Putin Won't Meet With Elton John to Talk Gay Rights

Russian President Vladimir Putin won't talk with Sir Elton John about gay rights since Kremlin officials say they did not receive an official invitation from the pop star, Gay News reports.

Sir John, who performed in Russia last year despite the country's controversial "homosexual propaganda" laws, defied protests while he was in the country. In recent interviews, the singer said he's asked to meet with Putin to discuss the anti-gay measure, according to GSN.

"I am going to Russia in November and I will try and meet Putin and I will try and talk to him. I don't know what good it will do," he told Sky News. "It's no good putting up a wall and saying: 'I'm not talking to these people'; the only way things get solved is by talking to people."

Putin's press sectary Dmitry Peskov said this week that a meeting will probably not happen, however.

"We have not had a request for a meeting from him," he said. "So no meeting is happening. At this point, we have nothing more to say."

Earlier this week Sir Elton made headlines when he said he believes that Jesus Christ would support gay marriage and be cool with openly gay clergy members in the Catholic Church.

"If Jesus Christ was alive today, I cannot see him, as the Christian person that he was and the great person that he was, saying this could not happen," the singer said. "He was all about love and compassion and forgiveness and trying to bring people together. And that is what the Church should be about."