Kazakhstan approves law banning LGBT propaganda

Kazakhstan’s parliament has approved a law banning LGBT propaganda.

Lawmakers reviewed the bill “On amendments and additions to certain legislative acts on archival affairs” in its second reading, Caliber.Az reports via Kazakh media.

The document includes a provision prohibiting the promotion of nontraditional sexual orientation.

The law states that, in order to protect children from information harmful to their health and development, the law introduces measures to restrict the dissemination of materials in public spaces, as well as through mass media, telecommunications networks, and online platforms, that promote pedophilia and/or nontraditional sexual orientation.

Meanwhile, the International Partnership for Human Rights said in a statement that numerous human rights organisations had urged Kazakh lawmakers to reject the bill, warning that its adoption would blatantly violate Kazakhstan’s international human rights obligations.

Situated between Russia and China, Kazakhstan — a vast, resource-rich former Soviet republic — continues to navigate a delicate balance between its powerful neighbours and the West.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is currently on a state visit to Moscow, where he is expected to sign a strategic partnership agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Earlier this year, Tokayev condemned the spread of what he described as “LGBTQ values.”

Russia introduced its own anti-LGBTQ legislation in 2013, initially banning what it termed the “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relationships” among minors.

The law was later expanded to include adults following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, amid an intensified crackdown on LGBTQ groups and individuals.

Similar “propaganda” laws have also been enacted in several other countries, including EU members Hungary and Bulgaria.

 By Jeyhun Aghazada