Sam Smith ‘in tears’ over Reggie Yates’ gay Russia doc
By Will Stroude
He’s made no secret of the fact he wants to start his own charity to help defend gay rights worldwide, but Sam Smith has revealed that being confronted by the extent of the violence and repression faced by Russia’s LGBT community has left him “in tears”.
The 23-year-old singer took to Instagram last weekend after watching Reggie Yates’ Extreme Russia: Gay and Under Attack, a BBC3 documentary from earlier this year which took a unblinking look at the the scale of homophobia in Russian society.
“I’m watching Reggie Yates extreme Russia and I’m sitting here in tears”, the Omen singer wrote.
He continued: “Watching a man discuss how he would kill gay men and woman with rocks if the law allowed it. I just want any gay men or woman who are in Russia right now, to know I am thinking about you all the time.
“And I’m so sorry you have to go through what you’re going through ❤ seeing it visually being said, is so horrific. Massive hug to@regyates as well!! Seriously brave. Please watch this guys if you haven’t xx”
He added: “p.s. I am not saying all of Russia is like this at all. There is prejudice and homophobia in every country, I know.”
Meanwhile, Elton John has responded to the news that his widely-reported phone conversation with Vladimir Putin about Russian gay rights earlier this week was actually a prank call by two Russian TV presenters. The 68-year-old took took to Instagram to says that, while he enjoys a prank call as much as the next person, homophobia is “never funny”.
We spoke to Reggie earlier this year about his time in Russia making the show – an experience he described as “shocking”. Find out what he had to say in our interview here.
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