Kazakhstan’s parliament has approved sweeping legislation banning what lawmakers describe as “LGBT propaganda,” marking a significant shift in the Central Asian nation’s approach to LGBTQ+ rights and expression.

On November 12, the Mazhilis, Kazakhstan’s lower house of parliament, passed amendments affecting nine existing laws, including those governing child rights, media, education, culture, and online platforms. The legislation introduces and prohibits “propaganda of nontraditional orientation” across various communication channels, though specific penalties for violations remain undefined.

The amendments will take effect once approved by the Senate and signed into law by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who has previously expressed support for such measures. Earlier this year, Tokayev claimed that “many countries have been subjected to LGBT propaganda for decades” as part of what he characterized as a scheme to misappropriate government funds.

Legal experts and human rights advocates have drawn parallels between Kazakhstan’s initiative and similar legislation in neighboring Russia. Artur Alkhastov, a lawyer with the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights, highlighted these similarities in comments to The Insider.

“There’s the same ‘countering propaganda’ language and vague wording that allows arbitrary enforcement,” Alkhastov explained. “Despite deputies claiming they are only protecting children and not violating LGBT people’s rights, the actual provisions directly restrict freedom of speech and peaceful assembly for members of the LGBT community and for human rights defenders.”

The legislation’s imprecise language has raised concerns about potential overreach. “Now even making reasoned statements that nature made us different and that this is normal will be illegal,” Alkhastov noted, adding that actions as simple as carrying a rainbow flag at public gatherings could now constitute an offense.

Seven international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, issued criticisms before the vote. These groups warned that the amendments violate fundamental human rights, including children’s rights to education, health, and access to information, while potentially increasing vulnerability for LGBTQ+ individuals in Kazakhstan.

The legislative push reflects a broader conservative shift in Kazakhstan, a predominantly Muslim nation of 19 million people that has traditionally maintained more moderate social policies than some of its Central Asian neighbors. The campaign against what lawmakers term “LGBT propaganda” began earlier this year when similar measures were proposed for inclusion in media legislation but were ultimately omitted.

Throughout 2024, Kazakhstan has taken increasingly restrictive actions regarding LGBTQ+ content. In February, authorities blocked Selftanu.kz, a website providing resources for queer teenagers created by sex educator Sasha Kazantseva. The Ministry of Culture justified the decision by claiming the site “contained content of a special sexual and erotic nature,” though the platform primarily offered advice on emotional support, family communication, and relationship building.

The site’s blocking followed distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and threats against its creators, highlighting the increasingly hostile environment for LGBTQ+ resources in the country.

This legislation emerges amid a regional trend of tightening restrictions on LGBTQ+ expression. Russia’s 2013 law banning “gay propaganda” has served as a model for similar measures across former Soviet republics, with Kazakhstan now following suit despite its previous positioning as relatively more progressive on social issues.

Human rights observers are monitoring how the law will be implemented once finalized and what impact it might have on Kazakhstan’s international relations, particularly with Western partners who have criticized such restrictions as human rights violations.