Putin Says Russia Never Aimed to Ban Homosexuality

(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin has clarified that while his country prohibits the spread of messages that endorse same-sex relationships, it has never aimed to criminalize homosexuality itself.

In a recent conversation with a journalist released on Sunday, Putin emphasized the distinction, noting that the legislation targets only the promotion of such relationships.

In 2023, Russia's top court officially labeled the “international LGBT movement” as an extremist entity.

Reflecting on the broader issue, Putin stated, “We have only discussed a ban on propaganda. We have never spoken about banning non-traditional relationships.

Moreover, we have always maintained that all people are equal.”

He went on to affirm that “adults have the right to live as they choose,” underscoring his position that personal freedoms remain intact.

Putin defended the initial 2013 law restricting “LGBTQ propaganda” directed at minors, asserting that he saw it as a necessary measure to counter what he described as “Western mainstream ideology” infiltrating Russian society.

In 2022, the regulation was broadened to cover the adult population as well.

Despite Russia's mix of ethnicities and faiths, the president noted that a vast portion of the population holds “common core beliefs about morality.”

He cautioned that abandoning these “traditional values” could result in the erosion of the country’s cultural character and even threaten its “statehood,” which he described as a grave risk.

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