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Belarus Passes New Bill Criminalizing Promotion of LGBTQ+ Relationships and Childfree Movement
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The Belarusian Parliament has passed a controversial bill that introduces penalties for promoting “homosexual relationships” and the “childfree” movement—the voluntary decision to remain childless.
According to reports from Belarusian state news agency Nasha Niva, the legislation was approved on April 2.
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The bill adds nine new articles to the Belarusian Administrative Offenses Code and revises 73 existing categories. The legislation targets what authorities have deemed as “propaganda” of homosexuality, gender transition, childlessness, and pedophilia.
Under the new law, individuals found guilty of promoting such content will face fines ranging from around $304 to about $2,300.
The bill also includes harsher penalties if such content is deemed to have been viewed by minors, including heightened fines and the possibility of administrative arrest or mandatory community service.
In addition, the bill criminalizes the “improper representation of Belarus” at international events.
The bill still requires the signature of Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, to become law.
In a parallel move, in 2024, Russia's State Duma passed a law that prohibits the adoption of Russian children by citizens of countries where “gender transition” is legal. The legislation passed both in its second and final third readings and introduces amendments to the Russian Family Code, aiming to prevent children from being adopted by members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The bill is specifically designed to impose a ban on adoption by citizens of NATO countries, as these nations widely allow gender transition.
Additionally, the Russian Duma has amended the article on “promoting non-traditional sexual relationships and gender transition” in the Code of Administrative Offenses, establishing heavy fines—up to $62,360 for legal entities.
The new law also expands the definition of “LGBT propaganda” to include the promotion of the childfree lifestyle, labeling it as a form of spreading ideas that equate parenthood with voluntary childlessness. The law specifically targets actions that aim to make the choice of not having children appear attractive or encourage rejection of parenthood.
Additionally, Russia has announced new measures targeting entertainment content that promotes a voluntary childfree lifestyle. According to the reports, the new guidelines requires media regulator Roskomnadzor to instruct cinemas and streaming platforms to block or remove any content that “encourages,” “justifies,” or portrays the decision to remain childless as socially equivalent to parenthood.
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