Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law that bans gender reassignment procedures in the country. The law, which was published on the official legal information portal, is now in effect.
According to this new law, gender reassignment surgeries and hormonal treatments are banned, except in cases of “congenital physiological deviations.” It also forbids changing official documents based on medical certificates of a “sex change.”
Moreover, the law empowers the authorities to annul marriages if one or both spouses undergo a “sex change.” This rule applies retroactively, invalidating marriages where either partner transitioned before the law’s introduction.
In addition to marriage, the law prevents couples with a partner who has undergone a “sex change” from adopting children. Furthermore, individuals who have undergone a gender transition abroad are no longer allowed to obtain Russian documents reflecting their correct gender identity. It’s important to note that this particular amendment is not applied retroactively, and there are no plans to remove children already adopted by transgender individuals.
Last year, Russia introduced a law that bans the promotion of LGBT relationships and lifestyles, labeling it as “propaganda.” This law applies to all age groups, effectively making public displays and media portrayals of non-heterosexual identities illegal.
