Russian anti-transgender bill compared to Republican efforts in U.S.

Russia’s newly proposed anti-transgender legislation is drawing comparisons to Republican efforts to restrict LGBTQ+ rights in the United States.

On Thursday, the Russian State Duma passed a bill that would ban gender affirming health care regardless of age, ban transgender people from becoming foster or adoptive parents, and annul marriages involving transgender people, the Associated Press reported. The bill, widely expected to be approved by the Federation Council and Russian President Vladimir Putin, comes as LGBTQ+ advocates warn of new global attacks on rights for the community, specifically those who are transgender.

Lawmakers in Russia, the government of which has long viewed as hostile toward LGBTQ+ rights, tout the legislation as protection from “the Western anti-family ideology.” However, critics say the bill will cause undue harm to Russia’s transgender community.

Maria Sjödin, the executive director of the international LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Outright International, told Newsweek on Saturday afternoon that Russia’s new law “takes matters even further” for a community already under “enormous pressure” by existing anti-gay and anti-transgender laws.

At least 491 anti-LGBTQ laws have been introduced in state legislatures so far in 2023, and 77 have been signed into law, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). These bills target a number of LGBTQ+ rights including banning gender affirming health care for transgender youth, limiting the discussion of LGBTQ+ identities in schools and preventing public drag performances.

Some conservative lawmakers also introduced bills aimed at limiting access to gender affirming care for adults, but these efforts have struggled to garner enough support to pass state legislatures or have failed legal challenges. For instance, a judge struck down a Florida law that prevented the use of Medicaid for gender-affirming health care last month.

Sjödin told Newsweek that anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Russia and the U.S. are driven by the same ideology.

“The ideology behind the prohibition on gender affirming care for youth in the US and for every trans person in Russia is the same. It is also the same kind of ideology that drives the anti-LGBTQ legislation and bills in Uganda and other countries in Africa,” Sjödin said in a statement. “Under the false pretense of protecting ‘youth,’ governments are trying to eradicate trans people, ignoring medical science that says that gender affirming care saves lives and radically improves quality of life for trans people.”

Meanwhile, others took to social media to compare Russia’s law to Republican LGBTQ+ bills.

“The transgender genocide is global. Russia has banned ALL gender affirming care, for all people, youth and adults. They will annul marriages and ban adoption. This is what the US Right wants to do to trans people here. Stop the genocide before it’s too late,” tweeted Erin Reed, a journalist and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

Attorney Ron Filipkowski tweeted: “Once again, Putin and the US Republican Party are in lock-step with each other. The Russian law also bans transgenders from adopting children. Since they supply new policy ideas for the GOP, that will be introduced in Congress soon.”

“This is a terrifying set of developments in Russia that heavily mirrors legislation in the United States. Includes banning medical transition at any age, prohibiting name and gender marker changes, and bans trans people from adopting or being guardians,” tweeted therapist Jessica Kant.

Newsweek reached out to the Republican National Committee (RNC) for comment via email.

Russia is viewed as having among the world’s most restrictive laws regarding LGBTQ+ rights.

Equaldex’s LGBTQ+ rights index places Russia as the 23rd worst country to live in for the LGBTQ+ community. There have been reports for years that authorities in Russia’s Chechnya region have violently persecuted LGBTQ+ people. The State Duma has previously worked to ban LGBTQ+ “propaganda,” and one Russian commander has cast the invasion of Ukraine as a “Holy war” against the LGBTQ+ community.