The constitutional alteration was filed in a 24-page document. Though the document has not been made public, Vice President of parliament Pyotr Tolstoy said that it emphasizes the 'faith in God' of the Russians. “The most important proposal, I think, is to establish the status of marriage as a commitment between men and women,” Tolstoy said in a press conference on Monday. Last month, Putin proposed multiple constitutional changes during his state-of-the-nation speech. If all of this becomes a reality, Putin’s power (whose tenure expires in 2024) will become even greater.

It is not the first time Putin has expressed his opposition to same-sex marriage. A federal law signed by him in 2013 criminalizes the ‘public promotion of homosexuality’ (better known as the anti-gay propaganda law). Last month, he even said that Russia will never legalize gay marriage during his Presidency.

Even though Putin once claimed that he is ‘not prejudiced towards homosexuals’, he believes that homosexuality and gender fluidity are not in line with traditional Russian values.