Moscow, February 4, Interfax – The criticism by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle of the bill banning the propaganda of homosexuality among children passed by the State Duma in the first reading is ungrounded, Yelena Mizulina, the head of the State Duma committee on family, women and children, said in an interview published in the Friday issue of Izvestiya.
“Let him [Westerwelle] also criticize the European Court of Human Rights. Its decision clearly states that the national authorities have a right to impose restrictions protecting children’s rights to protection from excessive influence of adults’ sexual preferences,” Mizulina said.
Mizulina said the national authorities should take into account society’s attitude toward homosexual behavior.
“Russian society is intolerant of it. All polls show that 95% want restrictions,” she said.
Mizulina said the new law will not restrict children’s right to independently look for information and will not ban sexual minorities from dressing as they please.
“The ban only applies to enticing interest in homosexual behavior during entertainment events in the presence of children. The document will restrict actions aimed at justifying, substantiating, and enticing such interest. The ban will not affect anything that occurs in places inaccessible to children,” Mizulina said.
Mizulina believes people who oppose the bill “do not take into account the official statistics of sexual violence against children.”
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told Russian Ambassador in Berlin Vladimir Grinin the Russian bill banning the propaganda of homosexuality among minors does not meet the international legal standards and may hurt the relations between Russia and Europe.
Source: Interfax-Religion