Russia: The Duma adopts legislation against homosexual propaganda
On January 25, Russian deputies adopted a law at the first reading to penalize public acts constituting pro-homosexual propaganda directed at minors. The legislation was proposed to the Duma in March 2012 by the Parliament of the region of Novosibirsk in Siberia, which had already adopted the legislation on a local level and hoped to spread it to the rest of the country. The legislation was passed with 388 votes in favour, one against and one abstention.
According to the legislation, a private individual found culpable could be fined between 4000 and 5000 roubles (100 – 125 €); a public office holder could be fined between 40,000 and 50,000 roubles (1000 – 12500 €); and a legal entity could be fined between 400,000 and 500,000 roubles (10,000 – 12,500 €). During the introductory debates, Sergei Dorofeïev , a deputy of the current party in power, United Russia, stated that “minors must be protected from the consequences of homosexuality.”
In a press release dated January 18, the VRNS [International assembly of Russian peoples] has announced plans to prevent adoption of Russian children by immigrants from countries having legalized same-sex marriage [in cases where there is no guarantee that the child will not be entrusted to a same-sex couple]. The VRNS was founded by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1993, and it includes all Russian citizens regardless of location and public opinion in their location. It also declared its support for the French citizens who protested the legalization of same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples on January 13.
In the same press release, the VRNS emphasized the risks of failure in adoption: “Even in cases where (traditional) host families pursue entirely valid goals, a relatively high percentage of failures is observed among cases of adoption.” The VRNS considers that adoption of Russian orphans by foreign same-sex couples would introduce “additional risk” of failure.
(Sources: kipa-apic.ch – Agence France Presse – orthodoxie.com – DICI no. 270, 15/02/13)
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