Russia never sought to ban homosexuality – Putin

Moscow has only shielded traditional values from Western propaganda, the president said

Russia has banned propaganda promoting same-sex relations but has never sought to outlaw homosexuality itself, according to President Vladimir Putin.

In 2023, the Russian Supreme Court declared the “international LGBT movement” to be an extremist organization.

“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,” Putin said in an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin released on Sunday. “Adults have the right to live as they choose.”

Putin emphasized that he backed the 2013 law banning “LGBTQ propaganda” for minors because he believed that “Western mainstream ideology was being injected into the minds of the Russian people.” In 2022, the law was expanded to include adults.

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Although Russia is ethnically and religiously diverse, the majority “shares common core beliefs about morality,” Putin said. “If we stop upholding our traditional values, Russia will lose its identity and, as a consequence, its statehood — which is extremely dangerous,” he added.

“So-called global liberalism has outlived itself and transformed into a form of totalitarianism,” Putin said, arguing that many people in Western Europe and North America share his views.

“I hope that our open, honest, and clear position on these issues has emboldened like-minded people in the US and other countries,” he said.