Putin Formally Outlaws Same-Gender Marriage in Russia

Same-gender marriage has been formally outlawed in Russia after President Vladimir Putin signed a number of anti-LGBTQ constitutional amendments last week. The amendments also ban transgender people from adopting children and will allow Putin to remain in office until 2036. 

Russia has long been one of the most anti-LGBTQ countries in the world. These new amendments only further reinforce the Russian government’s stance on the rights of queer people. Prior to last week, the definition of a legal marriage was not specified as the union between a man and a woman, opening up the possibility for marriage equality laws to be passed in the future. Now, this loophole no longer exists, and future pro-LGBTQ laws will be much more difficult to pass. 

Another factor that has people concerned is the amendment allowing Putin to remain in office for two additional terms. His current six-year term ends in 2024; with the new amendment, he could run for office in 2024 and again in 2030, potentially expanding his presidency by 12 years. Already the longest-standing leader of Russia since Stalin, Putin has been harshly criticized by activists for the amendment, including by opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is currently serving time in prison. 

An extension of Putin’s presidency would only put LGBTQ Russians at greater risk of persecution. In 2013, a law banning “gay propaganda” was passed; as a result, hate crimes against LGBTQ people doubled in five years, according to Reuters. Since 2017, gay men in Chechnya have faced great violence and discrimination in “anti-gay purges.” In a “purge,” men are taken from their homes and workplaces, detained, tortured, imprisoned, and sometimes killed. 

The new amendments also threaten educational activities in Russia. The government will now ban “negative foreign interference in the educational process,” worrying many that public education content like museums and lectures will be increasingly censured.