The lower Russian parliament approved a bill that would make “propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientation” illegal, The Associated Press and other news outlets reported.
The legislation — which the upper parliament must approve — would impose hefty fines for disseminating any information about the LGBT community to minors (non-adults)and holding gay pride rallies.
The Russian government’s stated purpose for the law is to protect children from being exposed to homosexuality — content presenting homosexuality as being a norm in society — under the argument that it goes against traditional family values.
The law amended the country’s child law, to call an offence, the distribution of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships” among minors (children).
This definition includes materials that “raises interest in” such relationships, cause minors to “form non-traditional sexual predispositions”, or “[present] distorted ideas about the equal social value of traditional and non-traditional sexual relationships.”
Businesses and organizations can also be forced to temporarily cease operations if convicted under the law, and foreigners may be arrested and detained for up to 15 days then deported, or fined up to 5,000 rubles and deported.
The law has been used to shut down websites that provide valuable information and services to teens across Russia and to ban LGBT support groups from working with youth.
The country and its laws understand the need to help children keep their knowledge of what a family should be and what the traditional couple comprise.
They want to help the children and non-adults remain in that society where things are like they used to be; where men marry women and not the other way around, even in a century where things are rapidly changing.
The proof of a developing country in this age is that society allows for rapid changed and growth, including support for the LGBT community.
