ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- Despite an international outcry, Georgiy Poltavchenko, the governor of St. Petersburg's regional government, has signed into law the controversial bill that will essentially silence the LGBT community and levy stiff fines against those who defy the order.

Russia's best-known gay-rights activist Nikolai Alekseev of Gay Russia reports that the bill was signed on March 7, but just announced over the weekend. He said LGBT groups would protest outside schools.

SANTIAGO, Chile — A brutal attack on a gay Chilean man over the past weekend has drawn sharp criticism over the lack of LGBT-inclusive hate crime laws in the South American country.

Doctors in Santiago said 24-year-old Daniel Zamudio had been put in a medically induced coma while being treated for severe head trauma and a broken right leg suffered in the attack on Saturday by unidentified assailants.

Zamudio also had swastika-like shapes drawn on his chest, fueling speculation that neo-Nazis were involved.

NEW YORK — Lawmakers in St. Petersburg today officially adopted a bill that would impose fines of up to $16,700 for the “promotion of homosexuality.”

The bill, if signed in to law by the City Governor in the next 14 days, will criminalize reading, writing, speaking or reporting on anything related to LGBT people.

Pride parades, literature, theater or NGOs that openly serve LGBT people will be criminalized, and pushed underground. Several ruling party's officials have also voiced their interest to push the law nationwide.