The Russian Parliament definitively adopted, on Thursday 24 November, a law prohibiting the “propaganda” of the ” non-traditional sex » – or homosexual relations, but also pedophilia, and the change of sex which nevertheless remains authorized in Russia. The previous law, which dated from 2013, only concerned the “LGBT propaganda” with minors.
In an equally imprecise way, is also prohibited “the denial of family values”
With regard to homosexual relations, the text adopted at third reading is particularly vague: it suffices to ” to arouse interest “ about these relationships to fall under the law, without even presenting them in a positive light. As a result, a deputy expressed, in session, his fear of no longer being able to criticize or denigrate homosexuality publicly… In an equally imprecise way, is also prohibited “denial of family values”.
These prohibitions concern “media, internet, literature and cinema” or even advertising, that is to say the entirety of the public field. Violations will be punished with heavy fines, up to 10 million rubles (160,000 euros), and foreigners who break this law may be deported.
The Duma, the lower house of Parliament, on the other hand, gave up during the second reading vote on Wednesday, to provide for prison sentences in the event of a repeat offense, or even to formally extend the ban to video games. Some MPs had already started compiling lists of games “doubtful”.
Concern for works of fiction and literature
During the preparatory work, we were able to hear elected officials rebel against certain works of fiction. “Do you realize, the film Call me by your name has more than twenty fan groups on [le réseau social russe] Vkontakte, exhibited for example the deputy Alexandre Khinchteïn at the podium. It’s a love story between a boy and a man. The cartoon South Park… We see a pedophile school cook. Peppa Pig, whom we think we know well… In one episode, a polar bear shows a portrait of his family, his mother and “his other mother”. »
Eksmo director Oleg Novikov estimates that 50% of books published by his publishing house could be at risk
Faced with such declarations, professionals are wondering about the films that will disappear from the screens – from the most restrictive lists of works explicitly addressing the theme of homosexual relations, to the broadest, where the subject is broached. by the way. Same question in the literature: the director of the publishing giant Eksmo, Oleg Novikov, estimates that 50% of the books published by his house could be threatened. Among them, all the work of Viktor Pelevin, but also a biography of Tchaikovsky, who happens to have been homosexual. Deputy Khinchtein sought to reassure by explaining that the classics of literature, such as lolitaof Vladimir Nabokov, would not be concerned, but without explaining the legal basis on which he expressed such an opinion.
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