Elton John: Ireland's abortion vote shows mindsets can change
English singer Elton John, on a visit to Ukraine to raise awareness about acquired immune deficiency syndrome (Aids), said Ireland's vote to liberalise its abortion laws showed how mindsets can change.
The 71-year-old has travelled regularly to Ukraine and spoken out for gay rights in the country, including at an Aids charity concert in Kiev in 2012.
"We will do everything we can to continue the fight against Aids," he said at an event organised by the Elena Pinchuk Foundation.
"It takes a long time for things to happen. Look what just happened in Ireland: the vote for abortion. Things change. People... they change their mind.
"And with a younger generation coming up, they are a different kind of people, and they are our future."
Voters in Ireland, a deeply Catholic nation, last Friday backed a change to abortion laws by a landslide.
Ukrainian authorities have increased their support for gay rights since a pro-Western government took power in 2014. But critics say homophobic attitudes remain. - REUTERS
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