Putin signs expanded anti-LGBTQ laws in Russia, in latest crackdown on rights
According to the new law, anyone who does something or shares information that could be seen as trying to promote homosexuality in public, online, or in media like movies, books, or ads could be fined a lot of money.
In the most recent attack on civil liberties, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed new laws that make it harder for LGBTQ people to live freely.
A law that expanded Russia’s restrictions on the promotion of what it calls “LGBT propaganda” was signed into law by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday in New Delhi. This law effectively outlaws any public expression of LGBTQ behavior or lifestyle in Russia.
What provisions does the new law include?
According to the new law, anyone who does something or shares information that could be seen as trying to promote homosexuality in public, online, or in media like movies, books, or ads could be fined a lot of money.
It makes significant changes to the scope of a law that was passed in 2013 that prohibited the dissemination of information about LGBTQ issues to minors. In the most recent version, it is against the law to give this kind of information to both children and adults, which was already against the law.
The government has already used the law as an excuse to stop gay pride marches and lock up gay rights activists.
Rights groups say the new law is intended to drive so-called “non-traditional” LGBT lifestyles practiced by lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender people out of public life altogether.
Under the terms of the new law, individuals may be subject to a fine.
Under the new law, individuals can be fined up to 400,000 rubles ($6,370) for “LGBT propaganda” and up to 200,000 rubles ($3,185) for “demonstrations of LGBTQ and information that encourages a change of gender among teenagers.”
These fines rise to up to 5 million rubles ($80,000) and 4 million rubles ($64,000), respectively, for legal entities. In recent weeks, the law was approved by both the upper and lower houses of Russia’s parliament.