The Russian state of Duma has voted to criminalize gender reassignment surgery amid its continued crackdown on LGBTQ rights in the region.
The new law banned nearly all medical assistance for transgender people and had its third and final reading on Friday. It prohibits doctors from performing gender reassignment surgeries, except in cases related to treating congenital physiological anomalies in young children.
Russian State Duma Bans Gender Reassignment Surgery
Additionally, the new measure restricts registry offices from amending official documents based on medical certificates of gender change. Despite the recent vote, the law still needs to get approval from the Federation Council and be signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin before it can take effect.
The amendments to the law's third reading include disqualifying individuals who have undergone gender changes from becoming eligible to be adoptive parents or guardians. It also removes the capability of annulling a marriage if one or both spouses undergo a gender change and update their civil status records, as per CNN.
The vote comes as Putin has continued to impose harsher anti-LGBTQ legislation in the past few months and as the Kremlin clamps down on free speech and human rights amid its invasion of Ukraine.
The latest legal developments in Russia continue to expand the restrictions on the LGBTQ community and underscore a tightening of regulations and control over transgender rights within the region.
In December, Russian authorities expanded its "gay propaganda" law to control public discussions and narratives regarding non-heterosexual relationships and identities. That particular package of amendments, which Putin signed, includes harsher penalties for anyone who promotes "non-traditional sexual relations and/or preferences," including gender transition.
On the other hand, doctors and transgender rights advocates have argued that the ban would only create a black market for hormone substitutes and will result in an increase in attempted suicides among young people who cannot access sufficient medical care, according to The Guardian.
Crackdown on LGBTQ Rights
A Russian transgender woman living in Georgia, Elle Solomina, said her home country looked hopeless for children and teenagers. She added that she believes they would be able to get any help.
Duma's vote on the bill comes amid Putin's stance on LGBTQ lifestyles, which he said contradicts traditional Russian values. The Russian strongman also condemned the West's acceptance of them, saying it was evidence of moral decay.
Additionally, Vyacheslav Volodin, the Duma speaker, considered gender-affirming surgery a route to the "degeneration of the nation." In a telegram post on Friday, he said the new law "protects our citizens (and) children."
On the other hand, the executive director of Russia's Independence Psychiatric Association, Lyubov Vinogradova, said that the bill is "misanthropic." They added that gender-affirming procedures should not be banned because, for some, it is the only way to exist normally and find peace within themselves.
But Russian authorities have portrayed the measure as protecting Russia against the Western anti-family ideology. Some have even called gender transitioning "pure satanism," said Aljazeera.
