Kazakhstan passes bill banning 'non-traditional sexual orientation' propaganda
Kazakhstan's parliament passed a bill banning the public and media promotion of what it terms "non-traditional sexual orientation," mirroring Russia's anti-LGBTQ laws. Human rights groups criticized the measure as discriminatory, while President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, currently visiting Moscow, has previously condemned the imposition of "LGBTQ values" on nations.
ALMATY, Kazakhstan — Kazakhstan's parliament on Wednesday passed a bill to ban the promotion of what it calls "non-traditional sexual orientation" in public spaces and the media. The legislation is widely considered a copycat of Russia's anti-LGBTQ laws.
The measure, which still requires approval by the upper house, would ban "information containing propaganda of pedophilia and/or non-traditional sexual orientation in public spaces, as well as in the media."
Rights groups immediately described the measure as discriminatory, warning that it would increase the vulnerability of LGBTQ people in the Central Asian Muslim-majority country, which is a close ally of Russia.
Numerous rights groups urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to reject the law, with the International Partnership for Human Rights stating that adopting it “would blatantly violate Kazakhstan's international human rights commitments.”
The vast former Soviet republic, rich in natural resources and situated between Russia and China, is attempting to balance its international relations.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is currently on a state visit to Moscow, where he is expected to sign a strategic partnership agreement with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Earlier this year, Tokayev publicly slammed the rise of what he termed LGBTQ values. He wrote on social media that “For decades, so-called democratic moral values, including LGBT, were imposed on many countries.” Echoing language used by Moscow, he added that various NGOs and foundations had used this as a facade for meddling in other countries’ internal affairs.
Russia adopted its own anti-LGBTQ law in 2013, initially banning the "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships" among children. It significantly expanded the measure to include adults after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, rapidly ramping up a campaign targeting LGBTQ groups and individuals. Several other countries, including EU members Hungary and Bulgaria, have also passed similar "propaganda" laws that critics say are inspired by Russia.
