Lady Gaga's Russian promoters fined

[WildestDreams]

Lady Gaga's Russian promoters fined

AAP
November 19, 2013, 1:50 pm

The organisers of Lady Gaga's 2012 show in St Petersburg, Russia have been fined following complaints the gig promoted homosexuality and alcohol consumption.

Officials at a St Petersburg court have ruled the show at the SSK Arena violated a local law against exposing children to harmful information and has fined organisers Planeta Plus 20,000 roubles ($654).

The ruling follows a complaint from a local resident who claimed her 13-year-old daughter was exposed to simulated lesbian sex and advocacy of alcohol consumption when she saw the Born This Way star live last December.

The promoters plan to appeal against the decision, claiming Russian music fans are suffering as a result of the country's controversial anti-homosexuality propaganda laws.

Planeta Plus general director Yevgeny Finkelshtein tells Russian TV network NTV-Petersburg, "We don't agree with this verdict because no one listened to us... Because of these laws against gay propaganda adopted here, because of these cheap publicity tricks, all viewers suffer. Just recently, Peter Gabriel, who has never performed in Russia, refused to come because of this law and because he supported (jailed Russian rockers/activists) Pussy Riot."

Russia's divisive law which bans the promotion of homosexuality to minors was enacted earlier this year, but a similar law was already in place in St Petersburg. There was an attempt to sue Madonna under this law following her show in St Petersburg in August, 2012, but the case was thrown out.