The EU court said the law spreads homophobia
A sign from a 2013 rally in Berlin protesting anti-gay laws in Russia (Image by Marco Fieber)
A Russian law that bans gay “propaganda” has been ruled discriminatory,encouraging homophobia and stigma by the European Union of human rights.
The law was challenged by three Russian gay rights activists in 2013 following their arrests for protesting previous anti-gay laws.
“By adopting such laws the [Russian] authorities reinforce stigma and encourage homophobia, which is incompatible with the notions of equality, pluralism and tolerance inherent in a democratic society,” the Strasbourg-based ECHR said, knocking down any argument from Russian lawyers reports The Guardian.
Russian law bans adults from giving children information related to homosexuality and is thought to make the lives of gay Russians harder. The three men had protested the law and were consequently arrested and fined. They appealed to the ECHR in Strasbourg after a Russian court dismissed their case.
The ECHR ruled in favor of the three men, throwing out claims from Russian lawyers that the law was meant to protect public morals, health and other people’s rights.
According to The Guardian, the court ruled the law was in violation of the European convention on human rights on freedom of expression and ordered the state to pay damages totaling €43,000 ($47,880) plus costs and interest within three months.
Read more here
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Thailand doesn’t necessarily anti-gay laws but they also don’t have any laws that protect gay people as much as they should, considering how many transgender and gay people this country seems to have. For instance, gay marriages in Thailand are not recognized under the Thai marriage act. Hence, gay couples looking to hire a surrogate or adopt cannot because under the law, only married couples “of the opposite sex” can. Activists and human rights and family lawyers in Thailand have been trying to get gay marriage recognized in Thailand. I hope it happens eventually.