Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday signed into law a harsher version of his country’s anti-gay propaganda law.
Russia passed its original law, banning the promotion of “non-traditional” family relationships to minors in 2013. In effect, it clamped down on any LGBTQ representation in places where it might be seen by children.
The new law prohibits any public expression of LGBTQ behavior to all ages. This includes books, movies, magazines or online. It also bans any information regarding gender reassignment or pedophilia (yes, child abuse and LGBTQ are all grouped together in the legislation).
The law was passed unanimously last month by Russia’s Lower House of the Parliament, the State Duma (397-0). It was passed unanimously by its upper house last week.
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Related: Putin seeks to amend Russia’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage
Individuals found guilty of spreading “LGBT propaganda” face a fine of up to 400,000 rubles ($6,600). This rises to 5 million rubles ($82,100) for organizations. Foreigners can be arrested for up to 15 days or deported.
The European Court of Human Rights denounced Russia’s anti-gay propaganda law in 2017. It called the legislation discriminatory and said it violated the European Convention on Human Rights.
Ukraine war
Russia has become a pariah state amongst many countries since it launched its invasion of Ukraine in the spring. Since launching the military action Putin has cracked down on any voices of dissent within his own country, including the media.
Tens of thousands of Ukraine troops and civilians have died. However, observers estimate around 100,000 Russia troops have also been killed or injured. They believe Russia is no closer to achieving its goals when it launched the invasion.
Related: Gay climbers hoist a rainbow flag on Vladimir Putin mountain peak
This latest move is another example of Putin targeting minority groups or anyone that might be seen as typifying “western” values.
One of the lawmakers who voted to pass the bill last week suggested LGBTQ people are sinful.
“The louder they squeal in the West, the more we will be sure that we are on the right track. This topic should become a sin in Russia like it is in many of our religions,” said Senator Taimuraz Dzambekovich, reports CNN.
DCguy
Now that Putin has been exposed as the failure he is, he is freaking out and trying to point attention anywhere else
Similar to Republicans here, they don’t have polices or even a party platform anymore, but it’s ok, they’ll attack LGBTQ people, Black people, powerful women, etc.
Ronbo
Wouldn’t it be nice if this kind of “law” also censored NEGATIVE and FALSE characterizations of LGBTQ individuals? If we can’t speak the truth, then why are actual hate-groomers allowed to spew lies? Seems that false info should be curtailed BEFORE we silence actual, lived truths.
Calling the state of Florida!!! Curtailing and censoring the factual half of the conversation leads only to half-truths, hate, and misinformation. If that’s the plan, Florida, you get no tourism dollars from me.
PS “Florida” is my new term for nazi-sympathizing white trash… it’s their new law!
Kangol2
Now, now, “White trash” is a racist term and as Don the Con’s violent January 6 attempted coup demonstrated, a sizable portion of his most committed cultists and insurrectionists are highly educated, professionally employed, upper-middle-class White people, including some LGB!
Fahd
If only Russia could be erased from the world map. It is a fountain of evil and backwardness.
Btw, the Indonesian parliament passed a law today making sex outside of marriage a crime punishable by one year in jail.
Can Texas and Florida be far behind?
Chrisk
Yep going back the the tried and true demonization of (fill in the blank) people that can’t defend themselves. Give the people something to hate rather then the obvious reality.
Kangol2
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I don’t want to demonize the Russian people, which includes quite a few LGBTQ people, but rather to criticize Putin and Putinism, and the horrible state he has built over the last 20+ years. Part of that state apparatus has been a steady increase in laws and attacks on LGBTQ people, and internal wars that are reflected in the horrific war on Ukraine, an independent, sovereign, Western-leaning country that wanted to get out from under Putin’s boot. Let’s see if any GQPers condemn this newest Putin state attack on LGBTQ people!
And, alongside that, why are so many in the RepubliQan party, like Marjorie Taylor Greene, spreading and promoting what are essentially Putin’s talking points on Ukraine?