Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed new legislation, completing the process of outlawing gender-affirming procedures, dealing a severe blow to the LGBTQ+ community in Russia.

The bill, which received unanimous approval from both houses of parliament, prohibits any medical interventions aimed at altering a person’s sex and forbids changing gender in official documents and public records, except for medical treatment for congenital anomalies.

Additionally, the legislation invalidates marriages in which one person has undergone a gender transition and prevents transgender individuals from becoming foster or adoptive parents.

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The ban is rooted in the Kremlin’s campaign to uphold what it perceives as Russia’s traditional values. Lawmakers argue that the law is essential to safeguard the country from what they describe as “Western anti-family ideology,” with some even labeling gender transitioning as “pure satanism.”

Russia’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights began a decade ago when President Putin emphasized the importance of “traditional family values,” a stance supported by the Russian Orthodox Church.

In 2013, the Kremlin passed a controversial law that prohibited any public support or endorsement of “nontraditional sexual relations” among minors in Russia. This legislation was widely criticized for its discriminatory nature and its impact on the LGBTQ+ community.

In 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin further advanced his conservative agenda by pushing through constitutional reforms that explicitly outlawed same-sex marriage in the country.

Additionally, Putin signed a law that banned the “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” among adults, effectively extending the restrictions on LGBTQ+ visibility and advocacy to the general public.