The legal committee of the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly has introduced a draft law prohibiting the so-called propaganda of 'sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, and paedophilia to minors'.

The UK gay Humanist charity the Pink Triangle Trust (PTT) has expressed their concerns over the latest anti-gay legislation proposed in Russia.

Commenting on this, PTT Secretary George Broadhead said, “This is yet another example of the homophobia which seems rampant in Russian society, no doubt fostered by the malign influence of the Orthodox Church. In this instance it is especially repugnant that the Assembly has associated homosexuality with paedophilia."

Broadhead continued, "As the LGBT organization Coming Out, Russia points out, the Assembly has chosen to ignore the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention for Human Rights, the Council of Europe recommendations and other decrees by international organizations of which Russia is a member.”

Reacting to the plea for help from Coming Out Russia, the PTT has sent a letter of protest to Yakovenko Alexander Vladimirovich, the Russian Ambassador in the UK.

Politics