‘Things change’: Elton John compares Ireland’s abortion win to the fight against AIDS
Elton John. (Getty)
LGBT icon Elton John has said that Ireland’s vote to overturn the country’s abortion ban shows how people can ‘change their mind’ – equating the momentous victory to the fight against AIDS in Ukraine.
Musical legend Elton John has spoke out about the referendum result at an event in Ukraine organised by the Elena Pinchuk Foundation, which works to fight AIDs in the country.
“Believe me, I love this country. We will do everything we can to continue the fight against AIDS,” John said, as reported by Reuters.
“It takes a long time for things to happen as I said,” he added. “Look what just happened in Ireland: the vote for abortion. Things change. People … they change their mind.
“And with a younger generation coming up, they are different kind of people, and they’re our future.”
The Republic of Ireland’s referendum on Friday resulted in a landslide win for the ‘Yes’ campaign, with 66.4 percent of voters opting to reform the Republic of Ireland’s harsh abortion laws.
The overwhelming majority vote was lauded by members of the LGBT community, including Ireland’s openly gay prime minister Leo Varadkar, who described the vote as a “quiet revolution” and a “great act of democracy” on Twitter.
Elton John and husband David Furnish at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding earlier this month. (IAN WEST/AFP/Getty Images)
John has been a vocal supporter of LGBT rights in Ukraine over the years.
In 2015, he congratulated Ukraine on passing a landmark LGBT anti-discrimination law, having previously criticised draft anti-gay laws that were being considered by politicians in the country, before they were eventually shelved.
The law bans workplace discrimination on the basis of “race, colour, political, religious and other beliefs, sex gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic, social and foreign origin, age, health, disability or suspected presence of HIV/AIDS, family and property status, family responsibilities, place of residence, or participation in a strike.”
Elton John (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for NARAS)
Back in 2012, he performed at a concert for the Elena Pinchuk Foundation with Queen + Adam Lambert.
And, in 2009, the singer-songwriter spoke out about his desire to adopt a baby in the country.
The singer has did not make an adoption application, but admitted that a 14-month-old boy he met while visiting an orphanage in the country had “stolen [his] heart” and changed his mind about adopting a child.
However, his civil partnership with now-husband David Furnish was not recognised by Ukraine as a marriage – and he was too old to adopt under the nation’s laws.
