In what ways were the Russian media and Orthodox Church influential in the passing of the ‘Gay Propaganda Law’ of 2013? Molly Steele Upper Sixth
On 11th June 2013, Article 6.13.1 – “For the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating for a Denial of Traditional Family Values” – passed with only one abstention, and 88% of Russians agreeing on its necessity. This law became known as the ‘Gay Propaganda Law’ (GPL), as it focuses on prohibiting the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships”. There was international outcry at the blatant discrimination and persecution of LGBT people, as it has facilitated public discrimination against LGBT people and since the country has seen its hate crimes rise significantly.
The 2013 amendment extends this bill to cover the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships”; aiming to protect children from exposure to content that portrays homosexuality as a “behavioural norm”, or information that may cause interest among children. There is particular focus on how LGBT people, and their lifestyles, can be presented as ‘attractive’ and that this is inherently wrong: it indicates to a “distorted perception of social equality between traditional and non-traditional sexual relations”.
This law became known as the ‘Gay Propaganda Law’ (GPL), as it focuses on prohibiting the “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships”.
The GPL is an amendment to the censorship law, “On Protecting Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development” – which was introduced in 2010.
The two main politicians who pushed this law, Vitaly Milonov and Yelena Mizulina, both have connections with the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). Vitaly Milonov was the deputy who introduced a similar law in St Petersburg in 2011 which banned the “propaganda of homosexuality” – 42
inspiring the national amendment. He is an Orthodox Christian, and was also training to be a priest when the law was enacted; highlighting his dedication to the ROC. Yelena Mizulina is the Chairperson of the Russian Duma’s Committee on Family, Women and Children (CFWC) which aims to protect family and traditional values, and in 2013 wished to amend the constitution to involve Orthodox Christianity as a defining feature of Russian identity. Mizulina has been quoted as saying that homosexuality and heterosexuality are incompatible in Russia: homosexuality dilutes the concept of the nuclear family and the union of man and women, therefore limiting a child’s freedom to choose their own sexual preference. These traditional family values that she works to protect stem from the Christian values that many Russians (74%) abide by. There were three main narratives that were pushed in the lead up to the passing of the GPL: homosexuals are paedophiles, homosexuals are sinful, and homosexuals threaten traditional family values.
