Russia plans to ban any public mention of gay relationships as lawmakers approve a law banning all LGBTQ “propaganda” in the latest rights crackdown
- “Propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships” is said to have “consequences,” House Speaker says
- Human rights activists say the move would affect books, films, television and social media
- Violators face a £135,000 fine as Putin seeks to promote ‘conservative’ values
Russian lawmakers in a final reading on Thursday unanimously approved a bill banning all forms of LGBTQ “propaganda” as President Vladimir Putin seeks to portray his country as the antithesis of Western liberal values.
Russia already has a law banning so-called “gay propaganda” for minors, and the new law would extend it to adults, effectively banning any public mention of homosexual relationships.
Rights activists say the new legislation will step up crackdowns on LGBTQ relationships in Russia, affecting everything from books and films to social media posts and even drag shows.
Police lead away a protester with a rainbow flag in central St Petersburg in 2018
Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured November 9, 2022) seeks to promote his country as the antithesis of Western liberal values
The legislation must be backed by the upper house and Putin before it becomes law, steps that are seen as a formality.
Amid raging tensions with the world’s leading democracies, while the Kremlin ramps up its offensive in Ukraine, Putin is increasingly promoting conservative values to mobilize his core constituency.
“Any propaganda for non-traditional sexual relations will have consequences,” Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, told Telegram.
The legislation, he said, “will protect our children and the country’s future from the darkness being cast by US and European states.”
“We have our own traditions and values,” he added.
The bill also bans the “propaganda of pedophilia and sex reassignment.”
The law bans what authorities consider LGBTQ “propaganda” in advertising, books, the media and cinema.
Violators face hefty fines of up to 10 million rubles (£135,000).
A man walks past the building of the State Duma, the lower chamber of Russia’s parliament, in central Moscow October 27, 2022
The Duma said that websites containing prohibited information will be blocked.
Russian film production companies and book publishers have expressed concern about the law, saying it could lead to the banning of some Russian classics, such as Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita.
“Films that promote such relationships do not receive a distribution certificate,” the Duma said.
LGBTQ rights groups have urged Russia not to adopt the measure, saying it will ban any public mention of sexual minorities.
Examples of censorship of LGBT-related content can already be found in Russia, where Disney is said to be trimming the content of its films to comply with the country’s laws.