Putin Signs Adoption Ban for Gay Foreign Couples

Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a bill barring same-sex couples from foreign countries from adopting Russian children.

The legislature passed the law after France established legal marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples in May. The Russian measure is "aimed at guaranteeing a harmonious and full upbringing for children in adoptive families," according to the The Huffington Post.

According to the Associated Press, this law limits adoption possibilities for 600,000 Russian children who do not have parental custody.

The Russian government has already barred Americans from adopting Russian children. Russia recently also approved legislation to outlaw all pro-LGBT "propaganda," out of fear that it could possibly corrupt children.

In April, Russian gay rights activist Nikolay Alekseyev said he did not believe the law would successfully make it through Parliament.

"It's purely a political move aimed to show that the government is consistent in its decisions," he told Russian media.