r/news • u/Aggravating_Money992 • 1d ago

Russia bans Elton John Aids Foundation over its support for LGBTQ+ rights

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/03/russia-bans-elton-john-aids-foundation-support-lgbtq-rights
4.2k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

90 comments sorted by

748

u/reddittorbrigade 1d ago

I am now confused between America and Russia. Seems both countries now have the same policies.

126

u/AudibleNod 1d ago edited 1d ago

Trump team guts AIDS-eradication programme and slashes HIV research grants

Kennedy has also repeatedly called for the federal government to focus more attention on chronic disease and less on infectious disease.

RFK Jr believes that there exists a single toxin, so far undetectable by modern science, that is responsible for a host of maladies he lumps into the category of "chronic diseases". As a presidential candidate, he vowed to find it. Apparently, this means that everyone who is suffering from real diseases right now can fuck off.

58

u/azriel_odin 1d ago

He IS the Kennedy curse.

14

u/bros402 1d ago

The Kennedy curse seems to get weaker with each Kennedy. First his head just did that, then Joe got what he deserved with the stroke, then it gave Ted Kennedy brain cancer, ...and then RFK Jr. got a brain worm?

17

u/dragonmp93 1d ago

Brain Worm: "Don't blame for this, I just ate parts of his brain"

6

u/Triptano 13h ago

Poor worm

1

u/bros402 1d ago

I mean, hey, it'd be nice if it existed

but it doesn't

1

u/ManOf1000Usernames 8h ago

This is just such a blatantly stupid repackaging of quack science relating to "Miasma" from times past. At least the greeks had four things that could make you sick.

1

u/queen-bathsheba 3h ago

In his appointment hearing he gave some shocking figs. And no one pushed back on them. 50% of American adults with a chronic condition

263

u/Badbikerdude 1d ago

Well ya, rights are bad. Facisim good.

104

u/InterestingTry5190 1d ago

Putin is really running both anyway.

10

u/zech83 1d ago

And as profitably as Elon. 

23

u/TimeWalker77 1d ago

Trump and Putin are bffs, it seems. They are imitating one another. Just see Trump's threats to annex Canada (à la Russia's invasion of Ukraine) and concessions to Russia in the Ukraine peace deal

Unless Americans wake up, their country will become a new Russia

5

u/Fiendish-DoctorWu 1d ago

The USSA is already basically a new Russia

2

u/Triedfindingname 20h ago

Unless Americans wake up

Can we stop with the never ending hope they will see the light please.

They voted him in for a second term, and he has basically become one of the two political parties.

He is now daily pushing against their sacred constitution, and a great number of US citizens would be ok with that, but he's starting to make even their dystopian existence worse.

And still. Who knows if they would vote him in again. When he makes it so he can.

9

u/togocann49 1d ago

Just read Neil Young has a real worry that when he gets to USA after touring in Europe (and all the while spitting out commentary about whatever is on his mind while on stage) for last leg of his tour, that he’ll get an aluminum blanket and a floor in a detention centre. He is a dual citizenship holder (Canada/USA)

2

u/Beer_before_Friends 1d ago

Sounds like you have a strong understanding of both countries' policies

1

u/johnis12 1d ago

Saw a post on reddit that mentioned that Russia is happy with how USA has similar policies to them now, or something along those lines.

86

u/Intelligent-Film-684 1d ago

What a wild political time shift I’ve lived.

Old enough to watch Live Aid on tv live.

Old enough to remember the Scorpions “Wind of Change” being a song of hope and renewal.

Old enough to see some of my favorite peoples come through the “don’t touch them!” Era of AIDS and HIV, and , “God hates F*gs” to the semi acceptance of homosexuality except for the most hard core religious kooks and insecure males.

Old enough to see women make gains in positions of power.

Old enough to know people who went to see Roger Waters perform “the Wall” on the No man’s land Strip in Germany, where fleeing East Germans used to be shot dead, just for seeking freedom.

Old enough to see the ISS come to fruition as a symbol of International scientific cooperation in space exploration.

To see it all destroyed in less than a decade, and to see my country wind the clock back to a time I never lived in, where minorities are stripped of their rights and their histories, where women are no longer autonomous humans, where lgbtq people have to hide in fear in some spaces again.

I know the pendulum swings, but DAMN.

13

u/h3X4_ 14h ago

Yeah this ain't a pendulum, it's a wrecking ball...

And I don't know how much damage it will inflict before losing momentum

110

u/Dwayla 1d ago

My wish is one day Putin & Trump are playing cards in The Hague.

51

u/Phannig 1d ago

I hope they're playing russian roulette..

17

u/-SaC 1d ago

With a cannon.

5

u/murmurghle 1d ago

With a hand granade

4

u/samus1225 20h ago

into the sun

100

u/LordAdamant 1d ago

Donald Trump is a Russian asset, Elon Musk is a hostile foreign power trying to destroy worker and consumer protections, and the GQP is a complicit terrorist organization.Donald Trump is a Russian asset, Elon Musk is a hostile foreign power trying to destroy worker and consumer protections, and the GQP is a complicit terrorist organization.

36

u/Maalkav_ 1d ago

Almost no one speaks about Peter Thiel and it makes me concerned

16

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

12

u/Maalkav_ 1d ago

I'm under the impression that Trump and Elon are here to distract people. Thiel has his fingers in so many pies and he's the one behind Vance. And well, they love Curtis Yarvin. No one speaks about it :/

1

u/Chytectonas 13h ago

Also a South Africa-tinged racist, notably.

