Russia is now under fire for its strict anti-gay laws and policies. Elton John is the latest artist to collide with this law. Parents groups and Orthodox church leaders are protesting to ban his concerts citing the Anti-Gay law.

The Parents and Church leaders have already called for President Vladimir Putin to cancel the performances. The artist would "make a mockery" of the country's anti-gay laws.

Legislation in Russia forbids spreading "propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientation" to children and makes it an offence to suggest that gay relationships are equal to "traditional", or heterosexual, ones.

These groups released an open letter.  The Ural Parents Committee called for Putin to ban his two performances in Russia. It said: "The singer intends to come out in support of local sodomites and break the current Russian law, directed at protecting children."

Elton John is one of the most prominent gay artists in the world. He intends to take a stand and not cower down to the pressure. In an interview with The Guardian, he boldly states: I'm supposed to be going to Moscow in December," the pop icon said to the Guardian. "I've got to go. And I've got to think about what I'm going to say very carefully. There's two avenues of thought: do you stop everyone going, ban all the artists coming in from Russia? But then you're really leaving the men and women who are gay and suffering under the anti-gay laws in an isolated situation. As a gay man, I can't leave those people on their own without going over there and supporting them. I don't know what's going to happen, but I've got to go."

Other popular artists have openly criticized the anti-gay stance. These include Madonna and Lady Gaga. Other artists have refused to perform in Russian soil, the latest is Cher who declined an invitation to perform at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.