On March 7, 2012, a law was passed in St. Petersburg prohibiting the promotion of homosexuality and pedophilia among minors. This project caused a lot of questions, disputes and discontent over its appearances.
The author of the bill is Vitaly Milonov, a representative of United Russia. According to the author, the project is aimed at protecting children, protecting their physical, intellectual, spiritual and moral development. According to the text of this bill, any actions aimed at the promotion of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism among minors are prohibited. The law also contains a lengthy description of the term “propaganda” - any activity of disseminating information in a generally accessible way that could harm minors, including forming an idea of the equivalence of traditional and non-traditional relations with them.
Meanwhile, the legislation of the Russian Federation itself lacks definitions of the words “homosexuality” and propaganda. ”For this reason, article 282 of the Criminal Code“ Arousing national, racial or religious hatred ”was previously amended. At the moment, propaganda is a subjective term, and everyone is free interpret it in their own way, from kisses of same-sex couples in public places to the image of a rainbow.
The law on propaganda of homosexuality adopted in St. Petersburg is not the first project devoted to this topic. In the past, deputy Alexander Chuyev repeatedly submitted to the Duma a law aimed at establishing responsibility (in contrast to the current law, not administrative, but criminal) for the promotion of homosexuality. This bill offered a more detailed interpretation of the term. According to him, propaganda is understood as public speaking, films and books of a homosexual subject, a mention of homosexuality in the media, and also a demonstration of homosexual orientation. This draft has been repeatedly rejected under consideration, as contrary to the constitution.
Many prominent figures, including the head of the Yabloko faction, Grigory Yavlinsky, came up with sharp criticism after the adoption of the current law. The faction’s deputy was embarrassed by the lack of a definition of the term “propaganda, ” a contradiction with federal law and international human rights instruments. ”
Meanwhile, the law came into force. So far, in St. Petersburg, only one activist of the LGBT organization Nikolay Alekseev has come under his action. The young man was near Smolny with a poster that depicted Faina Ranevskaya and printed her famous saying: “Homosexuality is not a perversion. Perversion is a field hockey and ice ballet.” The judge explained his decision by the fact that minors could see this poster.