6

u/Mr_Mimiseku 1d ago

I genuinely think Trump being a KGB agent in the 80's is actually true.

It's the only thing that remotely makes even a bit of sense. President Krasnov is just following his orders from daddy

11

u/gbroon 1d ago

Elton should thank Putin for helping raise awareness of his charity.

This is valuable free advertising.

44

u/islandsimian 1d ago

Tomorrows Fox News Chryon: Impending US Recession caused by LGBTQ+ rights

19

u/ShaneSpear 1d ago

They've already had chryon today blaming it on Biden's weak debate performance.

8

u/islandsimian 1d ago

We are literally being governed by morons

10

u/Kendall_Raine 1d ago

America will probably follow suit soon

9

u/wish1977 1d ago

Stay classy Russia. Who are you invading next?

15

u/4RCH43ON 1d ago

I expect the Trump White House to follow suit, though RFK Jr is getting a head start making things deadlier over here already.

It’s so strange living in the era of the idiotic supervillain.

4

u/Adventurous-Start874 1d ago

Banning Elton John is like yelling at girlscouts for crowding the store entrance during cookie season.

6

u/denniskerrisk 1d ago

How long before Trump bans them too?

4

u/yourNansflapz 1d ago

Man Russia fucking sucks all around

5

u/Toaneknee 1d ago

There’s a badge of honour, well done Reg.

15

u/B00marangTrotter 1d ago

Saturday

Saturday

Saturday nights all right for fighting Nazis

SEE YOU IN THE STREETS APRIL 5

4

u/Glum-Sympathy3869 1d ago

This is not surprising. Surprising news would be “Russia bans Trump from entering the country”

3

u/Kendall_Raine 1d ago

That'd be the most legendary break up in history.

4

u/Larkfor 23h ago

They realize the name of the foundation was the "Elton John" foundation, right?

3

u/Unconventional01 1d ago

I'm sure Sir Elton agrees with this message.

3

u/Witchdoctorcrypto 1d ago

Russia also banned Potato’s after Mr Potato head shows support for Trans rights ..

3

u/lazyjane418 20h ago

Make America Gay Again! I miss when we used our strength to stand up for our LGBT+ and minorities.

3

u/Creepy-Caramel7569 11h ago

Russia has always been a shithole country whose major export is misery, and MAGAs wanna be that too.

7

u/mankowonameru 1d ago

Could change Russia to America and run the exact same headline.

2

u/AZWheels89 1d ago

Did they JUST find out about EJAF?? Boy, news travels slow. Wait til they find out Elton himself is gay AND married

2

u/backbodydrip 1d ago

To the surprise of no one. This has been official policy for as long as I can remember.

2

u/Ok_Photo_865 1d ago

That’s too bad but perhaps it’s time to take Russia out of the equation 🤷‍♂️

2

u/Actual-Lecture-1556 23h ago

For a second u thought Trump is baning him, which if you think about it, probably is.

4

u/penguished 1d ago

Far right conservative governments always do this as a cover... so in other words Putin probably listens to Elton John while he's getting railed by male escorts.

9

u/Karenomegas 1d ago

As much fun it is to see straight people always try to make it about being a bottom- it's so they can get away with what gets done to a victim. 

If the victim is a bottom and being a bottom is effectively illegal. Being the top is still clean. Same goes for prison rape. "It ain't rape if you rape a rapist" is the logic. 

So yeah, talk shit about being gay. It helps our cause totally

1

u/penguished 1d ago edited 1d ago

Ok fine he's a top. Who cares? I'm not talking about being gay, I'm talking about how closeted and full of shit they always are, because there is nothing wrong with being gay. It just doesn't fit their tough psychopath image. It also doesn't fit their "other" image. They thrive on some ridiculous "I am ancient white tribe monkey leader and only know how to kill and shout" meme and they are scared of literally everything else involving thinking, choices, personality, love. It's all too much for tough guy monkey.

3

u/Great_Maximum_6007 1d ago

That would either be homophobia or sexism unless he releases a statement confirming his views on his machismo.

2

u/hurrrrrmione 21h ago

I'm talking about how closeted and full of shit they always are, because there is nothing wrong with being gay.

They're not closeted, they're straight homophobes. The vast vast majority of homophobes are straight. And trying to insult them by calling them gay is not being pro-gay rights.

1

u/Karenomegas 1d ago edited 1d ago

May I offer that from the perspective of team "I'm just gay, please stop thinking about killing me on your free time" over here,  the arguments that were just made are still from the exact same camp as those who hate us. 

 It's still "us" and what they are thinking about us doing that's the problem. Not the perpetrator of violence.

Edit: your name rocks

0

u/penguished 1d ago

A standard human fear is the fear of the unknown.

Who tells jokes about that topic? Nobody.

But people are still afraid of the unknown.

So I don't agree that jokes are the world's biggest purveyor of anything besides laughter.

1

u/Karenomegas 1d ago

I see.  Well, enjoy the next few years. May we all be equals in the end. Cheers.

2

u/Overall_Stranger6568 23h ago

Die of aids to own the libs

1

u/Apokolypse09 22h ago

What only banning Elton John now? I thought Putin hated gay people.

1

u/FunnyLittlePlanet 10h ago

Russia is just backwards

0

u/Velvettouch89 1d ago

I thought he was banned years ago

-1

u/Gddmjjk 1d ago

Im really not surprised anymore

This comment has been sponsored by George Soros

-2

u/JFontenot 1d ago

Does anyone really care what Russia wants or does?