Putin signs legislation marking final step outlawing gender-affirming procedures in Russia

The bill, which was approved unanimously by both houses of parliament, bans any ‘medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person’

The bill also annuls marriages in which one person has ‘changed gender’ and bars transgender people from becoming foster or adoptive parents

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Police block a pro-LGBTQ rally in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 2019. On Monday, President Vladimir Putin signed legislation outlawing gender-affirming procedures in the country. Photo: Reuters

Published: 2:35am, 25 Jul 2023Updated: 3:27am, 25 Jul 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed new legislation on Monday which marked the final step in outlawing gender-affirming procedures, a crippling blow to Russia’s already embattled LGBTQ community.

The bill, which was approved unanimously by both houses of parliament, bans any “medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person”, as well as changing one’s gender in official documents and public records. The only exception will be medical intervention to treat congenital anomalies.

It also annuls marriages in which one person has “changed gender” and bars transgender people from becoming foster or adoptive parents.

The ban is said to stem from the Kremlin’s crusade to protect what it views as the country’s “traditional values”. Lawmakers say the legislation is to safeguard Russia against “Western anti-family ideology”, with some describing gender transitioning as “pure satanism”.

Russia’s crackdown on LGBTQ people started a decade ago when Putin first proclaimed a focus on “traditional family values”, supported by the Russian Orthodox Church.

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