>>22051653

Russia bans adoptions to pro-transgender countries

The legislation applies to nations that allow both medical and legal gender reassignment

Russia has finalized a ban on the adoption of children to countries that allow gender-reassignment procedures. According to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, people from countries that allow gender changes through medical procedures – including surgery and puberty blockers – or simply through changes to identity documents without any medical intervention, will no longer be able to adopt Russian children.

The decree added the changes to the country’s Family Code and came into effect on the date of its publication.

The legislation has been in the making for over two years. In August 2022, lawmakers proposed banning adoptions to all ‘unfriendly countries’ which placed sanctions on Russia in connection with the Ukraine conflict. Putin objected to the proposal, arguing that the way the bill was drafted, it would infringe on the rights of Ukrainians living in Russia.

In mid-2023, Russia imposed severe restrictions on gender reassignment procedures. The legislation, which sought to tighten the regulation of what lawmakers called the “transgender industry,” prohibited legal sex changes and medical interventions associated with transitioning except for serious medical cases, such as birth abnormalities. Soon after the law was passed, lawmakers proposed the prevention of international adoptions by people from countries that allow gender changes.

Earlier this month, the ban was approved by the State Duma, receiving overwhelming support. Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said at the time that the ban was aimed at protecting Russian children from potential dangers such as “possible gender reassignment that adopted children may face in these countries.”

Volodin described Western policies towards children as “destructive,” noting that some European countries permit sex changes for teenagers, while others have no age restrictions for legal gender reassignment.

Russia banned same-sex couples from adopting children in 2013. Under the ‘Dima Yakovlev Law’ passed that year, the country also prohibited adoptions by US nationals, after a Russian orphan adopted by a Virginia couple was left in a car for nine hours and died of a heat stroke.

READ MORE: Russia has ended foreign adoptions – MP

Russia also has a ban on distributing LGBT-related content, and the “international LGBT public movement” has been outlawed in the country since 2022.

https://www.rt.com/russia/608117-putin-ban-adoptions-transgender/

>>22051653

Putin signs law banning ‘childfree propaganda’

The new legislation reflects growing concern in Russia over demographics

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new law banning the promotion of “childfree propaganda” on Saturday.

The legislation penalizes anyone advocating the refusal to have children. Critics have said that it will not help with Russia’s demographic problems.

The measure targets the spread of childfree ideology through media, films, advertising, and the internet, and aims to prevent the dissemination of materials that encourage the rejection of parenthood.

It imposes fines on those found guilty of promoting the concept. Individuals could face penalties ranging from 50,000 ($480) to 100,000 rubles, while officials could be fined between 100,000 and 200,000 rubles. Legal entities will face steeper costs, with fines of up to five million rubles.

The law also stipulates fines if such propaganda is spread through the media or internet, with penalties for individuals ranging up to 200,000 rubles, for officials up to 400,000 rubles, and for legal entities up to four million rubles. If it is deemed to have affected minors, these fines will be further increased.

In cases where childfree ideology is spread online, website owners will be required to monitor and identify such content, with failure to comply resulting in the website being added to a registry of prohibited information managed by Russia’s media watchdog, Roskomnadzor.

The bill was unanimously approved by both the State Duma and the Federation Council.

The Kremlin has made the demographic challenge a priority, with declining population figures and a low birth rate seen as pressing national issues.

An exception is included in the law for the promotion of monasticism and celibacy. Under the new provisions, the rejection of childbearing for religious or monastic reasons will not be considered an offense.

READ MORE: Russian MPs approve ban on adoptions to pro-transgender countries

While it focuses primarily on domestic media and internet platforms, it extends to foreign nationals as well. Foreigners promoting childfree ideas in Russia will face the same fines and could be expelled from the country or placed under administrative arrest for up to 15 days.

https://www.rt.com/russia/608110-russia-childfree-propaganda-ban/