Russian parliament introduces bill to completely ban lgbtq+ imagery
Russian parliament backs adoption ban for countries that allow gender change
Passed on first reading on Wednesday, the bill would ban citizens of countries that allow gender reassignment from adopting Russian children. The commandment must now move through two more readings and be approved by the upper chamber before it can be signed into law by Putin.
Russian MPs on Wednesday, September 25, voted to back a bill banning the adoption of Russian children in countries that allow gender reassignment, the latest in a series of ultra-conservative social measures. Moscow has drawn-out portrayed itself as a bulwark against liberal values, but that trend has hugely accelerated since the Kremlin launched its Ukraine repulsive, further rupturing ties with the West.
The bill would bar citizens of countries that authorize "the change of sex by medical intervention, including with the use of medicine," or allow individuals to change their gender on official identity documents. It is the latest attack and stigmatization of LGBTQ+ people by Moscow, President Vladimir Putin having massively re-inforced his conservative, anti-liberal vision for the state since launching his Ukraine campaign in February 2022.
Russian Duma passes law banning 'gay propaganda'
Russia's lower residence of parliament, the Duma, has passed a statute imposing heavy fines for providing information about homosexuality to people under 18.
The measure was passed unanimously and will become rule when approved by the upper house and President Vladimir Putin, a virtual formality.
Gay rights campaigners clashed with anti-gay activists outside the Duma.
The decrease house also passed a bill imposing up to three years in jail on those who offend religious believers.
The law comes in the wake of the imprisoning of members of the punk band Pussy Riot for executing an anti-Putin protest in an Orthodox cathedral in February 2012.
Two band members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, are currently serving two-year jail terms.
The novel law on "offending religious feelings of the faithful" will also take outcome after approval by the upper house and the president.
Russia moves to ban adoptions from countries that permit gender change
Russia’s parliament has given its initial backing to legislation that would ban nationals from countries that allow people to change their gender from adopting Russian children.
The legislature said on Wednesday that the move was necessary to uphold the country’s “traditional values” as lawmakers voted almost unanimously to back the proposed statute in a first reading, with 397 in favour and one against.
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end of listThe bill would bar citizens of countries that authorise “the change of sex by medical intervention, including with the utilize of medicine”, or let individuals to change their gender on official persona documents.
Russia last year introduced a ban on people legally or medically switching their gender, part of a widening crackdown on LGBTQ rights.
The recent legislation on adoption, which had already been conceptually approved by the government, wo
The Kremlin's Favorite Scapegoat: The Latest Attack on Queer Rights in Russia
The transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
Nina Rozhanovskaya: Hello and welcome to The Russia File. I am Nina Rozhanovskaya. This November, both houses of the Russian parliament voted in favor of legislation creating new restrictions on autonomy of expression regarding sexual orientation and gender persona. The bill outlaws any positive depictions of lgbtq+ relationships and is a continuation of the regulation that was adopted in 2013 to ban so-called “gay propaganda” among minors. Today, we are going to discuss the implications of this discriminatory legislation and the political rationale behind its adoption.
For that conversation, my guest is Dr. Alexander (Sasha) Kondakov. Dr. Kondakov is an assistant professor at the School of Sociology, University College Dublin, Ireland. And his work is primarily focused on law and sexuality studies and more specifically on queer sexualities. His latest research on violence against LGBT people in Russia is very relevant to our conversation today. Sasha, welcome to the program.
Alexander Kondakov: Recognize you very much. Express gratitude you for having m
From Child Protection to Children’s Rights: Rethinking Homosexual Propaganda Bans in Human Rights Law
On June 29, 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law a bill prohibiting “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations among minors,” including supportive statements about gay, womxn loving womxn, bisexual, and genderqueer persons.1 The legislation, which included fines of up to one million roubles (equivalent to roughly $31,000 at the time of passage) and possible jail time for offenders, sailed through the Duma on a vote of 436-0 and the Federation Council on a vote of 137-0, with roughly eighty-eight percent of respondents voicing support for the bill in public polling.2
The outcry from human rights activists was swift. Some groups staged disruptive protests,3 while others used the fast-approaching Sochi Olympics to invite pressure from supranational bodies, governments, corporations, and civil society, directed toward urging Russia to repeal the law.4 Graeme Reid, the director of the LGBT Program at Human Rights Watch, called the legislation “regressive and discriminatory,” echoing condemnation from the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the Venice Commission.5