A Russian Senator argued against a bill
that sought to protect animals by stating that it might open the door
to LGBT rights.
Lawmakers struck down the bill on
Tuesday. According to The Moscow Times, the bill sought to
protect animals used in the training of hunting dogs and birds.
Ahead of the vote, Senator Sergei
Kalashnikov urged his colleagues to reject the bill, describing the
proposed ban as a “western fad” similar to LGBT rights that should
be dismissed.
“We treat many western fads with
humor, including political correctness, the rights of sexual
minorities and others,” Kalashnikov
said.
“Any thought, however humanitarian,
becomes absurd when carried to its logical conclusion.”
“We're not only passing a law that
won't work for many reasons, but we're also demonstrating that we're
following the same path, so to speak, of defending the rights of
sexual minorities,” he added.
In 2013, Russian President Vladimir
Putin signed a law which prohibits the promotion of “gay
propaganda” to minors. Approval of the law provoked worldwide
condemnation and calls for boycotts of Russian made imports and
international events taking place in Russia, including the 2014
Winter Olympics in Sochi. According to a recent report, anti-LGBT
hate crimes have increased since the law's passage.
(Related: Anti-LGBT
hate crimes double in Russia following passage of “gay propaganda”
law.)