Embassy statement

The Embassy was surprised to note the Global Affairs Canada’s publication supporting the Statement by the so-called “Equal Rights Coalition” with regard to adoption in Russia of a Federal Law aimed at preservation of traditional values. We would like to make a few comments in this regard.

The new legislation prohibits propaganda that promotes same-sex sexual relations or preferences, as well as pedophilia and information encouraging gender reassignment surgery.

Canada and a range of other States-supporters of the neoliberal agenda are deliberately distorting the reality by conflating the concepts of individual sexual preferences and universal human rights. Fortunately, there are no universally acknowledged international documents in place that would establish such a status for any relations that are different from a traditional family structure (a kind reminder that we are considering a natural family of procreation, which refers to a social unit of two male and female parents and their potential children).

It is important to reiterate that there is no discrimination in Russia with respect to the rights of sexual and other kind of minorities. However, it is well-known fact that a person’s freedom ends where another man’s freedom begins. We believe that non-traditional relations propaganda, let alone their criminally prosecuted perverted forms (such as pedophilia), infringes the rights of traditional majority of the Russian citizens willing to protect themselves and their children from being imposed with precepts that are alien to their spiritual and moral values.

Finally, the Embassy would like to recall a famous quote by the former Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Elliott Trudeau stating that “there is no place for the State in the bedrooms of the Nation”. It would be very timely now to follow it up with an equally important comment: “there is no place for a bedroom in the Government”. Individual sexual preferences of adults and details of their relations should remain strictly personal. It should not become a political matter, especially international relations’ agenda topic.

P.S.: Our country is not interfering in the Canadian domestic affairs. It is up to the Canadian authorities and citizens to make decisions in this field. We do expect from the Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet corresponding respectful attitude towards the legislative process in Russia based on the national State Policy to preserve and strengthen traditional values and the will of the Russian people.