All news

Duma to debate draft law banning homosexual propaganda June 11

Deputy Speaker Sergei Zheleznyak of the ruling United Russia party said the draft law would be debated in the second and third readings at the same time
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, June 10 (Itar-Tass) - The State Duma on June 11 will debate a draft law that bans the advertising of homosexual relations among minors.

Deputy Speaker Sergei Zheleznyak of the ruling United Russia party said the draft law would be debated in the second and third readings at the same time.

He stressed that “Russia is a country of traditional values where 90 percent of people support a ban on the advertising of homosexuality among minors.”

“Each adult should make up his mind about his sexual orientation. Our draft law, which has been supported by all parliamentary parties, is not directed against non-traditional sexual relations as a phenomenon but aims to protect children and teenagers from the promotion of such relations,” Zheleznyak said.

“We are trying to protect children who cannot objectively assess information being imposed because of their early age but such information can damage their minds and impart a distorted concept of relations between people,” he said.

The draft law submitted by Novosibirsk Region’s Legislative Assembly was passed in the first reading on January 25. The document imposes fines of 4,000-5,000 roubles for individuals, 40,000-50,000 for officials, and 400,000-500,000 roubles for legal entities.

At the same time, the accompanying note says that administrative penalties will be charged not for the homosexual orientation of a person but for advertising homosexuality among children.