His invasion of Ukraine is evil, to be sure, but, looking at the broader picture -- the fight to preserve Western civilization -- we must recognize that Mr Putin is almost the only leader* challenging the un-Christian secular humanism which is the politically correct orthodoxy of Europe and North America... except Russia.
Case in point: the ceaseless barrage of pro-queer propaganda forcing homosexuality, gender fluidity, and gender ideology down our throats (or other orifices). Most older folks aren't buying it, but our children are being taught, from curricula written by queers in our public schools, that it's "normal" to be attracted to members of the same sex, and to act on that attraction.
"Gender affirmation surgery", which we used to call "sex change operations" are not just approved but encouraged. And in our public libraries, drag queens are grooming our innocent children. And all this is being paid for by our tax dollars!
You won't see any of this in Russia! The state news agency, TASS, reports that this week legislators of the State Duma (the lower house of Russia's parliament), unanimously passed a draft law, sponsored by 400 of the Duman's 450 members, banning the media from publishing propaganda for "non-traditional sexual relations".
The chairman noted that the Duma had received high-profile initiatives requesting the ban on such information. He stressed that this issue was very important because such propaganda is aimed at destroying Russian society and traditional family values. Odd, isn't it, that parliamentarians in the USA, UK, Canada etc haven't figured that out? Maybe I should have said "queer", rather than "odd"!
The bill prohibits the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations, pedophilia and the display of LGBT-related information and information encouraging gender changes among teenagers, on the Internet, in the media, in books, on audio and visual platforms, and in movies and advertisements.
It also introduces a mechanism restricting children’s access to LGBT-related information on paid services. In particular, it demands users enter codes or take other actions to confirm their age. In addition, the document suggests banning audio and visual services from spreading information harmful to the health and development of children.
The Duma legislators also approved in the first reading a draft law stipulating administrative liability for propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations, pedophilia as well as gender change among teenagers and adults.
The new bill stipulates maximum fines of 5 million rubles (over $81,400) for spreading LGBT propaganda among minors and 4 million rubles (over $65,146) among adults. Foreign nationals involved in promoting non-traditional sexual relations propaganda will be expelled from Russia and fined up to 400,000 rubles ($6,500). An administrative 15-day detention is also possible in regard to foreign nationals.
Only in Russia, you say? Pity, sez Walt. We need something like that here.
* Footnote: There are a handful of foreign leaders, including Italy's Prime Minister Giorgina Meloni, and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, who I think would agree with President Putin on the necessity for such a law, but Russia remains the only country in which a ban on pro-queer propaganda is now the law of the land.
