ALBAWABA President Vladimir Putin signed a controversial law prohibiting legal and surgical sex changes on Monday, effectively denying transgender Russians the right to access gender-affirming services.
The bill, passed with unanimous approval in both houses of parliament, prohibits all "medical interventions aimed at changing a person's sex" and also disallows gender changes on official documents and public records.
The only exception is medical intervention for treating congenital anomalies.
Additionally, the law invalidates marriages in which one person has "changed gender" and prevents transgender individuals from becoming foster or adoptive parents.
According to the explanatory note, the purpose of this law is to safeguard the constitutional moral and family values of Russian society and ensure the well-being of its citizens, particularly children.
The law will take effect on the day of its publication but will not be applicable to individuals who underwent gender changes before its implementation.
