Zelensky plans to honor a gay porn star with a monument — RT Russia and the former Soviet Union

A petition calling on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to commemorate American pornographic actor Billy Herrington with a monument in Odessa has garnered 25,000 votes and must now be considered. Activists want Herrington’s likeness to replace that of Russian Empress Catherine the Great.

Launched in May, the petition crossed the threshold of 25,000 votes this week. Describing Catherine II as a « controversial historical figure whose actions caused great damage to the Ukrainian state and culture », he asks Zelensky to ensure that his statue is torn down and replaced with that of the seated Herrington “at the bar with a bottle of beer.

The author of the petition wrote that it would make the statement that « Odessa is not part of Russian culture but has its own culture and its own sense of humor », and would send « a clear signal that Ukraine supports the LGBT community. » Additionally, he wrote that a monument to Herrington would be « fun and funny » and would be worth it « memes ».

Herrington made adult films, mostly with other men, between 1990 and his death in a car accident in 2018. Famous in Japanese « Gachimuchi » memes, Herrington’s name has previously been introduced to Ukrainian politicians, when a similar petition in March called on local authorities in the city of Zaporozhye to rename Mayakovsky Square to “Billy Herrington Square”.

The activist behind the petition – probably the same culprit responsible for the Odessa campaign – claimed that « Generations not only of Americans, but also of Ukrainians and Europeans have grown up with his films », and the square would become « a powerful tourist magnet. »

In addition to generating laughs on Russian televisionthe petition came to nothing.

The monument to Catherine II in Odessa sparked controversy long before petitions called for it to be replaced with the image of an adult movie star. Representing the Empress and four of her companions, the « Monument to the Founders of Odessa » was erected in 1900 by Yuri Meletevich Dmitrenko, but removed in 1920 by order of the Bolsheviks. Ukrainian authorities restored the statue in 2007, a move opposed by Ukrainian nationalists, including then-president Viktor Yuschenko.

A fishing village during centuries of Ottoman rule, Odessa was founded as a city by decree of Catherine II in 1794, and by the 19th century was the fourth largest city in the Russian Empire. The Odessans today mostly speak Russian.

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