Russian parents against Elton John performance

MOSCOW - Reuters

Singer Elton John will perfom in Moscow and Kazan on Dec 6 and 7. AFP photo

A Russian parents’ committee has asked President Vladimir Putin to cancel a planned concert by gay musician Elton John, saying he intended to violate a ban on “homosexual propaganda.”

In an open letter to Putin, the local parents’ group in central Ural region was reported by media as saying: “The singer intends to come out in support of local sodomites and break the current Russian law, directed at protecting children.”

Critics say the law banning gay “propaganda” among minors, which has prompted calls for a boycott of Russia’s hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics, is discriminatory, barring people from being open about their sexual orientation.

One of the world’s most prominent gay celebrities, John will perform on Dec. 6 in Moscow and Dec. 7 in Kazan.