Russia is considering a ban on adoptions to countries that support transgenderism. As the United States promotes transgenderism, the entire nation would be blocked from adopting, not just trans people. The measure applies to countries that allow so-called sex-change surgeries or for people to change their sex on official documents.
Russia’s lower parliament overwhelmingly supported the ban. In a first reading, lawmakers voted almost unanimously to back the proposed law, with 397 in favor and only one against.
Legislature Choice
Russia’s parliament has given its initial backing to legislation that would ban nationals from countries that allow people to change their gender from adopting Russian children.
Lawmakers said they want to preserve Russia’s “traditional values.” They also want to protect Russian children from being adopted into Western NATO countries where transgenderism is accepted.
The Bill
The bill would ban citizens of countries that authorise “the change of sex by medical intervention, including with the use of medicine”, or allow individuals to change their gender on official identity documents.
It still needs to be passed in two more readings and approved by the upper chamber before President Vladimir Putin can sign it into law.
Russia last year introduced a ban on people legally or medically changing their gender, part of a widening crackdown on LGBTQ rights.
Earlier this month, in an interview with Russian media, Volodin said Europe and the United States are “sick” for allowing gender reassignment, attacking people “who were men yesterday and who today call themselves women.”
Adoption
The foreign adoption of Russian children has fallen drastically since 2012, when Russia banned Americans from adopting. It has virtually entirely stopped since it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to official figures, the AFP news agency reported that only six Russian children were adopted by foreign citizens in 2023.
Also, according to government figures, 358,000 children were in care homes at the start of the year needing adoption.
