Russian MP known for ‘anti-gay’ law seeks to ban sex change operations in Russia
State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov, known for his staunch pro-Christian stance, has prepared a bill banning sex change operations, claiming that the procedure could pose risks to physical and mental health.
“At present there is not a single valid medical reason for surgical operations aimed at changing the sex of an adult person. All physiological deviations or illnesses can be removed or cured at an early age once they are diagnosed by doctors,” reads an explanatory note attached to the bill, as quoted by RIA Novosti.
Milonov maintains that the current situation needs to be corrected, and for this he proposes passing a law that would completely ban sex change operations in Russia, as well as “any other actions that are aimed at changing a person’s sex through surgery.” This could even apply to the work of middlemen who find Russian clients for foreign sex change clinics.
The MP emphasized in his explanation that the bill is based on the opinions of the medical community. “Making such operations contradicts the very essence of the medical profession – after such procedures, patients face shorter life expectancy, health problems, and increased risk of suicide,” he wrote.
MP Vitaly Milonov is best known as the main sponsor of the Russian law that bans the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations to minors, dubbed the “gay propaganda ban” by the media. However, he has gained even more notoriety by numerous legislative initiatives that never became laws, such as a ban on child beauty pageants, criminalizing prostitution, and introducing fines for fake accounts on social media networks.
Milonov’s trademark is still the relentless anti-gay campaign. He has called for all Apple products in Russia to be banned because the company is headed by openly gay CEO Tim Cook.
In September, Milonov announced a bill introducing fines for, and out-of-court blocking of, websites that knowingly distribute fake news, claiming that such media outlets are tools for informational and psychological influence used for destabilizing the country and threatening the information security of Russia.
