Kazakhstan's lower house approved a bill banning what authorities call LGBTQ+ "propaganda," a move rights groups say will harm queer people. The Mazhilis framed the bill as protecting children and would restrict dissemination of related content across media and online platforms. The measure now needs Senate approval and President Tokayev's signature; violators face fines or prison. Domestic and international groups, including Queer.KZ and Human Rights Watch, warn the law would violate rights and heighten risks for LGBTIQ+ people.
Kazakhstan's Lower House Approves Ban on LGBTQ+ “Propaganda”; Rights Groups Warn of Harm
Kazakhstan's lower house approved a bill banning what authorities call LGBTQ+ "propaganda," a move rights groups say will harm queer people. The Mazhilis framed the bill as protecting children and would restrict dissemination of related content across media and online platforms. The measure now needs Senate approval and President Tokayev's signature; violators face fines or prison. Domestic and international groups, including Queer.KZ and Human Rights Watch, warn the law would violate rights and heighten risks for LGBTIQ+ people.
12:15 AM, 11/13/2025Politics
Kazakhstan's Mazhilis Approves Law Restricting LGBTQ+ Content
Kazakhstan's lower house of parliament, the Mazhilis, on Wednesday approved a bill that would ban what authorities describe as the "propaganda" of LGBTQ+ relationships. Lawmakers and officials say the measure is intended to "protect children from content harmful to their health and development," but rights advocates warn it will further marginalize queer people in the country.
"The dissemination of information containing propaganda of pedophilia and/or non-traditional sexual orientation in the public domain, as well as through the media, telecommunications networks, and online platforms, is prohibited," the Mazhilis said in an online statement.
Deputy Culture Minister Evgeny Kochetov told local media that "public endorsement of these actions" will be classified as propaganda. He was quoted saying that "calls to the effect that being an LGBT person is better than being a heterosexual person will be banned," and that LGBTQ+-related books or films judged not to be propaganda would still be restricted with an 18+ label.
Penalties and Next Steps
The bill prescribes steep fines and potential jail terms for violators. Before becoming law it must pass the upper house, the Senate, and be signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Domestic and International Reaction
Rights groups both inside Kazakhstan and internationally sharply criticized the Mazhilis vote. Local LGBTQ+ organization Queer.KZ urged the Senate and President Tokayev to reject the measure, saying: "Our fight continues." Human Rights Watch and six other international organizations warned that adopting the law "would violate fundamental human rights and increase the vulnerability of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and other queer people (LGBTIQ+) in Kazakhstan."
Observers note similarities with recent Russian legislation emphasizing "traditional family values"; President Tokayev, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow this week, has defended the need to uphold such values in Kazakhstan.
Background
- Kazakhstan decriminalized homosexuality in 1998.
- Transgender people have been allowed to change their gender marker on official documents since 2003.
- Same-sex marriage remains prohibited, and the country currently lacks laws protecting people from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Human Rights Watch and partner groups also warned that LGBTQ+ people in Kazakhstan remain vulnerable to assaults, threats, blackmail, extortion by some law enforcement officers and nonstate actors, and widespread discrimination. The bill's critics say it would deepen that vulnerability and restrict public discussion, cultural works, and online information about LGBTQ+ lives.