Russian parliament unanimously passes bill barring ‘gay propaganda’

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The lower house of the Russian parliament unanimously passed a bill banning all “gay propaganda” and “propaganda of pedophilia and sex change.”
• The bill will then be passed to the upper chamber and President Putin before becoming law.
• Violations of the legislation could lead to fines of up to 10 million rubles, or approximately $165,000.

The Russian parliament’s lower chamber unanimously passed legislation that prohibits all types of “gay propaganda” and “propaganda of pedophilia and sex change” among adults.

The lower house passed it after the third reading in the State Duma. For the bill to become law, it will still need to be passed by the parliament’s upper chamber, the Federation Council, and then signed by President Vladimir Putin.

The bill, authored by Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the State Duma, enforces a heavy restriction on promoting LGBTQ propaganda in film, advertising, and other media. A violation can be fined for up to 10 million rubles, or approximately $165,000. There will also be a threat of expulsion for “foreign citizens and stateless persons.”

Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel, “The solution will protect our children, the future of the country from the darkness spread by the United States and European states. We have our own traditions and values.”

Russia is considered one of the most hostile nations for the LGBTQ community. The country has already banned “gay propaganda” among minors. This legislation allows authorities to stop gay pride marches and detain protesters.

In 2020, Russia amended its constitution to explicitly forbid same-sex marriage.

Putin himself has repeatedly mocked the LGBTQ community and accused Western nations of spreading LGBTQ propaganda.

Volodin said that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called during the parliament session to ask them to withdraw the bill. The State Duma chairman said that the U.S. was imposing “alien values” and their “best answer to Blinken” was the unanimous vote.

Dilya Gafurova, who leads the LGBTQ rights group Sfera, considered it “disturbing that the state is saying LGBT+ people are a Western invention.” She told Agence France-Presse, “There is nothing wrong with us and nothing that needs to be hushed up.”

Source: The Hill