Cher Sends Prayers to Russia's LGBT Community

While promoting a new HBO documentary that details the hardships gay men and women face in Russia, Cher took to Twitter this week to show solidarity with Russia's LGBT community, specifically those who have been kidnapped and tortured.

"Sending Love 2 Our Gay Brothers & Sisters, Being Held Hostage in Russia.Their ONLY Crime is Being True 2 Themselves! They R Brave Warriors," the 68-year-old singer wrote.

She then added the hashtag "#HuntedTheWarAgainstGaysinRussia," in a separate tweet, referencing an HBO documentary called "Hunted: The War against Gays in Russia," narrated by out actor Matt Bomer.

According to HBO's website, the film, "the documentary reveals how a recent anti-gay amendment to a Russian 'propaganda' law has encouraged growing outbreaks of violent hostility, including homophobic Russians who beat and torment gays and post graphic videos of their acts online with little or no legal repercussions."

You can read more about "Hunted" over at HBO's website.

This isn't the first time Cher showed solidarity for Russia's LGBT community. Last year, the gay icon said she turned down the opportunity to perform at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi over Russia's highly controversial, vaguely worded, anti-gay "propaganda" law, which aims to silence LGBT Russians by punishing them for spreading "non-traditional" relationships to minors.

"I can't name names, but my friend called who is a big oligarch over there, and asked me if I'd like to be an ambassador for the Olympics and open the show," Cher told Canadian news magazine Maclean's. "I immediately said no. I want to know why all of this gay hate just exploded over there."

Cher shares the gayest video ever made for one of her songs

Cher knows her gay fan base exceptionally well.

The ageless star tweeted out some fresh meat for those fans - make that fresh beefcake.

'Some friends made me a present for Take it Like a Man,' the icon wrote on Twitter along with a link to a YouTube video.

The video, titled Take it Like a Man 7th Heaven Remix, features an endless array of perfectly buff and handsome dudes wearing very little doing things like washing a car with each other's bodies and frolicking on a beach.

Take it Like a Man is a song from Cher's album Closer to the Truth, her first album of new material in more than a decade.

It has already spawned the hit singles Woman's World and I Hope You Like It and climbed as high as number three on the Billboard sales chart.

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Enjoy the show.

Cher Reveals Her Refusal to Perform at the Sochi Olympics

You can add Cher to the ever-growing list of celebrities who have denounced Russia's "gay propaganda" laws. In a new interview, the legendary singer-actress reveals that she turned down the chance to perform at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi because of the country's anti-gay legislation.

"I can’t name names but my friend called who is a big oligarch over there, and asked me if I’d like to be an ambassador for the Olympics and open the show," Cher told Maclean's writer Elio Iannacci. "I immediately said no. I want to know why all of this gay hate just exploded over there."

Still, Cher says her friend offered a slightly more optimistic take on the overall situation in Russia: "He said the Russian people don’t feel the way the government does." She also sounded off on two other iconic pop divas who have courted controversy in recent months after speaking out against Russia's stance on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community: Lady Gaga and Madonna.
"Who knows how she will evolve, but Gaga has an idea for herself and she follows it," Cher noted. "Madonna was the same way. Madonna said and did what she wanted, whenever she wanted and she was ahead of the curve. Always. She had her ear to the ground more than anyone."

You can read the full Maclean's interview with Cher here.

2013 is turning out to be a banner year for Cher, who's gearing up to release "Closer to the Truth," her first album of all-new material in over a decade, on Sept. 24. She kicked off the promotional blitz for the new album with a headlining performance at New York City's Pride Dance on the Pier. She'll soon join the fifth season of "The Voice," as an adviser to Blake Shelton's team, and is gearing up to embark on a forthcoming concert tour.

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Cher Debuts New Artwork & Will Perform Next Week on the VOICE

"The one and only Cher will make an appearance on the season finale of The Voice. This will mark the 67-year-old legend’s first live performance in over a decade. She is scheduled to perform “Woman’s World” the lead single off her upcoming album of the same name, scheduled to drop on September 24."