Faux lesbian duo tATu will perform during Sochi Opening Ceremony

UPDATE: Click here to watch their performance.

The Opening Ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi are getting closer by the minute. We’re not just looking forward to the parade of nations. We’re also excited–and pretty befuddled–that notorious faux lesbian duo tATu will be one of the opening numbers.

The confirmation that they’ll participate  comes amid ongoing furor over legislation limiting gay rights and, in the words of officials, “pro-gay propaganda.”

Russia may have selected tATu, Russia’s 2003 Eurovision contestants, in an orchestrated effort to show they are in some way down with the lesbians. But it’s also likely that organizers made the choice based on the group’s immense popularity.

Either way, these two ladies sure are controversial. The duo will forever be known to the European public for the strong and very deliberate insinuation that they were lesbians in a same-sex relationship. In case you don’t remember, please refer to the famous kiss from the ‘All the Things She Said’ video, and the fact the ladies were caught kissing on stage and in various live-performances. Repeatedly.

But it all turned out to be a homoerotic performance. They’re not into ladies, y’all.

In some ways they are an obvious choice for Russia, which is keen to show off its cultural and historical influence on the rest of the world. It’s been 11 years since their participation at Eurovision and they have come a long way. Yulia gave birth to a son in 2004 and both are working hard on their solo careers. The highbrow among you may see shades of Russia’s economic and geopolitical clout in the group’s personal development.

Konstantin Ernst, the producer of the Opening Ceremony, told local reporters that the group will perform their early hit ‘Not gonna get us’ because it’s motivating for athletes. We also suspect it’s less offensive to anti-gay officials, who might have turned red if the women reenacted their lesbian kiss as they sang ‘All the Things She Said’.

We’re still hoping they’ll reprise their Eurovision number “Ne Ver Ne Boysia Ne Prosi” (Don’t Believe, Don’t Be Afraid). Surely that would inspire athletes–and Russia’s LGBT community.

http://youtu.be/w7NjoIWQCRE

Daphne Dee contributed this report from Belgium. Follow her on Twitter @JacinthaD1. You can also keep up-to-date with the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page