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Putin condemns US state anti-gay laws
President Vladimir Putin has condemned US state anti-gay laws while saying Russia ensures equal rights to LGBTI people.
The former KGB agent made the comments in a interview with 60 Minutes aired on CBS Sunday (27 September) night.
‘The problem of sexual minorities in Russia had been deliberately exaggerated from the outside for political reasons, I believe, without any good basis,’ he said in Moscow.
Putin pointed outed that some US states still have laws that criminalize gay sex on the books – although they were all struck down by the Supreme Court in 2003 – adding that a similar Soviet law had been abolished.
‘It’s well known that in four states in America, homosexual orientation is a crime… It’s not completely removed from American legislation, but we don’t have,’ he said. ‘I definitely condemn that.
‘I believe there should not be any criminal prosecution or any other prosecution or infringement of people’s rights on the basis of their race, ethnicity, religious or sexual orientation.’
‘We have no persecution at all,’ Putin continued.
‘People of non-traditional sexual orientation work, they live in peace, they get promoted, they get state awards for their achievements in science and arts or other areas. I personally have awarded them medals.’
Putin also defended Russia’s controversial gay ‘propaganda’ law – which bans the ‘promotion’ of ‘non-traditional sexual relationships’ to minors – he signed in 2013.
‘I don’t see anything un-democratic in this legal act,’ he said.
‘I believe we should leave kids in peace. We should give them a chance to grow, help them to realize who they are and decide for themselves.
‘Do they consider themselves a man or a woman? A female? A male? Do they want to live in a normal, natural marriage or a non-traditional one? That’s the only thing I wanted to talk about.
‘I don’t see here any infringement on the rights of gay people.’
Earlier this week, Putin awarded the author of the law with the state’s highest civilian honor.
Asked if there is as much recognition for LGBTI rights and gay marriage in Russia as there is in the US, he replied: ‘We not only recognize, we ensure their rights.’
‘In Russia, there are equal rights for everyone,’ he said. ‘Including for people of non-traditional sexual orientations as well.’
Watch the interview below:
The post Putin condemns US state anti-gay laws appeared first on Gay Star News.
Darren Wee
www.gaystarnews.com/article/putin-condemns-us-state-anti-gay-laws/
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