August 27, 2013 | Sex & Society

More homophobic laws planned for Russia

A Russian politician - and potential mayor of Moscow - is proposing more homophobic legislation to add to the already passed 'gay propaganda law.' Mikhail Degtyaryov said lawmakers in the country's State Duma were working on two new measures to deal with homosexuality.

The first bill would create a system through which gays can have the chance to become "normal" again through so-called conversion therapy.

“Many [gays] want to return to a normal life, to become heterosexual like 95 to 99 percent of our citizens,” Degtyaryov, the vice chairman of the Committee for Science and Scientific Technologies, claimed.

He said the treatment would be covered by the state and be voluntary and anonymous. 

A second piece of legislation would reinstate the country's ban on blood and organ donations from gay men.

"We will suggest amendments to the law on donors that reintroduce homosexuality to the list of contraindications for blood donations in Health Ministry instructions," Degtyarov said. He said there was nothing discriminatory about the policy, because 65 percent of all HIV-positive persons were homosexual. (He pulled the stats from a most reliable source: his ass.)

Russia Gay Blood Donation Ban, Free Conversion Therapy Proposed By Moscow Mayoral Candidate [Huffington Post]

Russian MP proposes gay blood ban, free gay-to-straight conversion therapy [LGBTQ Nation]