State Duma adopts amendments to bill banning gender-affirming surgery: those who’ve changed gender markers to be prohibited from adopting children

The State Duma has adopted amendments to the bill banning gender-affirming surgery. Those who have changed their gender markers will be prohibited from adopting children.

Interfax reports the bill has passed the second reading with unanimous support. 391 parliamentarians voted in favor.

In addition to banning people from changing their gender marker in their passport and gender-affirming surgery, the deputies made the following amendments to the second reading:

• People who have changed their gender marker will be prohibited from adopting children.
• If in a couple in an official marriage, one of the partners has changed gender markers, the marriage will be annulled.

The third reading of the bill is scheduled for July 14.

The bill was originally introduced in the State Duma at the end of May. Deputies believe that it will “preserve Russia for posterity — with its cultural and family values, traditional patterns, putting up a barrier against the penetration of Western anti-family ideology.”