Julia Volkova, one-half of the girl group t.A.T.u., pretended to be a lesbian and watched the group’s status rise, rise, rise. She kissed her bandmate in the name of fame, and later came out as bisexual. So we were slightly taken aback by her very public revelation that she wouldn’t accept a son who came out as gay.

Speaking in a nationally televised interview, she basically smacked all of her gay fans in the face and then drove over them with a bus. Here’s what she said about her fictitious gay son:

I would condemn him, because I believe that a real man must be a real man. God created man for procreation, it is the nature. The man for me is the support, the strength of… I won’t accept a gay son.

She went on to say that men have “no right to be a fag,” but was kind enough to say that gay men are a step above drug addicts.

I have many gay friends. I believe that being gay is still better than murderers, thieves or drug addicts. If you choose out of all this, being gay is a little better than the rest.

WATCH: Julia Volkova’s comments on gay men

http://youtu.be/ropWyV1qrok

We’re disappointed to hear Julia—a former gay icon—talk about the LGBT community in this way. We interpreted her performance at the Sochi Olympics as a veiled message to the Russian government to repeal its draconian anti-LGBT legislation. But obviously we were wrong.

What do you think? Was Julia put on the spot by her interviewer? Do you think she means what she says? Will you be buying any of her music in the future?

UPDATE: Bandmate Lena Katina speaks out!

t.A.T.u. at Eurovision 2003

http://youtu.be/85yOboIpil0

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benin
benin
9 years ago

I think she hates men

WALTER
WALTER
9 years ago

Oh where to start.. well one whenever someone starts out with the words I have many (x) friends (x=gay, black, puerto rican, etc.) you know the next statement is going to be a prejudice as hell. You’d never say that first unless there was something to be defensive about. That being said this is the type of newsspeak theory from RadFems , more specifically TERFS about how everything Woman is perfect and everything male is a sin.. They have to learn they’re never going to bring the movement up by putting the other gender down. There’s a reason why 50%… Read more »

prewitt8
prewitt8
9 years ago

I don’t think julia really hates gays, nor does she love them. she is just a classical case of a sleazy opportunist – 10 years ago when that lesbian thing helped her career she was fine with it, but now when it’s cool to hate homosexuality in russia she hates it too. plus, she must have some issues in her head. a person who does to her face what julia did to hers can’t be competely sane in my opinion.

Ruby
Ruby
9 years ago

I’m very disappointed in her… I thought she was accepting… I thought she loved gays, and supported their rights. Besides, she’s bisexual, so it’s kind of weird saying stuff like that. I loved the 17 year old Julia much better…she was more natural (i’m talking about her behaviour, NOT her looks), she was more kind, cheeky, cheerful…etc. BUT. t.A.T.u., with their music, with their videos, pictures, interviews, with their EVERYTHING, were a very-very big part of my life, and they still are (even if i’m not as obsessed with them than i was a few years ago). I loved them… Read more »

Alex
Alex
9 years ago

@Archeops: The comments section and the article are two separate things. An article espousing a certain position may have many angry comments written against that position.

There is solely one line that pertains to Russia in this article, and while the writer takes a position against a policy of the Russian government in that single line, the article as a whole can hardly be called anti-Russian. The focus is not Russia, but rather Julia’s position. By your logic, the article about Lena Katina is pro-Russian.

Archeops
Archeops
9 years ago

@Thiefo, it’s Ukrainian channel, people who applause to her are Ukrainian.

Fatima
Fatima
9 years ago

It’s like the athlete Yelena Isinbayeva. We all thought she was modern thinking and open minded, but then she made some hugely bigoted an embarrassing remarks at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow. Along with the appalling Katra from Channel 4’s Hunted, we are getting a very bad picture of young (ish) Russian women.

Thiefo
Thiefo
9 years ago

In my opinion, sice apparently both she and Lena were manipulated back in the day to act as lesbians for the sake of publicity, she could very well still be manipulated to say something like this. So I’m not sure if I believe this is exactly what she really thinks. With the situation in Russia as it is right now, I wouldn’t doubt she’s just protecting herself saying something like this. But how can we know? We… can’t, actually.

Archeops
Archeops
9 years ago

Oh, she also said that their Eurovision win was “paid”. Few years later, Channel 1 got a letter, that says that Russia won contest in 2003. O_O

A Random Swede
A Random Swede
9 years ago

Yuck!

Huh
Huh
9 years ago

How is homosexuality even comparable to murderers, thieves, or drug addicts??

Stupid bimbo. You were even the best one in the duo.

Vladimir
Vladimir
9 years ago

This article is not anti-Russian. This woman puts gay people in the same category together with murderers and gay addicts which says everything about her. “I have many gay friends” ? Well, after what she said, she doesn’t have them anymore. With friends like her, her gay friends don’t need enemies.

Archeops
Archeops
9 years ago

@Alex, look at the comments, people express their anger on Russia.

Daniel
Daniel
9 years ago

Strange, just strange, to me it is almost like she said she would have a fish as a pet, but would have no fish bowl.

@ Darren, though funny, I would hope not that she would have gay children because think what would happen for them…it’s all messed up…

Alex
Alex
9 years ago

@Archeops: The article hardly has anything to do with the singer being Russian. She could be from anywhere and her comments would still be problematic.

Archeops
Archeops
9 years ago

Also, she said “America is my home. I like anything what happens here “.

Archeops
Archeops
9 years ago

Another anti-russian article… Surprisingly, no “Putin” in text.

Archeops
Archeops
9 years ago

Another anti-russian article… Surprisingly, “Putin” in text.

Guido
Guido
9 years ago

she had to be russian…

Lanti
Lanti
9 years ago

I find it weird that in the interview she said she’s fine with lesbians but not with gay men, and backs it up by saying that the former look much better than the latter.

Darren
Darren
9 years ago

Seriously hope this vile, bigoted, greedy woman does end up having a gay son, in fact, I hope all her children turn out gay, then she will learn that we are not all bad AND that being gay is not a choice, unless of course, your in it for the money, such as herself. Of course everyone is entitled to there own opinion, but to voice your opinion in such a vile manner as to compare homosexuals to murderers and drug addicts then it is a problem, sorry for all the homosexuals in Russia, both closeted and outed who had… Read more »

Lili
9 years ago

It is disappointing and absolutely bizarre (her logic, that is) what Julia said in that video, but do you have to personally trash her for the lesbian ploy in order to make this story more outrageous? If you’re curious about how she and her bandmate (who were TEENAGERS when they became famous) were abused and manipulated by their disgusting manager, you can go looking for further details, but this post has a brief overview: http://bisexual-books.tumblr.com/post/76024851211/talking-about-t-a-t-u Come on, I thought everyone knew this at this point.

D
D
9 years ago

I would never stop buying an artist’s music just because they said something like this. Not everyone can share your own opinions and since Julia obviously doesn’t share most of the people here’s, I don’t know why we just can’t move along. Not everyone in the world will accept gays, it’s a fact. Sure it’s a sad fact, but it’s true and we should’ve expected this coming from such a conservative country. The fact Tatu exploited lesbianism to sell records drew a red flag for me. I’ve met very nice and accepting Russian people, and I’ve met very traditional Russian… Read more »

Bledar Leka
Bledar Leka
9 years ago

So she pretends to be in a lesbian relationship with her bandmate for the publicity but she would disown her gay son? The hypocrisy of the Russian people everyone (disclaimer: I do not mean every Russian person, as I have been criticised for saying stuff like that)

davve
davve
9 years ago

she can kiss a girl and pretend to be a lesbian to earn money.. but she would not accept a gay son?. a retarded double standard…. russian people are just stupid.