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Russian Lawmakers Approve Second Reading Of Bill Tightening 'Gay Propaganda' Law


People wave rainbow flags during a gay-pride rally in St. Petersburg in 2017.
People wave rainbow flags during a gay-pride rally in St. Petersburg in 2017.

Russian lawmakers approved on November 23 the second of three readings of a series of amendments to the country's controversial "gay propaganda" law, an expansion of the legislation that rights activists say has put LGBT people at risk and led to increased discrimination and violence against them. The amendments to the 2013 law, if approved as expected, ban the "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relationships" entirely and authorize the blocking of Internet resources that cover LGBT topics and ban films that the government interprets as containing such "propaganda." To read the original story from RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

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