Russia Bans the Elton John AIDS Foundation
Prosecutors call the nonprofit "undesirable" and accuse it of spreading "propaganda" that undermines Russian "spiritual and moral values."
The Elton John AIDS Foundation has been banned from operating in Russia, deemed by the general prosecutor as an “undesirable” organization that undermines the country’s “traditional spiritual and moral values.”
As a result, the foundation’s staff and partners can be potentially prosecuted for violating Russia’s anti-gay laws prohibiting the dissemination of “propaganda” espousing or depicting “non-traditional sexual relations.”
The foundation, founded by gay British pop superstar Elton John, supports HIV prevention and education programs, provides direct health care and support services to people living with HIV, and works to reduce anti-LGBTQ societal stigma and discrimination.
The organization — which is registered in both the United States and in the U.K. — claims to have raised over $600 million to support HIV-related programs in 95 different countries.
The singer-songwriter has a huge fan base in Russia, where he has performed several sold-out concerts over the years.
The pop icon has also been outspoken about what he sees as government-sanctioned discrimination against LGBTQ people.
In 2014, John published an open letter condemning Russia’s “gay propaganda” law, which was passed under the guise of “protecting” minors from being exposed to expressions of LGBTQ identity or gender nonconformity. The law was later expanded to apply to adults as well.
The prosecutor’s office cast the Elton John AIDS Foundation as undermining Russian societal values.
“When a musician plays along with the promoters of democracy, you get propaganda,” it wrote on its official Telegram channel. “And if Elton John is at the piano, it is not just anti-Russian propaganda. The NGOs actively participate in an information campaign orchestrated by the ‘collective West’ to discredit traditional values and escalate social tensions.”
In a separate statement, the prosecutor’s office accused the foundation of promoting “non-traditional sexual relationships, Western family models, and gender reassignment.”
It accused the foundation of taking part in a Western-influenced campaign to “denigrate Russia” over its invasion of Ukraine. However, it did not offer any evidence to support this charge.
Responding to the accusations, the Elton John AIDS Foundation said that banning the organization from operating in Russia would impede efforts to connect people with HIV with potentially lifesaving care.
“For more than two decades, we have worked in collaboration with federal and non-governmental partners in Russia to provide hundreds of thousands of people with vital HIV services, including testing, treatment, and care,” the foundation’s statement read. “This work is urgent: in 2024, there were over 1.2 million people living with HIV in Russia, with over 430,000 not receiving treatment. Today’s decision…will undoubtedly endanger lives and disrupt critical HIV prevention efforts.”
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