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State Duma passes bill banning LGBT, pedophilia propaganda

About 400 legislators, including Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, are among the bill’s authors

© Anna Isakova/Russian State Duma Photo Service/TASS

MOSCOW, November 23. /TASS/. The Russian State Duma at its Wednesday session approved the second reading of a bill banning propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations, pedophilia and information capable of causing someone to seek gender reassignment surgery.

About 400 legislators, including Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, are among the bill’s authors. As Volodin noted during the meeting, the bill is being approved exclusively in the interests of Russians. "We should do everything in order to protect our children and those who want to lead a normal life," he emphasized.

The document provides for a ban on propaganda of non-traditional relations, pedophilia as well as a ban on disseminating information about LGBT in the media, on the internet, and in commercials, books and movies. It also includes a ban on statements which may induce teenagers to gender reassignment surgery on the Internet, in the media and in books, audiovisual services, movies and commercials.

Also on Wednesday, the State Duma passed the second reading of a bill introducing substantial fines of up to 10 mln rubles (over $165,000) for propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations, pedophilia and information capable of inducing gender reassignment surgery both among minors and adults. Propaganda targeting minors will result in greater fines than information directed at adults and propaganda on the Internet and in media outlets will also result in heavier fines.

The bill introduces separate sanctions for foreigners and those without citizenship. If they disseminate LGBT propaganda among adults, the fine will range from 50,000 to 100,000 rubles (approximately $850-1,650), while propaganda targeting minors will result in fines ranging from 100,000 to 200,000 rubles (approximately $1,650-3,300). In both cases, the fines are accompanied by deportation which may be preceded by detention of up to 15 days. If propaganda is disseminated by foreigners via media outlets or the Internet, then the fines may reach up to 100,000 or 400,000 rubles (approximately $1,650 and $6,600, respectively) depending on the audience’s age.

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