CHRISTIANNEWS.COM. – The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, presented this Tuesday the 3rd a proposal to amend the Constitution that prohibits gay marriage. In the text, the definition of marriage would be limited to the union of a man and a woman.
The proposal is among several constitutional amendments put forward by Putin, which will be put to a public vote on April 22, but before that it must gain final approval from parliament and the Constitutional Court.
In the 24-page document, the president also designates Russia as the successor to the Soviet Union. But, in contradiction to the atheism of the communist period, he explicitly mentions the “faith in God” of the Russians.
It also guarantees the “defense of the historical truth” in relation to the Soviet role in World War II, which is also criticized for the persecutions of Jews and other crimes.
Putin last month said the country would not see gay marriage legalized as long as he remains in power. “As long as he is president, that will not happen. There will be a father and a mother,” the Russian leader said, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
In 2013, Russia passed a law banning the spread of “gay propaganda,” with a message of legitimacy of homosexuality, to minors.
Before that, homosexuality was officially criminalized until 1993 and considered a mental illness until 1999.
Critics see the proposals as a move by Putin to retain power after his term ends in 2024. President for the fourth time in a row, he has been the dominant figure in Russian politics for 20 years.
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