Russian lawmakers are currently considering a proposal to offer free "ex-gay" therapy to gay Russians to enable them to "return to normal life and become heterosexuals, as are 95 to 99 percent of our citizens," according to Mikhail Degtyarev, the conservative politician behind the measure.

According to Russian Today, Degtyarev is also developing a proposal to reintroduce a ban on gay blood and organ donors (a similar ban is in effect in the United States, though it has been denounced by the American Medical Association and other public health groups).

Advertisement:

“We will suggest amendments to the law on donors that reintroduce homosexuality to the list of contraindications for blood donations in Health Ministry instructions,” Degtyarev announced. Degtyarev went on to tell reporters that these proposals should not be considered discriminatory, and that he supports the basic rights of LGBT Russians, as long as public discussions of gay rights and gay pride demonstrations are only held "at night, with flashlights and without amplifiers.”

Nope, not discriminatory at all!

Bonus fact about the intrepid politician: Last month, Degtyarev introduced a measure to give women two days off during the "critical days" of their menstrual periods each month. “In this period, the majority of women experience psychological and physical discomfort,” he said in a statement. “Often the pain for the fair sex is so intense that they are forced to call an ambulance.”