I’m Still Standing singer Elton John launched a charity within Russia to raise awareness on the treatment of AIDS, but now officials are cutting ties due to homophobia
Sir Elton John’s foundation to raise awareness of AIDS has been declared “undesirable” by Russian officials.
Veteran musician Sir Elton, 78, has been facing a host of issues following a “meltdown” he had whilst recording his last album. He also has been left fearing for the future, admitting he cried for forty-five minutes when he was thinking about how long he had left to live.
But now, the Are You Ready for Love singer is facing a new challenge, as his humanitarian work is put to the test. Elton’s AIDS foundation in Russia was deemed to be “undesirable” and resulting in the destruction of the country.
A statement from the Russian Prosecutor-General’s office read: “A decision has been made to recognise the activities of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Elton John AIDS Foundation* as undesirable. The organisation was initially established in 1992 in the United States.
“In 1993, already in Great Britain, another NGO with a similar name was registered,” the statement added. “The founder of both is British musician Elton John.”
Non-governmental organisations are companies not tied to any one county, but instead humanitarian missions to help people in need. Elton’s foundation was seen to be breaking stigma on AIDS, working with vulnerable and marginalised communities – such as the LGBTQ+ community and addicts.
However, according to Russian publication Life, the charity was also promoting “non-traditional sexual relations” – as well as the imposition of “Western models of family relations and gender reassignment issues”. As a result of this, the foundation’s links to the LGBTQ+ community are a principle reason for the government’s move.
The outlet went on to say that the AIDS foundation holds “a negative attitude towards the policies of countries that protect traditional spiritual and moral values”. However, this is not the first NGO to be declared undesirable in Russia – as the Kremlin has branded NGOs that receive money from overseas as “foreign agents”.
Previously, the European Leadership Network – an NGO based in London – was also deemed to be unwelcome in Russia. Focusing on European security and fostering unity on issues such as defence, ministers blasted the charity for “promoting an anti-Russian agenda”, largely due to its support for Ukraine.
The LGBTQ+ “movement” has been banned in Russia, with more restrictions on their rights being introduced ever since the propaganda law back in 2013. In the UK, AIDS is becoming more treatable thanks to advancements in medicine and science, as well as work from the likes of Elton John’s foundation.
As well as this, the latest figures revealed that men who have sex with men (MSM) are no longer the dominant demographic with the condition in the UK. Instead, heterosexual women are now more likely to contract HIV – with MSMs and heterosexual men at the same level.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
