'Lesbian' Duo tATu Performs at Winter Olympics Opener

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Yulia Volkova and Lena Katina of t.A.T.u. perform during the Winter Games opening ceremony at Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi.

Image: ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images

By Brian Anthony Hernandez2014-02-07 18:10:41 UTC

Members of Russian pop duo tATu, who are perhaps most-remembered for kissing each other onstage during performances in the early 2000s, put on a show Friday at Fisht Olympic Stadium before the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Sochi, Russia.

Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova of tATu held hands while singing, and the moment caused "Tatu" to become a worldwide trending topic on Twitter.

The choice to have tATu perform raised eyebrows because of what's been described as their "pseudo-lesbian" behavior, which some saw as simply as an attention-grabbing stunt. In the group's 2003 debut music video, "All the Things She Said," the two women acted as lovers, kissing each other in the rain while decked out in schoolgirl outfits.

Such behavior would presumably contradict Russia's much discussed anti-gay laws, though both women are reportedly professed heterosexuals.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been under fire for statements he recently made about gays being welcome at the Olympics if they "leave kids alone." The rights of gay people in Russia have also been restricted through laws that prohibit "homosexual propaganda."

Stateside, NBC will air the opening ceremony at 7:30 p.m. ET, but there's no word on whether footage of tATu's pre-ceremony performance will be shown during that broadcast.