Elton John slams Vladimir Putin for gay rights ‘hypocrisy’ over Rocketman censorship

Sir Elton John has slammed Russian Presidnet Vladimir Putin over his claims that his country has ‘no problem’ with LGBT people after Rocketman was faced with censorship in the country.

The Tiny Dancer singer said he was ‘deeply upset’ by an interview the Russian president gave to the Financial Times in which he said liberalism had ‘outlived its purpose’.

The Grammy winner accused Mr Putin of ‘duplicity’ because distributors of the recent Rocketman film ‘heavily’ censored it in Russia to remove references to his husband David Furnish and their family.

Taking to Twitter, the 72-year-old British superstar shared a picture of him, David and their two children with the word ‘Censored’ plastered on it.

With the image, he said: ‘Dear President Putin,

‘I was deeply upset when I read your recent interview in the Financial Times.

‘I strongly disagree with your view that pursuing policies that embrace multicultural and sexual diversity are obsolete in our societies.’

‘I find duplicity in your comment that you want LGBT people to “be happy” and that “we have no problem in that”,’ he continued.’

‘Yet Russian distributors chose to heavily censor my film Rocketman by removing all references to my finding true happiness through my 25 year relationship with David and the raising of my two beautiful sons.

‘This feels like hypocrisy to me.’

The star, who has been promoting the biopic film for most of this year, also tweeted: ‘I am proud to live in a part of the world where our governments have evolved to recognise the universal human right to love whoever we want.

‘And I’m truly grateful for the advancement in government policies that have allowed and legally supported my marriage to David.

‘This has brought us both tremendous comfort and happiness.’

He signed off the tweet with the hashtags #LOVEISLOVE and #WORLDPRIDE and added a reference to the Twitter account for the Elton John Aids Foundation.

Elton’s social media activity comes after Mr Putin told FT: ‘I am not trying to insult anyone because we have been condemned for our alleged homophobia.

‘But we have no problem with LGBT persons. God forbid, let them live as they wish.

‘But some things do appear excessive to us. They claim now that children can play five or six gender roles.

‘Let everyone be happy, we have no problem with that.

‘But this must not be allowed to overshadow the culture, traditions and traditional family values of millions of people making up the core population.’