Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill Saturday banning the adoption of Russian babies by people in countries that have legalized sex changes and gender transitioning. The Russian leader also approved another law that stops the dissemination of material that tries to persuade couples to not procreate, the Associated Press reported.
The bills were passed by both houses of Russia’s Parliament and are part of Putin’s agenda to support the traditional Russian family and block the promotion of LGBTQ-friendly or gender ideology policies.
Russian lower house Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, who co-authored the adoption ban legislation, has previously stated that “it is extremely important to eliminate possible dangers in the form of gender reassignment that adopted children may face in these countries.” The adoption ban would affect 15 countries in much of Western Europe, Australia and Canada. Russia had already banned adoptions by citizens of the United States in 2012.
With a declining Russian birth rate and smaller population, Putin has also encouraged couples to have more babies. The bill aimed at so-called “child-free propaganda" would punish violators with fines of up to $5 million rubles or $50,000 USD.
Despite 70 years of atheistic communism, the Russian Orthodox Church is as dominant as ever in the country. Putin has made a point of emphasizing traditional family values in Russia and warned of woke Western sexuality.
Puberty blockers and sex change operations are illegal in the country and its Supreme Court has dubbed LGBTQ+ forces as extremist. Distribution of material promoting LGBTQ+ activity is prohibited not just to minors but to any age, AP noted.
Putin has been increasingly critical of Western sexual mores during the war with Ukraine, as he has called the West “Satanic” and has urged Russians to “defend our traditional values, our culture, our traditions and our history.
