MOSCOW — On Wednesday, Russia’s Federation Council, which is the upper chamber of parliament, backed a legislative initiative that prohibits the adoption of Russian children by individuals from nations where gender transitioning is permitted.

In addition to this measure, legislators also passed bills that criminalize the dissemination of materials promoting a child-free lifestyle.

These legislative proposals, already receiving backing from the lower house, are set to be forwarded to President Vladimir Putin for his endorsement, moving forward in a series of initiatives aimed at restricting the rights of sexual minorities while reinforcing traditional social values.

Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of the lower house and one of the principal authors of the new adoption bill, emphasized the importance of safeguarding adopted children from potential dangers related to gender reassignment practices in certain foreign countries.

The adoption ban is expected to affect at least 15 nations, with the majority located in Europe, but also including countries like Australia, Argentina, and Canada. An adoption prohibition for American citizens was instituted back in 2012.

Furthermore, the legislation approved on Wednesday also targets what is being characterized as propaganda promoting a life without children, proposing hefty fines that could reach up to 5 million rubles (approximately $50,000). Proponents of this bill claim that campaigning against childbirth forms part of a larger Western strategy aimed at undermining Russia by instigating demographic decline.

In recent years, Putin and other prominent government figures have increasingly advocated for adherence to what they refer to as traditional values as a response to Western liberalism. Amid concerns regarding a shrinking population, Putin has publicly encouraged families to grow, suggesting last year that women should aspire to have as many as eight children.

Last year, Russia implemented a ban on gender-transition medical treatments, and its Supreme Court categorized the LGBTQ+ “movement” as extremist.

In 2022, a law was enacted by Putin that prohibits the distribution of LGBTQ+ information to all age groups, thereby expanding upon the 2013 restriction which limited such content to minors only.