Elton John slams Vladimir Putin's 'hypocrisy' over comments on LGBTQ people

Music legend Elton John has criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin for his statement where he said LGBTQ culture is "excessive" for the country's heterosexual culture.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Putin said the country has a problem with LGBTQ people as they pose a threat to Russia's "culture, traditions and traditional family values of millions of people making up the core population".

"I am not trying to insult anyone because we have been condemned for our alleged homophobia. But we have no problem with LGBT persons. God forbid, let them live as they wish.

"But some things do appear excessive to us. They claim now that children can play five or six gender roles," Putin said.

Responding to the Russian President, John, in a Twitter thread, said he is "deeply upset" with him and added that he disagrees with his views as he raked up the recent row over the censorship of "Rocketman" gay scenes by the country's distributors.

"I find duplicity in your comment that you want LGBT people to 'be happy' and that 'we have no problem in that'. Yet Russian distributors chose to heavily censor my film 'Rocketman' by removing all references to my finding true happiness through my 25 year relationship with David (Furnish) and the raising of my two beautiful sons.

"This feels like hypocrisy to me. I am proud to live in a part of the world where our governments have evolved to recognise the universal human right to love whoever we want," John wrote, while also sharing a photo of his with Furnish and their two kids.

The singer added that he was "grateful" to live in a world that has started to recognise same-sex love and marriage.

"I'm truly grateful for the advancement in government policies that have allowed and legally supported my marriage to David. This has brought us both tremendous comfort and happiness," John said.