t.A.T.u. Singer OK with Lesbians, But Being Gay Is 'Unmanly'

A Russian singer best known for being part of a musical duo that played into lesbian rumors now claims that men who are gay are "unmanly." Women, on the other hand, should be free to love whomever they want, she contends.

Former t.A.T.u. vocalist Julia Volkova, who became famous in part by playing up her bisexuality while performing with her female bandmate and in interviews, told a Russian TV station recently that she would condemn her son if he were gay, reports U.K. LGBT site PinkNews.

At the same time, Volkova -- who has previously identified as bisexual, according to PinkNews -- believes it's just fine for a woman to be a lesbian.

Continuing the contradictory line of thought, Volkova said she would accept a lesbian daughter, but would reject her hypothetical gay son.

"I would condemn him, because I believe that a real man must be a real man," Volkova said, according to a translation posted on the video, which has since been removed from YouTube. "God created man for procreation, it is the nature. The man for me is the support, the strength of... I won't accept a gay son."

The former Eurovision performer, who claimed to have "many gay friends," went on to say that gay men are utilizing "bad freedom," and that instead, men can have sexual freedom by sleeping with multiple women. But, Volkova concluded, they have "no right to be a fag."

But that doesn't mean Volkova thinks gay men are the absolute scourge of the earth -- it just means they chose a bad path, she continued. "I believe that being gay is all still better than murderers, thieves or drug addicts," Volkova added. "If you choose out of all this, being gay a little better than the rest."

By contrast, Volkova's former bandmate, Lena Katina, has been quick to differentiate her thoughts regarding love.

"I can say one thing: God is teaching us to live in love, to be tolerant and not to judge other people! And I do so!" wrote Katina on Facebook Thursday. "Love is love and it is a wonderful feeling! I think everybody should be free to love who they love and be with who they want to spend their life with!"

According to PinkNews, Katina has called her country's antigay laws "weird," specifically pointing to the nationwide ban on so-called gay propaganda, signed into law last year by President Vladimir Putin.

Although t.A.T.u. broke up several years ago, the pair have occasionally reunited for performances.