke out against the liberal idea and “excessive” homosexuality in general, but also claimed that the west had got Russia wrong when it came to LGBT+ rights and homophobia.
Taking to Twitter, the 72-year-old British superstar shared a picture of him with David Furnish and his two children saying:
“President Putin, ‘I was deeply upset when I read your recent interview in the Financial Times. ‘I strongly disagree with your view that pursuing policies that embrace multicultural and sexual diversity are obsolete in our societies.
‘I find duplicity in your comment that you want LGBT people to “be happy” and that “we have no problem in that”,’ he continued.’ ‘Yet Russian distributors chose to heavily censor my film Rocketman by removing all references to my finding true happiness through my 25 year relationship with David and the raising of my two beautiful sons. ‘This feels like hypocrisy to me.’
John, who has been promoting the biopic film for most of this year, also tweeted: “I am proud to live in a part of the world where our governments have evolved to recognise the universal human right to love whoever we want. ‘And I’m truly grateful for the advancement in government policies that have allowed and legally supported my marriage to David. ‘This has brought us both tremendous comfort and happiness.”
The social media rant by Elton John comes after President Putin said:
“I am not trying to insult anyone because we have been condemned for our alleged homophobia. ‘But we have no problem with LGBT persons. God forbid, let them live as they wish. ‘But some things do appear excessive to us. They claim now that children can play five or six gender roles. ‘Let everyone be happy, we have no problem with that. ‘But this must not be allowed to overshadow the culture, traditions and traditional family values of millions of people making up the core population.”
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