Russian bill proposes banning 'trans-affirming' sex reassignment surgeries and gender self-ID

Echoing some of the reforms proposed by Republican lawmakers in the United States, the bill represents another example of Russia's stance on various social issues.

Russian bill proposes banning 'trans-affirming' sex reassignment surgeries and gender self-ID
AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky, File
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In a move that showcases Russia's rejection of woke developments in the West, a novel bill introduced on Tuesday seeks to steer transgender healthcare in a different direction by banning 'trans-affirming' sex reassignment surgeries and gender self-identification.

Echoing some of the reforms proposed by Republican lawmakers in the United States, the bill represents another example of Russia's stance on various social issues.

As reported by TASS, a state-run Russian media outlet, the proposed legislation aims to put the brakes on gender-affirming surgeries and treatments. The bill does include provisions for birth abnormalities, however, these would necessitate "a decision from a medical commission of a federal state-run public health institution," with governmental pre-approval, Reuters reported.

In addition, public record offices would no longer accept gender-affirmation certificates from medical institutions, effectively halting alterations to an individual's official gender documentation.

Trans individuals in Russia have been able to amend their registered gender on documents like passports and receive gender-affirming care since 1997, albeit with some bureaucratic hurdles, as reported by The Council for Global Equality.

Under the conservative leadership of President Vladimir Putin, Russia has seen a tightening of laws targeting LGBTQ+ expression. As Human Rights Watch reports, an extension to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in 2022 restricted the public sharing of information about non-heterosexual orientations or lifestyles. Another legislation, known as the "Answer to Blinken" law in response to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's criticism, disallowed any promotion of homosexuality in media and on the internet, according to BBC News.

In recent times, President Putin has shown alignment with some views often associated with broader moderate conservative sentiment in the United States. In 2021, he addressed the issue of "cancel culture" during a commentary on Russian foreign policy, challenging the West's tendency towards "a cancellation of culture that annihilates everything that is alive and creative."

In his anti-woke speech, he highlighted the similarities between woke progressives to Soviet revolutionaries.

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