Russia Rules on LGBTQ ‘Propaganda’ Bill Amendment

MOSCOW, RU — (11-22-22) — Russia’s State Duma Committee on State Construction issued its recommendations on Monday, on a number of controversial amendments to an anti-LGBTQ propaganda bill adopted last month.

The State Duma Committee rejected provisions that would introduce criminal liability for repeated violations of the law prohibiting the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations, other wise known as LGBTQ propaganda in Russia.

The amendments were originally introduced by Nina Ostanina and Nikolai Burlyaev, conservative deputies in the State Duma (the lower chamber of parliament), who suggested imposing penalties of up to three years in prison for LGBTQ propaganda.

The proposal was rejected due to the fact that “Changes to Russia’s Criminal Code cannot be made in the form of an amendment to a draft law on administrative responsibility,” said first deputy chairman of the committee, Irina Pankina. She further stated that such a proposal would have to be submitted in a separate bill.

However Russia’s State Duma Committee on State Construction did approve the introduction of harsher fines for violating LGBTQ propaganda laws!

The amendments suggest adding a penalty of up to five million rubles ($81,400) for promoting LGBTQ values among citizens of all ages. Additionally, the promotion of gender reassignment could become punishable by a fine of between 50,000 and one million rubles ($814-$16,280).

The original draft of the anti-LGBT bill, was proposed by media regulator Roskomnadzor and endorsed by the Duma unanimously back on October 27. The original draft banned the spread of ‘LGBTQ propaganda’ in the media, online, in books, films, ‘audio-visual services,’ and advertisements.

Alexander Khinshtein, the chair of the Duma’s committee on information policy, had previously said publicly that criminal liability for violating this law was a step too far and that the bill was meant only to introduce administrative penalties as a preventive measure to “make these disgusting phenomena impossible.” Khinshten noted, however, that the bill does not ban LGBTQ identity as such.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said in the past that every person has a right to “grow up, become an adult and determine his own destiny. But nothing should be imposed – that’s what we are against,” said President Putin.

Article by: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer

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