Selena Gomez: Gay Rights Hero And Brave Martyr To The Cause!

Pop star Selena Gomez was forced to cancel two concerts in Russia today after government officials denied her visa, reportedly related to stricter transit laws for foreign artists linked to the country's controversial anti-gay legislation.
The singer had been slated to perform at St. Petersburg's Ice Palace on Sept. 23 and Moscow's Olimpiisky Stadium on Sept. 25.
Prior to the cancellation of these two shows, Gomez was facing pressure to take a stand on LGBT rights in the former Soviet Union as the subject of a Change.org petition. The petition called on Gomez to speak out and "let LGBT folks in Russia know that we stand with them, and that they are not alone." It reached over 1,000 signatures before the news of Gomez's denied visa became public.
John Becker, petition author and LGBT blogger at Bilerico, said in a statement to The Huffington Post: 

Huffpost Gay Voices.

BZZT!!!
There is no evidence that Selena was denied a visa because of her support for gay rights.
This would be more than a little odd as her vocal support of gay rights is somewhere between hardly-anything and fuck-all.
Yet, Elton John's playing in December.
Okay, that figures...
Maybe it's true - Russia certainly has its fair share of nutty politicos and bureaucrats - but Fagburn somehow doubts the Russian visa office or security services closely monitor and taks notice of online petitions - even one with a whopping 1,000 signatures.
John Becker's argument is circular and nonsensical; he claims this shows Russia is now on the defensive after criticism of its "anti-gay crackdown" - which by his bizarro logic is proven as they've "banned" an American singer who might (but probably wouldn't) say something pro-gay.
Wouldn't the reverse be true?
Hilariously, Becker recently slagged off Johnny Weir for saying he'd compete in Sochi in a disgusting article for Bilerico - yet here he doesn't mention that #sobrave Selena was gagging to go and play.
Vaingloriously, Becker says this is all due to his e-petition.
Just as he claims that the boycotts are working whenever the Russian government don't do something they weren't planning on doing anyway.

It seems as likely that Selena Gomez's people filed for a visa too late.
I have no idea if she hadn't actually sold many tickets, and to suggest this could be the reason for the no-show would be pure speculation.
The billion-dollar Sochi Olympics spectacle shows that Russia is desperate to normalise its cultural relations with other countries - to seethe that they'd ban former Disney kid Selena Gomez cause she might paint her toenails in all the colours of the rainbow or something sounds just plain dumb.

  
'Nobody and nothing will stop Russia on the road to strengthening democracy and human rights and freedoms," Vladimir Putin once declared. He didn't literally add "NOT EVEN CHER" – but as opposition to Russian's anti-gay legislation grows, it becomes increasingly clear that he was thinking it.
And so to the burgeoning of a cultural boycott of sorts. Sooner or later, every last celebrity will be required to show their hand on this one – get researching, Helen Flanagan! – but in the interests of keeping you up to date, Lost in Showbiz is pleased to offer a rundown of who has declared thus far...

Marina Hyde in Friday's Guardian cruelly mocks the latest craze amongst Team Celebrity. 
Contains all your favourites; Stephen Fry, Cher, Lady Gaga, George Takei, Elton John, and Heather Mills!

PS The Sochi organising committee have issued a statement saying; “There have never been negotiations with Cher about her possible participation in the ceremonies." Surprise!