“We should, en masse, go to Moscow next year if they'll have us,” declared Elton John in an interview published by the Observer on November 11, 2006. “We want you,” chanted Russian Gay activists.

While Nikolai Alekseev, the organiser of the first Moscow Pride last May, was in London to receive an award for his courage in challenging homophobia in Russia and beyond from the British Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association, the British newspaper, The Observer choose to reveal yesterday morning that Elton John and Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears plan to take part in a gay pride concert next year in Moscow.

“The idea for a 'Gay Pride' concert in Moscow would be a brilliant idea” said Elton John in The Observer. Sir Elton John sees in the concert a good way of working against the “huge anti gay movement” that exists in Russia. Jake Shears would like The Pet Shop Boys to join him and Elton John.

On their side, organisers of the Moscow Pride said November 12, 2006 that they would like to include Georges Michael to the event as well as some gay friendly Russian artists.

“You can trust Elton to speak out against homophobia,” British gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell of Outrage! said. “He doesn’t put up with bigoted nonsense. It is great to see him becoming increasingly committed to defending gay human rights worldwide. I would love Elton to one day write a catchy, popular gay anthem that hits number one around the globe.

“Perhaps he could premiere it at Moscow Pride 2007,” Mr. Tatchell suggested. “Elton’s music has the potential to be a powerful force for gay emancipation. (Such a concert) would have a huge and positive impact on Russian public opinion; helping to breakdown ignorance and prejudice.

“For beleaguered Russian gays and lesbians it would be a great morale booster. Such a concert could help put gay rights centre stage in Russia,” Mr. Tatchell concluded..

Sir Elton John’s support to Eastern European gay activists is not new. In July 2005, he signed an article in the Guardian about growing homophobia in Europe. A year later, he was the patron of the London EuroPride that put on the spotlight the organizers of LGBT events in Eastern Europe.

Then, when he appeared at the Sopot Festival in Poland in September 2006 he said during the concert: “I’m just a performer who plays people some music. I hope that my music helps people to forget about their problems for few hours. But I'm also a gay man and I've heard that gay people face violence in Poland. Leave us [gays] alone. We don't want to harm anybody. We just want to love and be loved.”

Earlier, in May 2006, Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov banned a march that was scheduled to be the first-ever Moscow Gay Pride. Despite the official ban, backed by local court, the organisers took the streets in Moscow where they were bashed by groups of fascist, skinheads, orthodox priests before being arrested by the police.

In addition, Member of the German Bundestag, Volker Beck, was injured before to be briefly detained by the police. Next year, the organisers plan a different approach to combat homophobia in the Russian society.

“A big concert in which international stars will ‘party’ with Muscovites, regardless of their sexual orientations ... we will see how many people will attend such an event in Moscow which will become a real barometer of tolerance in Russian society” said Mr. Alekseev.

He said the interest of Elton John for a Gay Pride concert in Moscow has already generated the interest of several sponsors.

Sir Elton’s desire to come to Moscow to promote gay rights contrasts with the recent venue of gay icon Madonna in the Russian capital. The diva generated mitigated reactions within the gay community after she publicly thanked the mayor of Moscow for his support in organizing her concert and did not use the opportunity to say a word of support in favour of gay rights.

“What we should be doing as musicians is trying to bring people together. The idea for a ‘Gay Pride’ concert in Moscow is a brilliant idea” said Elton John in the interview with “The Observer”. This event is not about making a good deal” emphasized Alekseev. “We just want to create a popular event to invite straight people to come to party with us and see that we are, in fact, not different,” he added.

Asked whether the concert might take place in Red Square, Nikolai Alekseev said: “I know they would like to sing in this symbolical place. But it’s really not that big. Luzhniki stadium would be more appropriate for such party.”

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