Mark Mackinnon
The Globe and Mail
February 13, 2014
In the middle of a Winter Games already tainted by criticism of the Russian government’s treatment of gay and lesbians, the Kremlin has tightened a ban on same-sex couples from adopting Russian children, expanding it to also preclude single would-be parents from countries – such as Canada – that allow gay marriage.
A new decree, signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and posted Wednesday on an official government website, expands a 2013 ban on adoptions by same-sex couples to specify that “same-sex couples who are lawfully married in countries that have legal same-sex marriage, or unmarried nationals from these countries” will not be allowed to adopt Russian children.
There are currently 15 countries that legally recognize same-sex marriages. Only 14 countries allow adoptions by same-sex couples.
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