Maroon 5 announced late last week that they are canceling their North Carolina concert:
We don’t want to penalize our fans in North Carolina by not performing for them, but in the end it comes down to what we feel is morally right.
It all comes down to what is morally right. Sounds good, doesn’t it?
And yet…
A quick look at the band’s Web site shows that on June 3, 2016, they are headed to Moscow, to perform at the Olimpiskiy Arena.
So let’s get this straight: Maroon 5 cancels their concert in North Carolina, making a statement about their social consciousness and not supporting anti-gay discrimination. And then they are going to Moscow in two weeks. That is, they are going to the one of the most homophobic countries outside of the Muslim world.
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In 2013, Russia adopted a so called “gay propaganda law,” which made it a crime to even speak out in favor of rights for same-sex couples.
Russian citizens or businesses that are found guilty of spreading “gay propaganda” (the definition is so vague that it can be anything) can be forced to pay large fines. Foreigners may be arrested and detained as well.
It’s not like any of this is a secret. Many people, including celebrities and performers, called for boycott of the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Can someone please remind Maroon 5 about this law, and about the attacks against gays in Russia, so that their upcoming show doesn’t look quite so hypocritical?
