Some of the pictograms used in smartphones promote LGBTQ values in violation of the country's laws, Aleksey Zhuravlev has said

At least two dozen emojis found in smartphones promote nontraditional sexual relations and should be banned in Russia, the first deputy chairman of the parliamentary defense committee, Aleksey Zhuravlev has stated.

Some pictograms depict "same-sex couples with children, kissing men, kissing women, a pregnant man, a male-bride with a mustache, bearded women" and others, the lawmaker told Rossiyskaya Gazeta on Friday. Zhuravlev is the leader of the Rodina (Motherland) party and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) in the State Duma.

Emojis are mainly employed in instant messengers and social media sites, which are the most popular platforms among users, he noted.

"All this is seen by kids, who constantly send those emojis to each other," Zhuravlev said.

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