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| Russia passes 'Answer to Blinken' gay propaganda law | Russia passes 'Answer to Blinken' gay propaganda law |
| (36 minutes later) | |
| The law will be extended to cover adults as well as children | The law will be extended to cover adults as well as children |
| Russia's lower house of parliament has unanimously voted to extend its ban on so-called "gay propaganda". | Russia's lower house of parliament has unanimously voted to extend its ban on so-called "gay propaganda". |
| Under the latest version of the law, any promotion of homosexuality - including in books, films and online - is illegal and carries heavy penalties. | Under the latest version of the law, any promotion of homosexuality - including in books, films and online - is illegal and carries heavy penalties. |
| It was nicknamed the "Answer to Blinken" law, after the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticised it as a "blow to freedom of expression". | It was nicknamed the "Answer to Blinken" law, after the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticised it as a "blow to freedom of expression". |
| Activists say it is a further attempt to repress Russia's LGBT community. | Activists say it is a further attempt to repress Russia's LGBT community. |
| It was approved by 397 votes to none in the Duma - Russia's lower house - with no abstentions. | It was approved by 397 votes to none in the Duma - Russia's lower house - with no abstentions. |
| The bill still has to pass in the upper house and be signed off by President Vladimir Putin, but this is largely seen as an administrative step. | The bill still has to pass in the upper house and be signed off by President Vladimir Putin, but this is largely seen as an administrative step. |
| The original version of the controversial "gay propaganda" law was adopted in 2013, banning "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" - depictions of same sex-relationships - among children. | The original version of the controversial "gay propaganda" law was adopted in 2013, banning "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" - depictions of same sex-relationships - among children. |
| It categorises any positive depictions of same-sex relationships in mass media or advertising under the same umbrella as distributing pornography, the promotion of violence, or stoking racial, ethnic and religious tensions. | It categorises any positive depictions of same-sex relationships in mass media or advertising under the same umbrella as distributing pornography, the promotion of violence, or stoking racial, ethnic and religious tensions. |
| Advertising, books and films with positive presentations of LGBT people will be banned - raising concerns from publishers who have warned that it could affect classics of Russian literature. | Advertising, books and films with positive presentations of LGBT people will be banned - raising concerns from publishers who have warned that it could affect classics of Russian literature. |
| Any discussions online about LGBT topics can be blocked and the sale of goods with LGBT slogans or symbols would also be prohibited. | Any discussions online about LGBT topics can be blocked and the sale of goods with LGBT slogans or symbols would also be prohibited. |
| Anyone who breaks the law will face a fine of up to 400,000 rubles ($6,600), while companies could have to pay up to 5 million rubles ($82,100). | Anyone who breaks the law will face a fine of up to 400,000 rubles ($6,600), while companies could have to pay up to 5 million rubles ($82,100). |
| Foreigners and stateless people risk being imprisoned or expelled from Russia if they do not comply. | |
| Human rights campaigners and LGBT groups have said the extension means that any act or public mention of the LGBT community is being criminalised. | Human rights campaigners and LGBT groups have said the extension means that any act or public mention of the LGBT community is being criminalised. |
| Kseniya Mikhailova of the Russia-based LGBT support group Vykhod (a play on words to mean "coming out") said the original ban nine years ago triggered a wave of attacks on the gay community. | Kseniya Mikhailova of the Russia-based LGBT support group Vykhod (a play on words to mean "coming out") said the original ban nine years ago triggered a wave of attacks on the gay community. |
| She told Reuters news agency that there would now be a "tsunami" of aggression because the amendment in effect "says the state is not against violence towards LGBT people". | She told Reuters news agency that there would now be a "tsunami" of aggression because the amendment in effect "says the state is not against violence towards LGBT people". |
| On Wednesday, Anthony Blinken urged Russia to drop the bill "and respect the human rights and dignity of all." | On Wednesday, Anthony Blinken urged Russia to drop the bill "and respect the human rights and dignity of all." |
| The proposed expansion of Russia’s ban on information regarding LGBTQI+ issues would be another serious blow to freedom of expression and the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons in Russia. We urge Russian lawmakers to withdraw the bill and respect the human rights and dignity of all. | |
| The Speaker of the Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, who called it the "Answer to Blinken law" in parliament, took a different view. | The Speaker of the Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, who called it the "Answer to Blinken law" in parliament, took a different view. |
| He declared that the legislation would protect the country from LGBT values, which he called the "darkness" spread by the West. | He declared that the legislation would protect the country from LGBT values, which he called the "darkness" spread by the West. |
| Vladimir Putin has made anti-gay rhetoric the cornerstone of his political agenda. | Vladimir Putin has made anti-gay rhetoric the cornerstone of his political agenda. |
| In a recent speech, he accused the West of "moving towards open Satanism", citing the promotion of gay and transgender rights in Europe as an example. |