A recently published video incites hatred towards same-sex families in Russia, stirring up fears about the adoption of children by gay couples. The referendum to change the constitution was already announced in January 2020, the vote is taking place now, started yesterday, June 25, until July 1, 2020.
The video shows the year 2035 where an orphan meets his adoptive parents while a caregiver is making a video about their happiest moment. First, the father is introduced and apparently, after the kid is asking for their mother, the made-up and effeminate second father comes into the picture, fetches a little dress as if he had already chosen it for “Petenka”. Besides that, the first parent underlines that now the family has become complete. “Will you choose such a Russia? Decide the future of the country - vote for amendments to the constitution,” a voiceover says at the end.
Maria Godlevskaya, Coordinator at EVA Association, says: "The video is astonishing. Because it shows a rare situation of gay couple adoption of a child in Russia. Many public figures try not to use the word LGBT even in their speeches, this is a strategy to maintain the invisibility of the group. We all understand the consequences of watching the video, that will be the distorted presentation of LGBT communities, negative attitude towards the realization of their parental rights. One wonders who would need to add fuel to the fire and incite hatred towards LGBT people?!”
It is sponsored by a federal news agency and calls Russians to vote in favour of the referendum on constitutional amendments urging to save traditional family values. The referendum includes a change to Article 72, stating that “traditional” family values must be protected and strengthened and that the institution of marriage should be defined as a union between a man and a woman. The most ridiculous thing in the proposed changes is that the new constitution would allow Putin to run for two more six-year presidential terms.