As Justin Bieber can attest to, Selena Gomez is not gay.
But the singer has still been banned from performing in Russia due to her open support of gay and lesbian rights, a major no-no in a nation that recently passed laws against public advocacy of the LGBT community.
According to The Moscow Times, officials have made entry for artists such as Selena more difficult because the country has strict restrictions against the promotion of “nontraditional sexual relationships.â€
In response, Lady Gaga has bashed the Russian government for its “criminal†stance on gay citizens, while Madonna is being sued for her support of the LGBT citizens there.
Gomez had been scheduled to perform in St. Petersburg on September 23 and in Moscow on September 25.
And gay rights activist John Becker, who started a Change.org petition asking Selena to speak out for gay Russians when she took the stage there, is aghast at this development. But also encouraged.
"This cancellation of Selena Gomez’s visa shows that the Russian government is sensitive and on the defense, and shows that the pressure from people all around the world and the backlash against these laws is strong," he said in a statement to E! News. "They’re afraid to have someone like Selena Gomez come in and potentially use her platform to advance LGBT rights."
The Hollywood Gossip