Such widespread propaganda of homosexuality
negatively affects the formation of a child’s personality, blurs its ideas of
the family as the union of a man and woman, and in fact creates grounds for
limiting the freedom of choice of sexual preferences when it grows up.
Defense
Statement for Legislation
Russia’s parliament backed a draft law January 25, 2013,
banning “homosexual propaganda” in the country. Critics see this act as an
attempt to get up public support for President Vladimir Putin in the country’s
largely conservative society and stir the opposition to fight quite unpopular
causes (as viewed by general public).
Only one deputy in the State Duma lower house voted against
the bill.
The law would make the “promotion of homosexuality among minors”
an administrative offence in federal law, with fines of up to 500,000 rubles
(US$ 16,200).
Veteran human-rights campaigner Lyudmila Alexeyeva described
the draft law as “medieval” and said it was intended to appeal to conservative
voters after months of protests that have sapped Mr. Putin’s popularity. Public
approval for Putin, who is now 60, stood in January at 62 percent, the lowest
level since June 2000, an independent pollster said yesterday.
The legislation has served to deepen divisions in society
since Mr. Putin returned to the presidency in May and began moves seen by the
opposition as designed to crack down on dissent and smother civil society.
Translation from
Russian: “Homosexuality is not a perversion; perversion is a hockey on the
grass and ballet on the ice!”.
During the process, Mr. Putin and his supporters have
underlined what they see as conservative, traditional Russian values.
He has drawn closer to the Russian Orthodox Church during
this time, hoping the support of one of the most influential institutions in
Russia will consolidate his grip on power.
Homosexuality, punished with jail terms in the Soviet Union,
was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but much of the gay community remains
underground and prejudice runs deep.
Anti-gay propaganda laws are already in place in
Arkhangelsk, Novosibirsk and St. Petersburg, Mr. Putin’s home city. A Russian
court in November rejected a $10-million compensation claim against U.S. pop
star Madonna by a group of anti-gay activists who accused her of hurting their
feelings by promoting homosexuality at a St. Petersburg concert. Although a court rejected that case, a
local politician from Putin’s ruling Untied Russia party has said he is taking
similar action against another singer, Lady Gaga, who is also a defender of
lesbian and gay rights.
Today, about 20 people were detained outside the State Duma,
the lower house, after minor scuffles broke out between rival groups of
supporters and opponents of the law. The supporters, some of them holding
Russian Orthodox icons or crosses, cheered and threw eggs as police hauled away
protesters who started kissing. One gay activist was splashed with green paint,
witnesses said.
“The police yet again directed their actions with arguably
excessive force towards the wrong people. The LGBTI activists were not a threat
to anybody; they did not instigate hate or violence. They were there exercising
their right to freedom of expression of their feelings towards one another.
They are as entitled to this right and protection from violence as everyone
else,” commented David Diaz-Jogeix, Europe and Central Asia Programme Deputy
Director at Amnesty International.
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