Russia Bans Foreign Adoption From Any Country That Allows Gender Transition

Members of Parliament in Russia have gone through the first step of approval of a bill that would stop Russian children being adopted by people in countries that allow gender transition and affirmation surgery.

The bill says that any country that allows “the change of sex by medical intervention, including with the use of medicine” would not be allowed to adopt children from Russia, the AFP reports.

On Wednesday, the proposed bill reading was met with great approval in the Lower Parliament house in Russia. The bill, voted in by favour of 379-1, must go through two more readings before being sent to Putin. 

This bill is the latest in a long running anti-LGBTQI+ agenda brought forth by Putin himself, who has deemed the queer community as a whole as an ‘extremist group’ or ‘propaganda’. 

The ban is one among a common global trend as China, along with Norway, has also recently banned foreign countries from adopting Chinese children – although these decisions have been made as attempts to reverse declining birth rates.

‘Sick’: Russia says reason is to protect children from ‘forced’ gender transition

Russia’s reasons behind the ban are listed as protecting their children from ‘sexual exploitation’ or being forced to change genders themselves – which United Russia member and legislation co-author Vasily Piskarev says is highly likely in a liberal country.

“With this law we are protecting the child, we are doing everything for the child not to end up in a country where same-sex marriage and sex change is allowed,” he said. He added that Europe and the US are “sick” for allowing people to transition or legally change their gender. 

Additionally, the effects of the war on Ukraine has drastically reduced the number of adoptions by foreign countries to just six children in 2023, according to official figures.

In order to address the population decline, Putin has advocated for large families, even encouraging women to have as many as eight children. Reportedly, there are also plans to outlaw the spread of information in reward to voluntarily not have children. 

Russia’s ongoing anti-LGBT agenda

Russia themselves have eliminated many LGBTQI+ rights in recent months, including banning all forms of gender transition whether through medical affirmation surgeries or legal methods, banning books with LGBTQI+ themes, or arresting or legally banning LGBTQI+ citizens. 

The absence of same sex couples and queer citizens is to supposedly benefit Russia’s ‘traditional’ image and views, enforcing a pure image to hold ‘soft power’ over other conservative nations as opposed to the ‘decadent’ and supposedly corrupt West. 

The anti-LGBTQI+ agenda has been pushed forward by the Kremlin and Putin since the early 2000’s – ramping up their eradication of rights and freedoms in the last few years in particular – despite the existence of a flourishing queer community, queer advocacy and booming drag culture. 

Russia is ranked the most dangerous place in Europe for LGBTQI+ community, according to the Rainbow Map by ILGA-Europe.