Moscow forbids Russian kids from being adopted by countries with gender transition laws.

On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed two new laws into effect, one banning the adoption of Russian children by citizens of countries where gender transitioning is legal, and the other outlawing the spread of material that encourages people not to have children. These bills, which were previously approved by both houses of Russia's parliament, are just the latest in a series of laws that have suppressed sexual minorities and promoted traditional values.

According to Speaker of the Russian lower house, Vyacheslav Volodin, who helped author the bill, the ban on adoption is necessary to protect adopted children from potential dangers they may face in countries where gender reassignment is allowed. This ban will apply to at least 15 countries, mostly in Europe, as well as Australia, Argentina, and Canada. It is worth noting that the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens has been banned since 2012.

In addition to the adoption ban, the new laws also prohibit what they call "propaganda" for remaining child-free and impose hefty fines for those who violate it. Those who support the bill argue that discouraging people from having children is part of a larger effort by Western countries to weaken Russia through a decline in population.

In recent years, Putin and other top officials have emphasized the importance of traditional values as a way to counter Western liberalism. As Russia's population continues to decline, Putin has even gone so far as to encourage women to have as many as eight children.

Last year, Russia banned gender-transition medical procedures and declared the LGBTQ+ "movement" to be extremist. And in 2022, Putin signed a law that prohibited the distribution of LGBTQ+ information to people of all ages, expanding on a previous ban from 2013.

The tensions between Russia and Western countries have only intensified since Russia's military involvement in Ukraine in February 2022. Putin has repeatedly referred to the West as "satanic" and accused it of trying to undermine Russia by exporting liberal ideologies.

As a result, the government has cracked down on independent journalists, critics, activists, and opposition figures in Russia, particularly in light of the conflict in Ukraine. Many individuals and organizations have been labeled as "foreign agents," which carries negative connotations and increased government scrutiny.

[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]