Russia’s lower house of parliament has passed in the third reading, amendments to a law on so-called “LGBT propaganda” on Thursday, November 24, 2022, expanding its liability to all ages.
They gave their final approval to a bill that significantly expands restrictions on activities seen as promoting gay rights in the country, another step in a years-long crackdown on the country’s embattled LGBTQ community.
The law proposes to ban all Russians from promoting or “praising” homosexual relationships or publicly suggesting that homosexual activities are “normal.”
The new bill expands a ban on what authorities call “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” to minors, established by legislation dubbed the “gay propaganda” law.
It was adopted by the Kremlin in 2013 in an effort to promote “traditional values” in Russia.
The original version of the law adopted in 2013 banned “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” among minors. The new iteration would apply the law to adults as well.
This year, the lawmakers moved to ban spreading such information to people aged 18 and older.
The bill was approved in the third and final reading on Thursday by the State Duma, the lower house of parliament.
It will now be forwarded to the Federation Council, Russia’s upper house of Parliament, before being signed into law by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The new bill outlaws all advertising, media and online resources books, films and theater productions deemed to contain such “propaganda,” a concept loosely defined in the bill.
The 2013 ban was often enacted against any depictions of same-sex unions and used as a tool to crack down on LGBTQ rights groups and activists.
Violations are punishable by fines. If committed by non-residents, they can lead to their expulsion from Russia. The fines range from 100,000 to 2 million rubles ($1,660-$33,000).
For some violations, foreigners could face 15 days’ detention prior to expulsion.
The bill does not make violations a criminal offense. Russian law stipulates that the criminal code can be amended only through an independent bill. Some lawmakers have suggested they favor such a measure.
Russia explicitly outlawed same-sex marriages in 2020 by adopting amendments to the country’s Constitution that, among other things, stipulated that the “institution of marriage is a union between a man and a woman.”
“Gay Propaganda Law” Discriminatory – European Court Of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2017 that Russia’s so-called “gay propaganda law” is discriminatory, promotes homophobia and violates the European Convention on Human Rights.
The court found that the law “served no legitimate public interest,” rejecting suggestions that public debate on LGBT issues could influence children to become homosexual, or that it threatened public morals.
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but homophobia and discrimination is still rife. It is ranked 46th out of 49 European countries for LGBTQ+ inclusion by watchdog ILGA-Europe.
