[M X]

Madonna was reportedly booed during her Sticky & Sweet tour in Bucharest, Romania on Wednesday for telling fans to fight discrimination against gays and gypsies, the Romanian Times reports:

"She told them: 'I've never been to Romania before and I am happy to be here. But I found out that there is a lot of discrimination against gypsies in Eastern Europe and that makes me very sad, especially because we believe in acceptance, gypsies, homosexuals, people that are different. Everyone must be treated the same, don't forget that!' But instead of the applause she expected fans jeered and booed the statement. There are over 500,000 gypsies officially registered in Romania but the real numbers are expected to be much more as many have not declared their ethnicity in a country where they face widespread discrimination. They are Romania's most socially and economically disadvantaged minority, with high illiteracy levels."

Gays in Romania face violence from nationalist and ultra-orthodox groups. In recent years, marchers at gay rights rallies in Bucharest have been met by hundreds of protesters who hurl stones, eggs, tomatoes, and trash at them in an effort to break up the marches.

Madonna's remarks reportedly happened during a performance of "La Isla Bonita". YouTube clips, most of which begin while the performance is underway, show no evidence of displeasure from the audience, though she may have made the remarks at the beginning of the song.