Russian President Vladimir Putin has
proposed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in
Russia.
The proposed amendment is part of a
referendum set for next month. Other amendments expected to be on the
ballot similarly appeal to social conservatives, such as identifying
Russian as “the language of the state-forming nationality.”
Parliament is expected to vote on the
amendments before April 22, the date of the referendum.
Language included in the referendum
could keep Putin in power beyond 2024, The
New York Times reported.
Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy said that
the marriage amendment was necessary to keep international
organizations from forcing Russia into giving “special rights” to
the LGBT community.
In 2013, Putin signed the nation's “gay
propaganda” law, which prohibits Russians from publicly speaking
positively about the LGBT community. The law has been used to silence
the LGBT community and its allies. While Putin has said that everyone
in Russia is equal, he's also defended the law by saying that it was
needed to protect children.