by Alexander Avilov

Russian lawmakers have swiftly moved to ban same-sex marriage in line with President Vladimir Putin’s recent changes to the Constitution.

Seven senators submitted a draft bill late Tuesday to amend Russia’s Family Code and legally ban gay marriage and adoptions, including, according to its authors, by transgender people. The move comes two weeks after voters overwhelmingly approved a set of constitutional amendments that include a provision defining marriage as a “union between a man and a woman.”

“The bill ends the practice of marriage between persons of the same sex, including those who changed genders,” its co-author, senator Yelena Mizulina, told Interfax. The text of the draft bill submitted to Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, makes no mention of banning transgender marriages or adoptions.

“The bill must be adopted due to changes in public life, including the public demand to preserve traditional family values and strengthen and protect family institutions,” it reads.

Russia does not currently register same-sex marriages. However, Russia’s Family Code recognizes marriages that were registered abroad as long as they aren’t between close relatives or people who are already registered as married.

Russian clerks have recognized same-sex marriages registered abroad in at least two high-profile cases since 2018, including that of a prominent LGBT activist. At least four transgender marriages have been registered in Russia since 2014. Read more via Moscow Times