Madonna Sued for Promoting Gay Rights in Russia

Pop star asked concertgoers to support the gay community, but promoting homosexuality to minors in St. Petersburg is illegal

By Rebecca Macatee Aug 20, 2012 3:32 PMTags
MadonnaMIKHAIL METZEL/AFP/GettyImages

Some Russian activists aren't fans of the Material Girl…or equal rights.

During her Aug. 9 concert in St. Petersburg, Madonna asked fans to raise their hands in support of gays and lesbians, according to published reports.

It is, however, illegal to promote homosexuality to minors in St. Petersburg, and the author of the law has pointed out there were kids as young as 12 at the concert in question.

Nine activists have now filed a suit against the pop star, her concert's organizer and the hall where it was held. They're asking for damages totaling 333 million rubles, or about $10.5 million.

Their complaint includes a video taken of the concert that depicts Madonna allegedly stomping on an Orthodox cross and telling her audience to raise their pink armbands in support of the gay community.

Madonna also made headlines by supporting Russian band Pussy Riot earlier this month. Its three members—Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Yekaterina Samutsevich and Maria Alyokhina—were sentenced Friday to two years in jail for "hooliganism" after staging a protest show at a Russian Orthodox cathedral in March.

Clearly Madge and some Russians aren't exactly on the same page.