AMSTERD AM, Netherlands (AFP) — Elton John yesterday blasted Russia and eastern Europe governments for “discrimination against gays”, saying such bigotry was thwarting the fight against AIDS.

In a sharp tirade at the second day of a major conference, John, a seasoned AIDS campaigner, gave voice to years of frustration and spoke of the plight of gays oppressed in many nations.

“If there wasn’t this bigotry and hatred, then this disease could be eliminated far quicker than you could ever think,” John told reporters at the 22nd International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam.

“Basically what it comes down to is that these countries are discriminating very badly against LGBT people,” he said, slamming governments for limiting access for lesbian, gay, transgender and bi-sexual people to testing and treatment programmes.

“And it’s holding us back, and until we can get that… idea out of our heads that gay people are lesser, then I’m afraid we will still be sitting here in 20 years discussing the same thing.”

John’s rant came just hours after he teamed up with Britain’s Prince Harry to launch a US$1.2 billion initiative (about a billion euros) to “break the cycle” of HIV transmission.

Dubbed the ‘MenStar Coalition’, it is targeted at young men, among whom infections are on the rise.

Scientists highlighted the importance of stopping infections at the source — usually through sex or blood contact — as they announced disappointing results in the quest for an AIDS cure.

“Young people are the only age group where HIV infections are rising, not falling,” warned the 71-year-old John, whose foundation has raised some US$400 million in the quarter century since it was set up in 1992.

“We have to do much, much more to bring men, especially younger men, more fully into the fold,” thereby also shielding their sexual partners, he insisted.

The celebrity duo lent their mega-wattage to efforts to end the lingering stigma around HIV, as young people born with the virus attended the conference to talk about their struggles.

Some 37 million people live with HIV today, and about 1.8 million new infections were recorded last year.

John, who has seen loved ones die of AIDS, insisted the disease could be eliminated with political will.