MOSCOW - Pop singer Gordon says he will refuse to take the stage at the Eurovision Song Contest final in Moscow if Russian police violently suppress a gay parade in the city.

The singer made the remarks in an interview with Dutch public broadcaster NOS. The organisation GayRussia announced plans for a gay rights parade to coincide with Saturday's Eurovision final, but it has been banned by the authorities.

A spokesman for Moscow's mayor said "Moscow has never had gay parades and it never will." Russian police often use strong-arm tactics to clamp down on gay rights protests.

Dutch Eurovision singer Gordon, who is himself homosexual, said "If violence is used during the demonstration, I'll fly straight back to the Netherlands."

Gordon is a member of the Toppers, the star singers who will perform this year's Dutch Eurovision entry. The other two members of the specially assembled threesome of famous Dutch solo artists and TV personalities are Jeroen van der Boom and René Froger. They say they will decide how to respond to events on the day of the final itself.

However, it seems that any decision to stage a boycott is likely to be purely academic. Internet betting sites give the Toppers little chance of actually making it into the final.

Radio Netherlands / Expatica