Madonna Asked To Cancel Her St. Petersburg Tour Stop In Protest

Written by Instinct Staff | Monday, 19 March 2012

Madonna has been asked to not take her MDNA tour to St. Petersburg, Russia, as planned on August 9. Details follow.

The Russian city has made international headlines for officially prohibiting LGBT congregations and dissemination of gay information in public. It is a Madonna concert we're talking about here, which would be about the closest thing to a Pride St. Pete has seen in years, possibly putting attendees at risk of violation. Activist Masha Gessen took to the New York Times today to ask visitors, companies and artists—specifically Madonna—to boycott St. Petersburg in an act of protest against its new heinous anti-gay law.

Writes Gessen:

I am especially asking you not to go if you are the singer Madonna, who is scheduled to play a concert there on Aug. 9. And if you are Mercedes-Benz or PepsiCo, the two foreign companies that have signed on as partners of this year’s economic forum, scheduled to take place there June 21-23, I am asking you to pull out. And if you are an entrepreneur or an artist or an athlete who has been asked to participate in one of the many conferences and festivals that will take place there this summer, I am asking you to say no. And if you were just planning to visit the city as a tourist during the gorgeous white nights season in May and June, I am asking you to take your vacation someplace else.

The St. Petersburg law was passed by a nominally elected city council and signed by an appointed governor. I doubt the law will be applied widely. More likely, it will be an instrument of selective enforcement: it’s enough to punish a few to frighten the many. The intelligentsia has grumbled about the law, but I am sure it is generally popular. Neither the Russian authorities nor the Russian public see that they stand to lose anything by passing blatantly discriminatory legislation.

This is why I am addressing Madonna and anyone else who was planning to go to St. Petersburg. Please help us show them that they do have something to lose. Tourism makes up an important part of the city’s income. The Canadian foreign ministry has already warned tourists to be wary of the law. The international community should take a step further. Do not go to St. Petersburg.

Think Maddy will give this issue any attention?

(Source: NYT)

Comments (3) Add Comment

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written by kita, March 19, 2012

I hope this isn't true. These people need to get a life you can't stop a force. The movement needs to get started.

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written by GabrielGilFromARGENTINA, March 19, 2012

GO RUSSIAN LGBT!!! WHAT IS THE DEAL!? DO WE NEED TATU TO STEP IN AGAIN AND MAKE A SCENE (I'd Hope lol), GUYS! WE CANT LET THIS HAPPEN!!! MADGE, ACTIVISTS, PEOPLE DO SOMETHING!!!!!! God Bless LGBT in Russia My Prayers For The Show To Go On Start NOW

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written by www.facebook.com/PsychicShawn, March 20, 2012

Has Madonna ever compromised her thoughts, beliefs, actions, or point of view just to please people who are in opposition of her expressions of self ? Or compromised her representation as an artist ? This is the woman whom, when the Vatican verbalized their "opposing" opinion of her "Like a Prayer Video", she made public appearance to express her constitutional right to freedom of speech as well as her right to represent that expression in the manner and form of her choice. Having said that, it is my opinion that whatever she chooses, it will be in favor of what is right and not for selfish purposes.
We have the right to be who we are. It is absolutely cruel and unjust that a person or group of persons be allowed to dictate the rights of the people (or select groups of people,or people who collectively share similar: thought,belief,genetic trait,physical similarity,cultural connection,and/or otherwise connected by birth, by perceived relation or assumed relation, by inheritance of otherwise not specifically noted here where the perceived interpretation may also be termed as "group") whether it is by choice, genetic, self-proclaimed, or otherwise identified (implied as to mean everything, not just GLBT)... People have the right to be who they are and what they are. Equality does not exist when people are treated as if they are wrong when they are born the way they are. Example: I am Italian. I was born that way. What if it was decided that being Italian was illegal ? Why is it that the government has the right to choose ? Where do we draw the line ? It's been known throughout history that when something is banned, forbidden, or illegal...persons who participate or are otherwise involved in that banned/forbidden/illegal implication are going to do it anyway. They just become more private or secretive so they may continue what they feel is right. This only leads to other problems developing in the future. Think about it...

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