Kazakhstan Moves to Ban ‘LGBT Propaganda’ in Media and Online

Kazakhstan’s parliament is advancing legislation that would prohibit the dissemination of what lawmakers call “LGBT propaganda” across media platforms and the internet. The proposed law would impose penalties including fines or up to 10 days of arrest for violators.

A parliamentary working group recently approved amendments that would criminalize the promotion of what the legislation terms “non-traditional relationships” and pedophilia. The move mirrors similar restrictive laws enacted in Russia and other former Soviet states in recent years.

With parliament dominated by lawmakers aligned with the Kazakh government, the amendments are expected to pass when brought to a full vote. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who has increasingly championed “traditional values” in recent months, will need to sign the bill for it to become law.

Human rights advocates have denounced the proposed legislation as discriminatory. “This legitimizes open discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” Tatyana Chernobyll, an independent Kazakh human rights consultant, told Reuters.

During parliamentary debate, MP Nurlan Auesbayev defended the legislation by claiming that “propaganda in favor of LGBT relations poses an open threat not only to society but also to the country,” reflecting the conservative stance of many lawmakers backing the bill.

The legislative push occurs against a complex cultural backdrop in Kazakhstan. While the Central Asian nation legalized same-sex relationships in the 1990s following its independence from the Soviet Union, public attitudes remain largely conservative. The country maintains a formally secular government structure despite Islam being the predominant religion among its 19 million citizens.

Kazakhstan’s move represents part of a broader regional trend of increasing restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights across the post-Soviet space. Russia implemented its first “gay propaganda” law in 2013, which was significantly expanded in 2022 to ban all public expressions of LGBTQ+ identity or relationships. Georgia, another former Soviet republic, passed similar legislation earlier this year despite mass protests.

The wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has extended beyond former Soviet states. Hungary, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, recently banned LGBTQ+ pride events entirely, citing child protection as justification. The Hungarian law includes provisions for fines and the deployment of facial recognition technology to identify participants in unauthorized gatherings.

International human rights organizations have consistently criticized such laws as violations of fundamental freedoms of expression and assembly. The European Court of Human Rights has previously ruled that Russia’s propaganda law reinforces stigma and encourages homophobia.

For Kazakhstan, which has sought to position itself as a modernizing nation open to international investment, the legislation could have diplomatic implications, particularly with Western partners who have emphasized human rights in their foreign policy approaches.

The proposed law comes at a time when President Tokayev has been consolidating power following mass protests in 2022 that shook the country’s political establishment. Some political analysts suggest the pivot toward “traditional values” rhetoric may be part of an effort to shore up popular support among conservative segments of Kazakh society.

As the bill progresses through Kazakhstan’s legislative process, it continues to highlight the tension between the country’s constitutional secularism and the growing influence of socially conservative policies across the post-Soviet region.