Cher Turned Down Russian Winter Olympics Gig Due to Gay Rights Issues
Monday, 16 September 2013
Written by Elliott Batte
Cher has revealed that she turned down the chance to sing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia in protest at the country's stance on gay rights.
The legendary singer is making her return this year with brand new album ‘Closer to the Truth’, while she’s also ready to hit the road for a world tour next year.
The 67-year-old told Maclean's that she was offered the position of ambassador but instantly turned down the role. Cher said:
"I can't name names but my friend called who is a big oligarch over there, and asked me if I'd like to be an ambassador for the Olympics and open the show. I immediately said no. I want to know why all of this gay hate just exploded over there. He said the Russian people don't feel the way the government does.”
Cher - whose daughter Chaz Bono came out as lesbian and later went on to have surgery to become a man in 2010 - went on to reference difficulties suffered in her early days as part of Sonny and Cher.
“People hated Sonny and I in the early days because we looked and acted so different. Sonny was always getting into fights - people would call him 'fag' and he'd get his nose broken - only because we were dressing different. And these were our street clothes! You can't forget that. We tried getting on TV but the backlash against the networks was so bad, they wouldn't invite us back.”
What do you think of Cher’s decision - do you support it? Leave us a comment in the box below. Meanwhile, we recently reported on Cher’s tour plans for next year - check out our coverage of the story here.
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