In a move that shocked many around the world this past Tuesday, Russian lawmakers approved a bill that further stigmatizes homosexuality by banning the "
propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" in a nation where a high anti-gay sentiment already runs deep. As a result the country now finds its population brewing with unrest. The same bill that was approved in a 436-0 vote with one abstention also would make it illegal to provide any information teaching about homosexuality to children.
The bill still needs to be passed by the appointed upper house and signed into law by President Vladimir Putin. Due to the bill’s unanimous approval by lawmakers and Putin’s well known stance on the need to maintain a traditional culture in Russia, there is no doubt that the bill will go through. Just this past year after France legalized gay marriage, Putin made moves to have Russia ban the adoption of Russian children to gay couples. This bill is receiving large support not only from lawmakers but also the general population as well.
A recent poll revealed nearly half of Russians believe that the LGBT community does not deserve the same rights as heterosexuals in Russia.
The legislation will dole out fines of up to 5,000 rubles ($156 USD) for individuals and up to 1 million rubles ($31,000 USD) for groups or media organizations that are found distributing information about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community to minors. Similar fines will also be imposed upon those holding and / or participating in gay pride rallies. Foreign citizens arrested under the new law can be deported or jailed for up to 15 days and then deported.
Amnesty International, as well as other human rights organizations around the world and within Russia, have expressed their overwhelming condemnation towards the new bill that will undoubtedly soon be going into effect, considering it a blatant violation of human rights. Graeme Reid, the LGBT rights program director at Human Rights Watch had the following to say in response to the bill:
“Russia is trying very hard to make discrimination look respectable by calling it 'tradition,' but whatever term is used in the bill, it remains discrimination and a violation of the basic human rights of LGBT people.”
Before the vote on Tuesday, bold protestors risked freedom and bodily harm to speak out against the bill. Their attempts at raising their voices against oppression were met with a surge of approximately 200 angry Orthodox Christian activists and members of pro-Kremlin youth groups. Pelted with eggs and verbal assaults, many tried to flee only to be arrested and detained by authorities while others were beaten on surrounding streets without any police intervention. Some protestors who decried the bill hid in shops to seek safety from violent counter-protestors. But angry anti-gay activists were not to be dissuaded, dragging the hiding protestors out to
further assault them.
The world continues to watch in grim horror as the bill proceeds to find its way into law and Russia continues to take what Lyudmila Alexeyeva, one of Russia’s oldest and most prominent rights activists calls, “a step toward the Middle Ages.” Unfortunately, more unrest and violence can only be expected to increase as a portion of Russia’s society continues to be marginalized and discriminated against.
We can only hope that human rights organizations along with education will begin to inject some reason into Russia’s population. We can hope that tolerance will someday find its way into a culture that seems to earnestly resist it out of ignorance and religious fervor. Unfortunately, such a result remains improbable as ignorance about homosexuality promises to continue as a result of Russia making information that could help cultivate understanding and acceptance among its people illegal.