Madonna Sued for 10.5 Million by Angry Russian Conservatives

Madonna is being sued for 10.5 million dollars by an angry group of Russian conservative activists.  Madonna angered the group by publicly speaking out for gay rights during an August 9th concert in St. Petersburg.

Madonna has been an increasingly unpopular figure among Russian conservatives on the back of her LGBT rights campaign and her public plea for Russian authorities to show leinancy to Russian Punk group Pussy Riot.  Representatives of the conservative group behind the lawsuit say that Madonna ignored warnings to obey local laws that forbid the "promotion" of homosexuality, so now they will see if she can be financially persuaded to behave appropriately.

It's often difficult to tell the difference between The Material Girl's sincere efforts to affect change and her publicity stunts, but hopefully, if nothing else, all the noise being made by celebrities and international protests will prompt positive changes to Russia's draconian homophobic laws and general civil rights abuses.

From The Guardian:

A group of Russian anti-gay activists are suing American pop starMadonna for $10m, saying she had insulted their feelings when she spoke out for gay rights at a concert in St Petersburg last week.

Performing in black lingerie with the words "No Fear" scrawled on her back, Madonna attacked a city law adopted in March that imposes fines for spreading homosexual "propaganda". She had earlier called the law a "ridiculous atrocity".

Homosexuality, punished with jail terms in the Soviet Union, was decriminalised in Russia in 1993, but much of the gay community remains underground as prejudice runs deep.

"She had been warned with words that she should behave in line with the law and she ignored it. So we will speak in the language of money," said Darya Dedova, one of the 10 activists who filed the lawsuit in a St Petersburg court.

"Of course, it is difficult to measure moral damages and suffering but maybe people who earn money regardless of moral rules will better understand this."

Dedova added that if they won the case, the money would be sent to orphanages.

photo credit: madonna.com