Russia's First Transgender Politician Announces Retirement From Politics

The first transgender politician in Russia, Yulia Aleshina, who headed the Civic Initiative party's office in the Altai Krai region, told Sputnik on Thursday that she was retiring from politics

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th October, 2022) The first transgender politician in Russia, Yulia Aleshina, who headed the Civic Initiative party's office in the Altai Krai region, told Sputnik on Thursday that she was retiring from politics.

"I made a difficult decision, I'm leaving politics! Today, the State Duma (Russian parliament's lower house) adopted in the first reading the bill on banning LGBT propaganda. I have never engaged in such propaganda, but I have no idea how to continue conducting public political activities, being an openly transgender woman," Aleshina said.

Earlier in the day, the Russian State Duma at a plenary session passed in the first reading the bill proposing to establish a fine of up to five million rubles ($81,400) for promoting LGBT agenda among all citizens and up to 10 million rubles for pedophilia propaganda.

The Duma also passed a bill amending the laws on advertising, on the media and on information to ban the spread of LGBT propaganda.

In November 2021, Aleshina was elected head of the Civic Initiative party's office. Prior to that, the politician officially changed her name, Roman Aleshin, and gender, saying she had always felt like a woman.