Culture

Watch: t.A.T.u. singer apologise for saying she ‘condemns’ gays… kind of

Sep 23 2014
Written by Joseph McCormick

One member of Russian band t.A.T.u. has now apparently apologised for saying that she “would condemn” her son if he was gay, on a recent talk show.

Julia Volkova, who has previously identified as bisexual herself, last week spoke on talk show ‘Lie Detector’, that say she “would condemn” her son if he came out as gay, but that women should have the “freedom” to be lesbians, frighteningly to applause from the audience.

In this latest video, she addresses her gay fans, saying: “I want to say so much to you today, but I think we all need to wait a little bit. I will tell you, but I want to say that it is impossible to love each other and then just forget everything. It is impossible. And I am very happy to see those people here today with whom this relationship survived. And this relationship will go a long long time no matter what.

“The only thing that is important is feeling inside. Its important to hear and to understand and to feel. I love you very much, honestly, and I never said I don’t. I want us to save this love and move on. There are very few truly happy people in this world. Let us create happiness, like we created a long time ago.”

Volkova’s bandmate Lena Katina condemned Volkova last week, saying: “I can say one thing: God is teaching us to live in love, to be tolerant and not to judge other people! And I do so!”

The band t.A.T.u officially split in 2011, but have since re-united on a number of occasions, and have previously spoken out in favour of LGBT rights.

Last August, Lena said the anti-gay laws in Russia were “weird” because “a lot of people from the government with the big positions are gay”.

As the country’s most successful pop act, they also entered Eurovision for Russia in 2003, and performed as an interval act in 2009, where they sang with the Russian Army Choir in front of a giant pink tank decorated with flowers.

Bandmate Lena has previously confirmed she is straight, and that the band’s lesbian image is an “act”.