Russian anti-gay laws distorted by U.S. media

The 2014 Winter Olympics planned to be held in Sochi, Russia, has been the object of public criticism and protests for months. Some athletes and activists have even spoken of boycotting the Olympics.

The reason: Russia’s supposed anti-gay laws.

Protesters worldwide are outraged at a new bill signed into law June 30 by Russian president Vladimir Putin. The new law forbids the spread of “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations to minors.” Opponents object to it on the grounds that everyone should be able to express their sexual orientation, without being discriminated against. 

In the bill, the term “propaganda” is defined broadly and vaguely, giving room to a lot of misunderstanding. Much of the American media seems to have distorted the Russian policy through inaccurate translation. In several interviews, the head of the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia and the initiator of the bill Elena Mizulina specified the stance of the bill.

“Our bill is not directed at banning the propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations, but at limiting it in the cases where it is directed at children with the goal of forming certain sexual preferences. … The ban is only spread to the incitement of interest on homosexual behavior, which is done during spectacles [such as gay parades] in the presence of children,” Mizulina said in several interviews.

Of course, no one should convince children of any sexual orientation at all. But the law focuses on forbidding the propaganda of specifically homosexual relations because there are simply no straight advocates out on the streets forming “straight” parades. 

In addition, considering how impressionable children are, the startling actions or symbolic gestures that are found in the parades, such as drag queens, public nudity and crude depictions of sexuality, may produce an adverse effect on the children. 

Yet the way the U.S. media twisted the story made it seem as if being gay was now illegal in Russia. Reporters ignored crucial details and the true goals of the law were understated.

As for the Olympics, both the potential spectators and the athletes are upset by this law, or a butchered version of this law. Several U.S. hockey team players expressed their opposition to it, and citizens all over the world have been protesting on the streets for days.

The true goals of the legislation are actually much more modest.

Russia’s president Vladimir Putin reassured the public that no one will be subject to discrimination during the Olympic games.

“We can be absolutely sure that Russia will support the principles of Olympism, which don’t allow discrimination of people on any basis, either ethnicity or gender or … sexual orientation,” Putin said. 

 

 

Quotes translated by: Oksana Trifonova