Wednesday, December 11, 2013 4:07pm ET by  
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Sir Elton John writes open letter about Russian concerts: 'I know I made the right decision'

Music icon Sir Elton John interrupted his concert in Moscow on December 6 to attack Russia's anti-gay laws and he has now written an open letter, in which he explains his reasons for performing in the country. 

He performed in both Moscow and Kazan on December 6 and 7 respectively, and met with gay and HIV rights activists while he was there. In the open letter, which he posted via his Elton John AIDS Foundation, the star confessed that he simply needed to go there and to speak out against the injustices taking place:

"In Moscow I spent hours with gay activists, Federal doctors, human rights lawyers and people living with HIV. They told me that since the new legislation has been adopted it’s getting harder and harder to deliver basic HIV information or healthcare to gay men for fear of seeming to ‘promote’ homosexuality, which is against the law. Gay people lie even to their children about their sexuality, in case it jeopardises their families."

"That night at my concert I made a statement, directly to the audience, about how sad, shocking and isolating this new law seemed to be. A young woman with a rainbow banner cheered. I realised then, with thousands of Russians cheering for a man they knew to be gay, that I had made the right decision."

He went on to address the forthcoming Winter Olympics and urged figureheads to attend instead of boycotting it so that they can voice their opinions from the event, as changes have to be made:

"As the Winter Olympics approaches, I know lots of sportsmen and artists are facing the same choice that I faced. I realise not everyone will share my view. But personally I hope and pray that prominent people will go to Russia and challenge the wrong thinking of this law. It breeds isolation, mistrust and hate, and cannot be how Russia wants to be known by the world."

 

 

 

 

 

Watch Gaga talk about boycotting Russia's Winter Olympics below: