Move Over, Catherine! Gay Porn Star Billy Herrington Could Receive Statue in Ukraine

A petition in Ukraine to replace a statue of Russia's Catherine the Great with U.S. gay porn star Billy Herrington is picking up steam after receiving more than 26,000 signatures.

As reported by the Advocate, because of the amount of signatures, the petition now must be reviewed and responded to by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy according to law.

"Catherine II is a controversial historical figure whose actions caused great damage to Ukrainian statehood and culture," the petition reads. "The very fact of erecting this monument was a terrible mistake, and every day of its continued existence signals that Odessa is in the zone of Russian cultural influence. It's time to change that."

The petition proposes that a statue of Herrington "will sit at the bar with a bottle of beer."

In addition to renouncing Russian heritage, the petition claims that replacing the current Catherine the statue would send a "clear signal that Ukraine supports the LGBT community" and a "loud statement that Odessa is not some provincial town of the Russian Empire."

Russian Empress Catherine II reportedly presided over Ukrainian territory being annexed into the Russian Empire. Although she was born a Prussian princess (modern day Poland), she ruled Russia for 34 years during the latter half of the 18th century after her husband, Peter III, was removed from power.

"She was known for her sexual freedom with men. Critics of the empress gossiped that she had a fondness for sex with horses," the Advocate reports.

Herrington, a prolific gay adult film star, was also known for his sexual freedom.

"In 2002 he was honored with the Adult Erotic Gay Video Award for the Best Group Sex scene for his performance in 'Conquered' alongside Nino Bacci, Colton Ford, Blake Harper, and Jay Ross," Advocate reports.

And this is not the first time Ukrainian citizens have sought to honor Herrington. In April, a group unsuccessfully lobbied to have a dark alley named in his honor. Herrington passed away in 2018.

Ukraine is currently still in the grips of a war with Russia after the country invaded Ukraine earlier this year.