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Russian lawmaker says Apple violated gay ‘propaganda’ law by distributing U2 album

Russian lawmaker says Apple violated gay ‘propaganda’ law by distributing U2 album
U2
U2 “Songs of Innocence” album cover.

MOSCOW — A member of Russia’s parliament has asked prosecutors to determine whether Apple violated Russia’s ban on gay “propaganda” when it delivered U2’s latest album to a half-billion iTunes users for free last year.

Izvestia, a newspaper loyal to the Kremlin, reported Wednesday that it has a copy of Alexander Starovoitov’s appeal to prosecutors in which he says the cover of the album “Songs of Innocence” shows two men “in a display of non-traditional sexual relations.”

In fact, the cover shows the band’s drummer embracing his 18-year-old son, both of them shirtless.

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It is not yet clear whether prosecutors will open an investigation.

Some of those in Russia who ridiculed Starovoitov’s appeal drew a comparison to the time in 2006 when President Vladimir Putin kissed a small boy’s bare stomach.

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