The Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed draconian anti-gay legislation into law.  The regressive law stigmatizes LGBT people and forbids giving children any information about homosexuality.

The bill passed quickly through both houses of parliament this month without any dissenting votes.  It makes it a crime to suggest to children that homosexual and heterosexual relations are “socially equal”.  Russians found guilty of breaking the new law can be fined more than A$6,600, while foreigners will be arrested and deported.

The ban on “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” is part of an effort to promote traditional Russian values over Western liberalism, which the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church see as corrupting Russian youth and contributing to the protests against Putin's rule.

This past weekend saw a number of gay pride rallies throughout the world.  Russia usually bans them.  In Saint Petersburg, one gay pride rally was allowed to go ahead.  It ended with activists being pelted with rocks and eggs.