Vladimir Putin Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a ‘gay propaganda’ bill into law, making it illegal to say gay relationships are equal to straight ones. The law will introduce fines for individuals and organisations who promote information ‘directed at forming non-traditional sexual setup’ in minors. Foreigners will not only be fined but arrested for 15 days and deported. It comes after weekend where around 60 people were arrested and attacked for simply attempting to hold a gay pride march in St Petersburg. Speaking to Gay Star News, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell called Putin the new “czar of homophobia”. “The whole propaganda of the Russian state pillories LGBT people 24/7. Putin is at the head of a regime at cultural war with the LGBT community.” Putin denies the law is anti-gay, saying it’s about ‘protecting children’.” "We ask that [other countries] do not interfere in our regulation," he said in response to widespread criticism of the law.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 1st July 2013 - 9:23am