Russia's State Duma on Friday passed a bill banning transgender medical procedures as lawmakers say they want to protect the country's "traditional values."
The bill was strengthened and passed unanimously in its third and final reading in the lower house of parliament. It now heads to the Federation Council, Russia's Kremlin-controlled upper chamber, which must also pass legislation before sending it to Russian President Vladimir Putin's desk.
The legislation outlaws all "medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person" and prohibits Russian citizens from changing their gender in official documents and public records.
