Russian lawmakers have adopted a bill designed to tighten further the screws on the country’s anti-LGBTQ sensibilities.
President Vladimir Putin, who initiated an expansionist war with Ukraine nine months ago, is seen to be on a mission to exalt traditional Russian values above what he has referred to as the “outright Satanism” of the West.
A Legislation that was introduced in 2013 banning promotion of gay rights propaganda has been revised to include all age groups.
“That means that films, literature, journalism, advertising – anything which actively promotes the notion of non-traditional sexual relations, or which advocates a change of gender will be punishable with hefty fines,” Diana Magnay writes.
In addition, “foreign citizens found to have violated the law will face expulsion from the Russian Federation.”
Vladimir Komov of Delo LGBT, an organisation which provides legal assistance to the LGBT community, says: “There are so many pieces of law now and this obviously won’t be the last.
“We partly hope that by resisting and not hiding we will be able to stop the system. It simply won’t be able to cope with the number of cases,” he adds.
Since February, according to Komov, “LGBT changed from ordinary opponents who were created as targets of the state ideology, a homophobic ideology by the way, and we became almost the main enemy.”