Vladimir Putin signs law expanding Russia's rules against 'LGBT propaganda'
Vladimir Putin has signed a law expanding restrictions on the promotion of what it calls "LGBT propaganda", effectively outlawing any public expression of LGBT behaviour or lifestyle in Russia.
Under the new law, Russia has widened its interpretation of what qualifies as "LGBT propaganda".
This means that any action or the spreading of any information that is considered an endeavor to promote homosexuality in public, online, or in films, books or advertising, could incur a thick fine.
The law expands Russia's previous law against LGBT propaganda that had banned the "demonstration" of LGBT behaviour to children.
It comes as the Kremlin exerts increased pressure on minority groups and opponents of the Russian president at home, quashing independent media groups and further stifling free speech as Moscow ramps up a decade-long campaign to promote what it says are "traditional" values.
Authorities have already used the existing law to stop gay pride marches and detain gay rights activists.
Rights groups say the new law is intended to drive so
Russia passes 'Answer to Blinken' gay propaganda law
Jasmine Andersson
BBC News
Getty Images
Russia's lower dwelling of parliament has unanimously voted to extend its bar on so-called "gay propaganda".
Under the latest version of the law, any promotion of homosexuality - including in books, films and online - is illegal and carries thick penalties.
It was nicknamed the "Answer to Blinken" law, after the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticised it as a "blow to freedom of expression".
Activists say it is a further attempt to repress Russia's LGBT community.
It was approved by 397 votes to none in the Duma - Russia's lower house - with no abstentions.
The bill still has to hand over in the upper house and be signed off by President Vladimir Putin, but this is largely seen as an administrative step.
The original version of the controversial "gay propaganda" law was adopted in 2013, banning "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" - depictions of same sex-relationships - among children.
It categorises any positive depictions of same-sex relationships in mass media or ad
LGBTQ+ in Russia: Living under threat of extremism law
In late November, Russia's Supreme Court designated what it calls "the international LGBT movement" as "extremist." And while the law doesn't reach into force until January 10, 2024, many anti-LGBTQ+ measures have already been taken. One day after the court ruling, at least three LGBTQ+-friendly clubs and saunas were raided in Moscow.
One person who wanted to remain anonymous told DW about a raid: "The police came and locked the door so that nobody could exit the club. The said they were looking for drugs. We had to lie face down on the floor. They didn't find anything but they took all our personal details and photographed our passports."
The Russian authorities have not yet commented on the raids. There has also been no mention of routine drug raids in the state media.
The impact on the LGBTQ+ community has been dramatic. "None of us can live in peace anymore," wrote one clubber on an online platform, adding that "we are constantly walking a fine line between 'propaganda' and 'extremism.'" Someone else wrote that they had stopped going to clubs as it was too dangerous.
Kremlin
Russia proposes extending ‘gay propaganda’ law to all adults
Russian lawmakers have proposed extending a ban on the promotion of “non-traditional” sexual relationships among minors to now include adults as well, a senior legislator has said.
Russia’s existing “gay propaganda” law, passed in 2013, has been used to stop gay celebration marches and detain LGBTQ rights activists.
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Under the proposed changes to the commandment, any event or behave regarded as an seek to promote homosexuality could incur a fine.
Authorities utter they are defending morality in the face of what they argue are un-Russian liberal values promoted by the West. Human rights activists say the law has been broadly applied to intimidate Russia’s LGBTQ community.
“We propose to generally extend the prohibit on such propaganda regardless of the age of the audience (offline, in the media, on the internet,
Russia to ban sharing LGBT 'propaganda' with adults as adequately as children
Reuters
The controversial Russian ban against promoting so-called "gay propaganda" looks arrange to be extended to all adults.
The move represents a toughening of an existing 2013 regulation, which makes providing information about creature LGBT to children a criminal offence.
Those convicted face massive fines for promoting what Russia calls "non-traditional sexual relations".
The initial approval of the extension was voted through by the Russian Declare Duma unanimously.
Earlier this week, officials had urged politicians in Russia's lower property of parliament to enact the elongation - portraying it as part of a broader battle over civilisational principles with the West and linking it to the choice to invade Ukraine.
Under the offer, information about "non-traditional lifestyles" or "the rejection of family values" would be considered legally the same as pornography, the promotion of violence, or stoking racial, ethnic and religious tensions.
It also bans the "propaganda of paedophilia" - which the Russian government often conflates