Putin Likens Trans Views to 'Crimes Against Humanity'

Russian president rails against concept of gender fluidity, Western culture
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 22, 2021 1:46 PM CDT
Putin: Trans Teachings Are 'Monstrous'
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, on Thursday.   (Maksim Blinov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said the teaching of gender fluidity "verges on crimes against humanity." Putin spoke on a number of issues at an annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, Russia, including cancel culture, reverse racism, and other "sociocultural disturbances" in the West. Some Westerners believe "the aggressive deletion of whole pages of their own history, reverse discrimination against the majority in the interests of minorities … constitute movement toward public renewal," he said, per the Washington Post. "It's their right, but we are asking them to steer clear of our home," he added. "We have a different viewpoint."

The leader of Russia, where same-sex marriage was banned earlier this year, said the idea of children being "taught that a boy can become a girl and vice versa" is "monstrous" and "verges on crimes against humanity under the banner of progress," per the Moscow Times. He also suggested that supporters of transgender rights were calling for an end to "basic things such as mother, father, family or gender differences," per the Post. "People who dare to say that men and women still exist as a biological fact are almost ostracized," he added—perhaps in reference to Dave Chappelle's recent controversy.

Tatiana Stanovaya, an expert in Russian politics, said the speech was meant to appeal to "hardcore conservatives and supporters of traditional values," per the Post. "This ideological spin, which is becoming more and more official and concrete, is the main aid to repressions, much stronger than any election." Putin said "opposing racism is a necessary and noble thing," but "the struggle for equality and against discrimination turns into aggressive dogmatism verging on absurdity" in the West. "Here in Russia the absolute majority of our citizens don't care what color a person's skin is." (More Vladimir Putin stories.)

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