Putin Moves to Alter Russia's Constitution to Ban Same-Sex Marriage

Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his opposition to marriage equality last month, saying he was planning to enshrine a ban within the nation's constitution. He looks to be making good on his threat.

Putin has now submitted a draft amendment to the constitution that would limit marriage to one "man" and one "woman," according to a member of Parliament. The amendment's language also includes mention of "faith in God," a nod to the influential Russian Orthodox Church.

The all-powerful Russian leader yoked same-sex marriage to parenting last month, saying in a meeting that, "As far as 'parent number 1' and 'parent number 2' goes, I've already spoken publicly about this and I'll repeat it again: As long as I'm president this will not happen. There will be dad and mum."

Putin's Russia is a very homophobic and transphobic place, especially given the 2013 law that bans so-called gay propaganda -- really, any positive mention of LGBTQ identity that would be accessible to minors. And Putin has largely ignored the persecution of LGBTQ people in Chechnya, a semiautonomous republic within Russia.

Putin's hard-line stances seem to be trickling down, with acceptance of LGBTQ people declining among youth.