By Robert Bridge

At a time when half of Hollywood, not to mention the US Army, is coming out of the closet – actress Jodi Foster, for example, just used the occasion of her acceptance speech at the Golden Globe awards to announce her sexual orientation – and nine US states have legalized same-sex marriages, the cultural police are slamming Russia for its ‘anti-gay’ lifestyle.

But how much truth is there to the attacks? Can Russia really be labelled "anti-gay"? 

Are truncheon-wielding police kicking down the doors of same-sex partners, forcing them out of bed and into padded cells? Are thought police monitoring telephone and email correspondence to pick out the incriminating nuances? Is Russia’s proposed ‘anti-gay’ legislation going to make the interior of Russia’s gray, depressing prisons rainbow-colored and stylish overnight?

The answer to these questions is no, no and absolutely not.

However, Russia is attempting to cushion its youth from a "Western influence" that it condemns as far too liberal in outlook. There seems to be some truth to the allegations. Presently, children and adolescents are being forced to consider issues – thanks in large part to the omnipresent internet and entertainment industry – most of us never had to think about until much later in life (these days, even 8 year olds are masters at surfing the Internet, and are regular viewers of every form of entertainment; the older generation had to wait to find the latest discarded issue of Playboy for its kicks). Who could deny there is an overexposure of just about everything today; an electronic magazine rack of every possible lifestyle? It would be naïve to think this does not present our information-saturated children with a whole lot of unnecessary confusion at a time when they need it least. Puberty is complex enough for adolescents without them also needing to prematurely declare allegiance to the bisexual, homosexual, transsexual, metrosexual, or even, heaven forbid, heterosexual, camps.

In light of this avalanche of sexually-charged messages, many of which are presented in a puerile and juvenile manner, it could be argued that Russia's ‘draconian’ legislation actually works to support a young person’s freedom (One study put out by the Parents Television Council showed that, in 171 hours of programming of MTV's Spring Break coverage, there were 1,548 sexual scenes containing 3,056 depictions of sex and various forms of nudity and 2,881 verbal sexual references. I am not sure if there is a connection, but the plug on MTV in Russia has been pulled for 2013).

After all, children and adolescents under the age of 18 are not legal adults, therefore, they should be ‘free’ from being exposed to ‘disturbing’ messages that most of them are neither emotionally prepared nor expected to understand. Indeed, Russian legislators behind the bill say minors need to be protected from ‘homosexual propaganda’ because they are unable to evaluate the information critically. 

After the magic age of 18, however, people should be able to adopt whatever lifestyle they feel suits them, as is their right, and they should be able to do so without fear of retribution. 

Russia’s ‘anti-gay propaganda’ legislation, which is strongly supported by the Russian Orthodox Church, would impose a nationwide ban on entertainment and information that is defined as “propaganda of sodomy, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism.” The proposed legislation would also ban any public events that promote gay lifestyles that could influence children in any way. 

St. Petersburg and a number of other Russian cities already have similar laws on their books.

At risk of sounding like a middle-aged prude, I would take Russia’s proposed legislation a step further and ban all overtly sexual images and messages – heterosexual, homosexual and everything in between – from all media channels (after 11 PM, however, when the children are tucked in for the night, everything is fair game). Let's make artists and directors get their intended messages across in more subtle, creative ways. 

As far as legalizing 'gay parades' go, what would happen to our urban areas if every person of every sexual orientation is permitted their own special day to march down Main Street waving their own flag? Our cities would grind to a halt in a metallic sea of gridlock and general chaos. Plus, is it really necessary to inflame public passions on a severely divisive issue by putting our personal choices on the hit parade? Personally, I really don't see what such a strategy serves, especially since so many people are not open-minded on the subject in the first place. 

As opposed to the West’s increasingly conspicuous propagation of sexually explicit material, Russia’s legislation seems to indicate an awareness that children are not being protected against the technological means for distributing the messages. As usual, democracy is lagging far behind the lightning strides of technology. In an age when the youngest children can carry the entire world of information around in their hip pockets, we need to ensure they are not exposed to subjects above their pay grade. How to do that without privacy advocates screaming censorship or repression is another question.

In any case, it is refreshing to see that Russia is at least trying to catch up with the blustery winds of technological change in an effort to keep children’s minds focused on more pressing issues, like finishing their education and pursuing a career.

Choosing a sexual lifestyle should not be a young child's main priority.

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