Claude Cahn The United Nations human rights office has urged Russia's president to consider the welfare of glbti people in Russia and to repeal laws banning 'homosexual propaganda." President Vladimir Putin signed the law in June banning the promotion anywhere of “non-traditional relationships” toward people under the age of eighteen, a move that has been criticised as part of a broader crackdown on Russia’s gay community. This can even include the wearing of, for instance, a rainbow lapel badge in public. Other laws banning the adoption of Russian children by foreign same-sex couples, and one which enables Russian organisations receiving funding from abroad to be fined as “foreign agents”, were also passed. In the wake of the laws levels of violence against glbti Russians have soared across the country. Human Rights advisor Claude Cahn, from the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, described the laws as “inherently discriminatory in both intent and effect”. “Such measures form the basis for standing and regular harassment, and even arbitrary detention, and help create a climate of fear for anyone working on advancing the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people,” said Cahn. The UN has also called for other countries, such as Moldova which is considering following the Russian example, to scrap the potential adoption of identical legislation.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 20th August 2013 - 1:21pm