While other nations march towards universal equality and expanding freedom, the lower house of Russia’s Parliament gave its overwhelming approval to a bill that makes homophobia official policy and bans giving children any getting information about homosexuality.

There’s no doubt that the upper house, made up purely of appointees, would pass the bill and President Vladimir Putin would sign it.  Russia's political and religious elite routinely accuse the LGBT community decreasing Russia's already low birth rates and said they should be barred from government jobs, undergo forced medical treatment or be exiled.

The measure is part of an effort to promote supposed “traditional Russian values” instead of Western liberalism, which the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church see as corrupting Russian youth and contributing to the protests against Putin's rule.

The Duma also passed a bill mandating a three year prison term for anti-religious protests of the sort that got members of the punk rock band Pussy Riot thrown in prison.  Both bills were condemned by Amnesty International.

“They represent a sorry attempt by the government to bolster its popularity by pandering to the most reactionary elements of Russian society -- at the expense of fundamental rights and the expression of individual identities,” said Amnesty’s John Dalhuisen in a statement.

Hours before the Duma voted on making homophobia law, LGBT activists attempted a demonstration:  They were arrested by Putin’s cops.