“There should not be any criminal prosecution or any other prosecution of sexual minorities,” said President Vladimir Putin in the interview for CBS.

He condemned the laws prohibiting non-traditional sexual orientation in four states of America (Texas, Montana, Oklahoma and Kansas) and blamed external forces for deliberately exaggerating the homosexual issues in Russia for political purposes.

“People of non-traditional sexual orientation work, they live in peace, they get promoted, they get state awards for their achievements in science and arts or other areas. I personally have awarded them medals,” said Putin justifying the prohibition insisting it applies only to propaganda directed toward children, and he thinks it is not anti-democratic to do so.

“We should leave kids in peace, give them a chance to grow, help them to realize who they are and decide for themselves, do they consider themselves a man or a woman? Do they want to live in a normal, natural marriage or a non-traditional one.”- Putin explained his justification underpinning the law banning gay propaganda among children.

Putin assured that in Russia the rights of sexual minorities are not only recognized, but are also guaranteed.