Russia To Criminalise All Things Gay With Fines And Jail
Anything regarded as an attempt to promote “non-traditional sexual relations” in Russia will become illegal, with penalties ranging into the tens of thousands of dollars, when a new bill is signed into law next week by President Vladimir Putin.
RUSSIA’S ANTI-GAY STANCE
The bill expands on the existing so-called “LGBT propaganda” law, which was initially created to prevent children from learning about LGBTQIA+ people. Now, the law is extended to adults, with film, TV, music, websites, literature, broadcasting, websites and social media being required to remove any references to LGBTQIA+ people and culture in a positive light. Specifically, “propagandising non-traditional sexual relations” will be prohibited.
Human rights groups and LGBTQ+ activists say any act or public mention of same-sex relationships is functionally being outlawed. Foreigners convicted under the law could face up to 15 days under arrest and expulsion from Russia, The Guardian reports.
President Putin has made concerted efforts to promote “traditional values” since launching Russia’s attack on Ukraine and has made anti-gay rhetoric one of the cornerstones of his political agenda.
Putin has described civil rights for LGBTQIA+ people as the West “moving towards open Satanism” and said that Russia must “cleanse” itself of homosexuality.
The bill was authored by the Chairman of the State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin and unanimously adopted by leaders of all factions. “We must do everything to protect our children and those who want to live a normal life. Everything else is sin, sodomy, darkness, and our country is fighting this,” said Volodin, reports CBS.
Earlier this month, a Russian court fined TikTok US50K for failing to delete LGBTQIA+ material that violated the existing anti-gay laws.
Igor Kochetkov of the rights group Russian LGBT Network said the bill was an attempt to further discriminate against the LGBTQIA+ community in Russia. “This law is part of an ongoing homophobic government campaign against LGBTQ rights,” he said. “This is part of a broader attack on anything the government deems Western and progressive.”
