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Russia’s Duma pondering ban on child adoptions by foreign same-sex couples

A danger of situations of this kind has heightened after parliaments in a number of countries - France in the first place - endorsed legalization of same-sex marriages
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, May 28 (Itar-Tass) - Russia’s State Duma is drafting a bill that will ban the adoption of Russian children by same-sex couples from abroad, Olga Batalina, the chairperson of the Duma’s committee for the policies towards the family, women and children told the Izvestia daily.

She said her committee and the foreign policy committee are due to hold a joint session June 13 for a discussion of legislative amendments and new bills necessary for ensuring that the children adopted by foreigners do not get to same-sex families.

A danger of situations of this kind has heightened after parliaments in a number of countries - France in the first place - endorsed legalization of same-sex marriages.

“The process of adoptions /of Russian orphaned and parentless children - Itar-Tass/ is working smoothly and doesn’t contain any obstacles, and hence it’s very important for us to cut off the individuals, who are already partners in same-sex couples or who may enter such marriages, from the very opportunity to adopt a child /in Russia/,” Batalina said.

The exact date of submitting the amendments into the laws on adoptions has not been specified yet but Batalina believes this can be done “within the shortest possible term.”

Apart from the MPs, experts on family legislation and specialists on international adoptions, several citizens of France who represent nongovernmental organizations and/or families with many children have expressed the readiness to take part in the discussion.

The French are expected to arrive in Moscow on the eve of the two committees’ joint session. They will tell the Russian participants about the situation that took shape in France after the legalization of same-sex marriages.