Gay Propaganda!?!

[peacetraveler22]

Maybe some of you know the popular store "CVS" in America? It's a retail store, selling a wide-variety of items like Auchan (but much smaller). These stores are located all over the U.S., including my hometown of Manassas. Over the weekend, I stopped to get a card for a bridal shower and saw this - same sex wedding cards!! "MR. & MR." and "MRS. & MRS." Two grooms, two brides! :)) I was in shock because gay marriage isn't legalized in my home State of Virginia, and I've never seen these cards at any stores in my U.S. travels. Our neighbors in Washington, DC and Maryland have both legalized gay marriage. However, Virginia is more conservative and I don't anticipate same sex marriage being legalized here anytime soon. Recent attempts to amend the definition of "marriage" in the Constitution of Virginia have failed in the hands of voters. Most Virginians still prefer that "marriage" be defined as a union only between a man and woman. No exceptions.

These cards immediately reminded me about the Russian law passed last year, prohibiting propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations to minors. It's my understanding the term "propaganda" isn't defined in the text of the law. So, do these cards violate the Russian law? Are the messages on these wedding cards considered "propaganda?" After all, what's "propaganda" to one person, is merely a joyous celebration of love to someone else.

I did a quick Internet search to see how this law has been interpreted in Russia since inception, but couldn't find much information in English. I see only that some prosecutors in Ulianovsk investigated whether a children's book which promoted tolerance and multiculturalism should be banned from a local library because it contains information about same-sex marriages. See article here. Then, there is an absurd article discussing a politician's wish to change the depiction on Russia's 100 RUB banknote because, in his words, "you can see Apollo is naked, you can see his genitalia" and this is pornographic. I don't know how this equates to gay propaganda, but I'm sure there are many clever lawyers in Russia who can make an argument in favor of the ban. Read the article here.
Where is the logic in this? By simply seeing an image of Apollo's genitalia, young boys will have gay thoughts of sucking off their friends? What about art, where many sculptures depict the male and female forms in intricate detail, including bare breasts, nipples, etc. These statutes also should be banned because they may illicit naughty thoughts about the same sex? It's difficult to determine where to draw the line.



In America, we also have many lazy legislators who enact poorly written laws. There's a legal concept here known as "void for vagueness", where lawyers attempt to invalidate a law on the ground it is so vague that an average person of normal intelligence cannot understand it, and therefore cannot be aware of the criminal consequences of their conduct. Here's a classic American example:

- The Florida Supreme Court ruled the State's felony ban on sodomy was unconstitutional and void for vagueness because an average person of common intelligence could not reasonably know, without speculating, whether "abominable and detestable crimes against nature" included oral and anal sex. :))

So now you understand why there are so many lawyers in the world. We're needed to interpret all these poorly written laws and protect citizens and businesses from undue persecution. :)

What do you think? Would a store be prosecuted under Russia's gay propaganda law for selling these wedding cards? If you know examples of how this law has been enforced, please send me links.  I'm curious to read about the violations, and put my legal mind to work.