Kazakhstan’s Parliament in Astana unanimously approved, according to AFP, a law on Wednesday banning “propaganda” of queer lifestyles modeled on Russia’s approach. The law prohibits the dissemination of “non-traditional sexual values” in public spaces, in the mass media, and on the Internet.
First-time offenders face a penalty of 121,000 tenge (about 200 euros), which is roughly a quarter of the average monthly salary. Those who repeatedly spread “propaganda” can be punished with up to ten days in jail.
Education Minister Gani Beisembajew supported the prohibition in a parliamentary speech as a youth-protection measure: “Children and adolescents are exposed online every day to information that has negative effects on their ideas about family, morals, and the future,” the politician told Reuters.
The law will now be discussed in the Senate, where a large majority is expected as well. After that it will be sent to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for signature. His nationalist-authoritarian government has emphasized “traditional values” and “moral stability” in recent years, terms widely understood as a code for a stance against queer people.
The Constitution Actually Guarantees Freedom of Speech
Earlier, human rights organizations urged the parliament to reject the draft law. The New York-based Human Rights Watch pointed out that the Kazakh constitution prohibits discrimination and guarantees freedom of expression.
There have been several attempts in Kazakhstan to ban LGBTI “propaganda.” In 2015, the parliament passed a similar law, but it was later blocked by the Constitutional Council, an entity that has since been dissolved (TheColu.mn reported). By now, a constitutional reform has created a Constitutional Court, which is not independent and is regarded as government-friendly.
Kazakhstan is an inland country bridging Europe and Asia, eight times the size of Germany, yet home to only 20.6 million people. The country describes itself as a democracy, but the political system is highly authoritarian, with a very powerful president and significant restrictions on press freedom and freedom of expression.
While homosexuality was legalized after Kazakhstan’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1998, there are no equal-rights laws, and same-sex partnerships are not recognized; transgender people also report discrimination.
The Public Widely Rejects Homosexuality
The population, two-thirds of which are Sunni Muslims and one-fifth Orthodox Christians, is widely regarded as strongly anti-queer. A Pew Research Center survey from 2020 found that only about 10 percent of Kazakhs agreed with the statement that “homosexuality is socially acceptable.” A survey by the Open Society Foundations concluded that 90.5 percent of the population rejected homosexual relationships as “completely unacceptable.” (dk)
