Putin: Russia Is Great On LGBT Rights [VIDEO]

Russian president Vladimir Putin sat down with 60 Minutes in advance of his address today before the United Nations General Assembly. According to Putin, Russia treats its LGBT citizens very well. Via CBS News:

“The problem of sexual minorities in Russia had been deliberately exaggerated from the outside for political reasons, I believe, without any good basis,” he tells Charlie Rose. In the U.S., Putin points out, some states still have laws on the books against same-sex relations. (This is partly true; all such laws were invalidated in 2003 by the Supreme Court ruling in Lawrence v. Texas.) In Russia, Putin adds, “We have no persecution at all. 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.” Putin also defends Russia’s controversial gay “propaganda” law. “I don’t see anything un-democratic in this legal act,” Putin tells 60 Minutes. “I believe we should leave kids in peace. We should 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? A female? A male? Do they want to live in a normal, natural marriage or a non-traditional one? That’s the only thing I wanted to talk about. I don’t see here any infringement on the rights of gay people.”