Russian pop group t.A.T.u have been officially broken up for a few years, but singer Yulia Volkova found her way back into the spotlight last week with some harsh, homophobic comments.
In case you missed them, here's a quick recap:
A journalist asked Volkova if she would condemn a hypothetical gay son. "Yes, I would condemn him," she replied. "Because I believe that a real man must be a real man."
But that view only concerns males. She's fine with lesbian couples.
"I think for men it's a bad freedom," she said. "In our time, there is a very large number of frivolous girls (and a man can be with a large number of these girls). This is freedom for men.
"And a man has no right to be a f--. Two girls together — not the same thing as the two men together. It seems to me that lesbians look aesthetically much nicer than two men holding their hands or kissing."
Obviously, all of this created some serious backlash, and former t.A.T.u. partner Lena Katina decided to speak out via Facebook:
Hey, all! I am seeing some comments lately regarding my position about LGBT and my religion. I can say one thing: God is teaching us to live in love, to be tolerant and not to judge other people! And I do so! Love is love and it is a wonderful feeling! I think everybody should be free to love who they love and be with who they want to spend their life with! Xoxo
(via Digital Spy)
The group toured from 1999 to 2011 before briefly reuniting earlier this year for a one-off gig at the Sochi Olympics.
Their 2002 debut, 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane, hit No. 13 in the United States, but they never came close to that chart success with their following releases. 200 km/h spawned the hit single "All The Things She Said," which featured Katina and Volkova kissing in the music video (neither singer is openly gay).
