Russian President Vladimir Putin on
Monday signed a law that, among other things, defines marriage as
between a man and a woman in the Russian Constitution.
On July 1, nearly 78 percent of Russian
voters backed a series of constitutional amendments, the AP reported.
Lawmakers later approved the changes.
The changes also allow Putin, 68, to
run for president two more times. Putin's current six-year term ends
in 2024.
The constitutional amendments also
emphasize “a belief in God” as a core value.
According to Mikhail “Misha”
Tumasov, an LGBT activist in Russia, gay and lesbian couples were
already unable to marry in Russia.
“There is no need for any other legal
actions as same-sex marriages are de jure illegal,” Tumasov
told the
Washington Blade in an email.
Putin in 2013 signed a controversial
law that bans the promotion of so-called gay propaganda to minors.
The law has been used to silence LGBT activists and shut down Pride
marches.