Russia Strengthens Adoption Ban

Russia has reiterated its ban on adoptions of children from within its borders by same-sex couples and also prohibited adoptions by single people in countries that allow gay couples to marry.

Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev signed the measure into law Monday, and it was published on a government website today, reports Kremlin-backed news source RT.com. It went into effect yesterday.

"The document reads that adoption is allowed to adults of either sex with two exceptions: married same-sex couples from countries where gay marriage is legal and unmarried persons from such states," reports RT.com. It "comes as a technical amendment to the law passed in mid-2013 and offers detailed legal definitions of basic rules already included in the Russian Family Code," according to the site. The 2013 law barred foreign same-sex couples from adopting children.

Even before the ban on adoptions by singles was enacted, single foreigners who sought to adopt Russian children were usually turned down if perceived to be gay, with Russian officials fearing they might enter into a same-sex marriage in their home country, notes CNN. And over a year ago, Russia approved legislation preventing U.S. residents from adopting Russian children. The latest move affects prospective parents in the dozen or so countries around the world that offer legal marriage rights to same-sex couples.