Vladimir Putin wants to ban gay marriage in revised hard-line Russian constitution

President Vladimir Putin wants to insert a ban on same-sex marriage into Russia’s constitution, saying it’s his “duty” to stop gay people getting married.

Vladimir Putin wants marriage to be defined as the union of a man and woman in a hard-line new constitution ruling out gay weddings.

The Russian leader hopes to shake up the constitution in a move to stay in power after his presidential term finishes in 2024.

The proposed changes, which will be put to the public vote, also includes a proclamation of faith in God and a ban on giving away any Russian territory.

Putin and his supporters see the overhaul as an opportunity to modify the constitution to enshrine what they see as Russia’s core moral and geopolitical values for future generations.

He submitted his constitutional proposals to parliament just before the official deadline, reports from the Kremlin said.

Last month, Putin said Russia would never legalise gay marriage as long as he was in the Kremlin.

He said he would not let the traditional notion of a mother and father be subverted by what he called “parent number 1” and “parent number 2”.

He also said previously that it is his “duty” to stop gay people from getting married in order to “reinforce families”, according to the Daily Mail.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin wants gay marriage banned in the constitution. Picture: Alexey Druzhinin/Sputnik/AFP

He has now proposed amending the constitution to spell out that marriage means a union between a man and a woman and nothing else, a senior politician said on Monday.

Homosexuality in Russia was a criminal offence until 1993, and classed as a mental illness until 1999.

Under Russian law, only heterosexual couples can adopt children in Russia.

Western governments and human rights activists have criticised the Russian authorities for their treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Singer-songwriter Elton John was among those to speak out against a 2013 law that banned the dissemination of “gay propaganda” among young Russians.

Under the law, any event or act regarded by the authorities as an attempt to promote homosexuality to minors is illegal and punishable by a fine.

The law has been used to stop gay pride marches and to detain gay rights activists.

Putin has said he is not prejudiced against gay people, but that he finds a Western willingness to embrace homosexuality and gender fluidity out of step with traditional Russian values.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and is republished with permission