Transgender rights activists have criticized the law, arguing that it severely restricts transgender rights in Russia.
Vladimir Putin and the flag of the trans movement
247 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law this Monday (24) banning sex reassignment surgery in all cases except when it is permissible for health reasons. The relevant document was published on the official legal information portal.
The Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament, passed the law last Wednesday. The lower house of the Russian parliament passed the law in the third reading in the plenary session last week.
According to the document, sex reassignment should only be allowed for medical reasons. Among other things, it proposes annulment of the marriage if one of the spouses changes sex and prohibits a person from adopting children after sex reassignment. The standards do not apply to people who changed their gender before the legislation came into force.
Transgender activists have criticized the law, arguing that it seriously undermines the rights of transgender people in Russia. Critics also claimed that the law’s wording creates uncertainty regarding the treatment of certain conditions unrelated to sex reassignment procedures, such as mastectomy in women with a genetic predisposition to breast cancer.
Russian authorities have multiplied conservative measures in recent months, claiming they want to eliminate behavior they see as deviant and imported from the West.
In December 2022, the “Gay Advertising Act” was expanded to ban advertisements, online and press references, books, films and plays that contain “promotion of nontraditional sexual relations” or colloquially “LGBTQ+ propaganda”. Since then, legislation has also expanded.
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In late June 2023, Russia’s Health Ministry released a guideline directing sexologists to help gay men overcome what the government considers a “mental disorder.”