Russian parliament backs ban on adoptions from countries that allow gender change

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian parliament on Wednesday gave its initial backing to legislation that would ban nationals from countries that allow people to change their gender from adopting Russian children, a move it said was essential to uphold "traditional values."

Russia itself last year introduced a ban on people legally or medically changing their gender, part of a widening crackdown on LGBT rights that has seen "LGBT propaganda" outlawed at a time when President Vladimir Putin is casting his country as a bastion of "traditional values" locked in an existential struggle with a morally decadent West.

Members of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, voted by 397-1 in favour of the new adoption ban in the first of three readings suggesting that the legislation, which has already been conceptually approved by the government, will become law.

"This decision is aimed at protecting childhood and traditional values," Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the Duma and a close ally of President Vladimir Putin said after it had been voted on.

"It is necessary to protect our children from the dangers they may face when they are adopted or fostered by citizens of foreign countries where gender reassignment is allowed."

Volodin said dozens of Western countries allowed people to change their gender.

Vasily Piskarev, a senior lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party and another co-author of the legislation, has alleged that adoptees risk being forced to change their gender or falling victim to sexual exploitation in the West.

Russia in 2012 banned adoptions by U.S. citizens and its war in Ukraine has seen the number of adoptions by foreign nationals dwindle to just six children in 2023 according to data from the RBK news outlet.

(This story has been refiled to change the image)

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Alexandra Hudson)