Last week, she faced controversy after she openly condemned the conviction of Russia’s political punk group Pussy Riot. Now, she is being sued by anti-gay activists for $10 million for “moral damage suffered by St Petersburg residents” during a recent concert.
Alexander Pochuyev, the lawyer representing the activists, said concertgoers have suffered "psychological stress and emotional shock" because of her “promotion” of homosexuality.
"Maybe someone does not see the link but after Madonna's concert maybe some boy becomes gay, some girl becomes lesbian, fewer children are born as a result and this big country cannot defend its borders — for me it causes moral suffering," said Alexei Kolotkov, one of the suing parties, Reuters reported.
Russia has strict laws surrounding homosexuality. Earlier this year, St. Petersburg passed a law that bans “propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, and pedophilia to minors.” Last week, another law was passed in Moscow that will ban gay pride parades for 100 years.
During her St. Petersburg concert, Madonna asked the 25,000 person crowd to hold up their arms "to show your love and appreciation of the gay community."
The 54-year-old pop star has repeatedly spoken about her political views throughout her tour. Last week in a concert in Moscow, she called for support for Pussy Riot by dancing in lingerie and revealing the bands name written on her back.
After the band was sentenced to a two-year jail term, she released an official statement where she called the sentence “inhumane” and said: “I call on all those who love freedom to condemn this unjust punishment. They've spent enough time in jail. I call on ALL of Russia to let Pussy Riot go free."
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