Kazakhstan bans so-called LGBTQ+ propaganda

[Jessica_Rose ✅]

Kazakhstan bans so-called LGBTQ+ propaganda

https://www.advocate.com/news/kazakhstan-bans-lgbtq-propaganda 🔗

Trudy Ring (30 Dec 2025)

The Central Asian country of Kazakhstan has joined its neighbor Russia in banning so-called LGBTQ+ propaganda.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a bill to that effect into law Tuesday, news service Anadolu Agency reports. It bans "pedophilia propaganda" as well, according to the service. Punishment for violations include a fine of 144,500 Kazakh tenge ($280) and jailing for up to 10 days.

Kazakh citizens had submitted a petition about a year and a half ago urging the government to ban anything considered pro-LGBTQ+ propaganda. The Senate had passed the bill December 18 and the lower chamber of Parliament, the Majilis, approved it in November.

When the Senate was considering the legislation, Sen. Ruslan Rustemov described it as "banning the use of media, literature, entertainment, and other events that promote nontraditional sexual relations and pedophilia," according to Kazakh news outlet Vlast.kz, as translated by The Diplomat, a newsmagazine covering the Asia-Pacific region.

Vice Minister of Justice Botagoz Zhakselekova "tried to split hairs," The Diplomat notes, saying LGBTQ+ identity will not be illegal, but "public promotion of LGBT rights" will be. "How this doesn't violate Kazakh citizens' basic constitutional rights to the freedom of expression and association isn't clear," The Diplomat's reporter commented.

[Lori Dee ✅]

and other events that promote nontraditional sexual relations and pedophilia,

Does this imply that pedophilia is not considered a nontraditional sexual relation, so it needs to be mentioned specifically? Maybe something got lost in the translation.