Revised Russian ‘Gay Propaganda’ Ban To Be Put To Key Vote On 11 June

Russian Duma Building

(RIA Novosti – June 6, 2013) A controversial piece of Russian legislation banning the promotion of homosexuality among children has undergone significant changes since it won preliminary approval in January and is to be put to its key second reading in parliament on 11 June, Russian news agencies reported on 6 June, quoting senior MPs involved in pushing for the bill to be enacted.

Olga Batalina, an MP from the ruling One Russia (United Russia) party and first deputy chairwoman of the select committee proposing the bill in the lower house, the State Duma, told state news agency RIA Novosti that the bill would be put to its second reading on 11 June, and may be submitted for its third and final reading on the same day. Since securing overwhelming support in its first reading on 25 January, the bill has been substantially amended, and is now “much more detailed and balanced, and all the proposals that were made have been taken into account”, Batalina added.

Olga Mizulina, chairwoman of the same committee and a fellow One Russia MP, detailed some of those changes in remarks also reported by RIA Novosti. Mizulina said that all references to “homosexuality” in the original document had been replaced by references to “non-traditional sexual relations”. The fines the revised bill proposes for offences committed under the law remain the same as in the original bill, at 125-155 dollars for ordinary Russians, and 1,250-1,550 dollars for officials. The proposed penalty for organizations has been increased, however, from a maximum of 15,500 dollars to between 25,000 and 31,250 dollars, or suspension of activities for up to 90 days.

The revised bill also stipulates tougher penalties if offences are committed “with the use of the media or the internet”. Ordinary Russians will be liable to fines of 1,550-3,100 dollars, officials to fines of 3,100-6,200 dollars and organizations to fines of 31,000 dollars, or suspension of activities for up to 90 days.

Mizulina told the privately-owned Interfax news agency that hundreds of thousands of amendments to the bill had been proposed since the first reading back in January, most of them put forward by people who support the document in principle.

She added that, unlike most pieces of legislation, the bill does not need to go before the upper house of parliament, the Federation Council. This means that, if, as expected, it is approved by the State Duma, the bill can go straight to President Vladimir Putin for him to sign into law.

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