Russia bans adoption by foreign gay couples

The Russian Duma unanimously passed a law banning foreign same-sex married couples and single persons from countries where same-sex marriage is legal from adopting children from Russia.

It passed its second of three readings on Tuesday, and is expected to pass its third reading, considered a formality, on Friday.

The issue has been interpreted by some as a response to France’s recent decision to legalize same-sex marriage, making it the ninth country in Europe to do so, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has encouraged tolerance of “people of traditional and non-traditional [sexual] orientation,” but has been clear that homosexuality is in opposition to the government’s perception of “traditional Russian values,” reports RIA Novosti.

“A child must have a mom and dad because the child gets reared and educated about the world in a family,” said Sergei Zheleznyak, a deputy speaker of the State Duma, in a speech on Tuesday.

“If a child ends up brought up by a gay couple, the child of course is seriously traumatized and develops a distorted notion of the surrounding reality.”

The Duma also recently passed a bill to ban the distribution of gay “propaganda” to children, stirring concern among some of the country’s liberal citizens.

“In a country with a multitude of problems beginning with healthcare and ending with economy, the parliament passes one homophobic law after another as if nothing worries them more than gays and lesbians,” said Lyudmila Alexeyeva, head of Moscow Helsinki Group, in an interview.

“I guess Putin doesn’t allow them to deal with any serious matters and they have nothing better to do than vent their frustration on Americans, gays and orphans.”

The new law will not affect Americans, who are already banned from adopting Russian children.

The law also affects Russians, allowing single people to adopt but requiring that couples must be married to adopt a child.

Image: WikiCommons