The goal of the law is to affect gay-pride events. The fines for violating the law will be up to 5,000 rubles for individuals and up to 1 million rubles for organizations, including media. Providing information about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender to minors is also grunded in the same way. Even foreign citizens can be arrested and deported. However, Russia decriminalized homosexuality in 1993, despite the strong rejection reaction.
The vote in favor of the law was 436-0 with only one abstention (Ilya Ponomaryov). When the law was voted, groups of anti-gay activists picketed the Duma with Orhodox icons and anti-gay posters. On the other side, rights activists manifested in central Moscow and was attacked by Orthodox Christian activists. More than two dozen protester was detained by the police.
In a nationally televised talk was presented the intention to prohibite gays from donating blood, sperm or organs for transplants.
One of the principal rights activists in Russia, Lyudmila Alexeyeva, appreciated this law as “a step toward the Middle Ages.” International positions (including Amnesty International) affirm that this law is discrimination and a violation of the basic human rights.
