Selena Gomez has canceled a series of her concerts in Eastern Europe after reportedly being denied a visa by Russia. She was forced to do so because she failed to obtain a work visa under the new stricter rules concerning ‘anti-gay’ laws.

Gomez’s rep confirmed to E! News that she’d no longer be visiting Russia for concert stops in St. Petersburg on Monday and Moscow on Wednesday. The concert dates have been removed from her tour website.

Promoters for the upcoming concerts told the Moscow Times they believed it was because of Russia’s anti-gay laws which ban “propaganda on nontraditional sexual relationships”.

Prior to the concert cancellations, a petition on Change.org was launched by John Becker for Gomez to also “stand up for Russia’s LGBT community” while there. More than 13,800 people have signed the online petition. “Russian officials are undoubtedly anxious to avoid a repeat of recent concerts by fellow pop superstars Madonna and Lady Gaga, both of whom violated laws banning so-called ‘gay propaganda’ by making statements in favor of LGBT rights,” Becker wrote. “The Russian government is clearly on edge and aware of the bruising its reputation has taken in the wake of their anti-LGBT crackdown”, he added.

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