Russia’s lower legislative house passed a law banning the distribution of information on homosexuality to children, The Washington Post reports. The Federal Assembly of Russia passed the law 436-0, with one member abstaining. About two dozen gay rights protestors outside the Duma were attacked by Orthodox Christian counter-protestors and later arrested.
If the law is passed by the Federal Council of Russia and signed by President Vladimir Putin, distributing “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” would carry fines up to $156 for individuals and up to $30,000 for media outlets. Homosexuality has been decriminalized in Russia since 1993.
