FILE PHOTO: A Russian national flag is seen lowered on the headquarters of State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in Moscow, Russia March 24, 2024. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov/File Photo
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.
The adoption legislation, which had already been conceptually approved by the government, on Wednesday won the backing of the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in the first of three readings.
The law's authors cast it as a measure aimed at protecting adopted Russian children from what they describe as potentially dangerous conditions in countries that belong to the NATO military alliance, which backs Ukraine in the war against Russia.
"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."
(Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
