The 21-year old singer and actress was forced to cancel two concerts in Russia after being denied a visa. The country allegedly denied Gomez entry over its anti-gay legislation.

Singer actress Selena Gomez was scheduled to perform at St. Peter's Petersburg's Ice Palace on September 23. She was also scheduled to hold a concert on September 25 at Moscow's Olimiisky Stadium.

However, the Russian government has refused to issue a visa for Gomez. As a result, the singer will no longer be able to appear on the said dates and venues, reports E! News.

According to the Moscow Times, the non-issuance of the visa is linked to Russia's visa restrictions over foreign musicians. The report cites Madonna and Lady Gaga who both openly announced support for the LGBT community in Russia as the trigger.

Both singers gave "very public shout-outs" during their concerts in 2012 in support of the LGBT community in Russia. E! News reports that anti-gay politicians threatened both Madonna and Lady Gaga with "potential prosecution."

John Becker, a gay rights activist in the U.S. recently launched an online petition calling for Selena Gomez to "speak out for equality in Moscow and St. Petersburg." Two days after the petition was launched, the Russian government yanked the singer's visa.

"This cancellation of Selena Gomez's visa shows that the Russian government is sensitive and on the defense, and shows that the pressure from people all around the world and the backlash against these laws is strong. They're afraid to have someone like Selena Gomez come in and potentially use her platform to advance LGBT rights," Becker told E! News in a report.

Yevgeny Finkelshtein, head of the Petersburg Music Industry fears that the recent events might discourage other foreign artists and musicians from visiting the country.

"Not a single person is going to visit us if the Prosecutor General's Office starts disputing something or looking for guilty parties," Finkelshtein told the Moscow Times.

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