Kazakhstan to ban LGBT propaganda: Mazhilis passes the law

Tengrinews.kz – Members of the Mazhilis have approved an amendment banning LGBT propaganda. It was added to a draft law concerning archival affairs. Now, in Kazakhstan, any mentions of LGBT in films, advertising, and social media may become illegal.

Details

The draft law concerns archival affairs. However, its developers added an amendment banning LGBT propaganda.

Here is how it is worded:

“In order to protect children from information harmful to their health and development, norms are provided to restrict the placement in public spaces, as well as through mass media, telecommunications networks, and online platforms, of information that spreads propaganda of pedophilia and non-traditional sexual orientation.”

What this means

For the amendment to take effect, the draft law must be approved by the Senate and signed by the President. As explained by one of the authors of the document — MP Natalia Dementyeva — after this, the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations (LGBT) on social media will be prohibited in the country.

“The amendment implies a ban on propaganda on social networks. As I understand it, in films, advertising (...) There must be a ban on this. Our children should not see this openly on social networks,” she noted.

MP Yelnur Beysenbayev said that the amendment introduces changes to nine laws at once — on children's rights, advertising, communications, culture, education, cinema, mass media, and online platforms.

They introduce a clear definition of “propaganda of non-traditional orientation” and establish a ban on its dissemination in the media, on the Internet, and through telecommunication channels.

“This is not about banning or ‘canceling’ people who belong to the LGBT community. No one is restricting their personal boundaries. The introduced norms establish limits on the public dissemination of such information, which corresponds to widely accepted international practice,” he said.

What else will be banned

Earlier, it was reported that the new amendment would also apply to mass events such as toi celebrations and corporate parties.

When MPs discussed the ban during a working group meeting, MP Aina Mursalimova raised the issue of “sexually oriented” contests with indecent elements that are sometimes held at such events.

Deputy Minister of Culture Yevgeny Kochetov confirmed that the ban would also apply to such activities.

Context

As a reminder, in April of last year, members of the Mazhilis initiated an amendment to the draft law “On Mass Media,” through which they planned to introduce a ban on LGBT propaganda.

Later, MPs even proposed introducing criminal liability for LGBT propaganda in Kazakhstan. They wanted to equate it with inciting social, national, tribal, racial, class, or religious discord.

On April 17, members of the Mazhilis approved the Law “On Mass Media” in the second reading, which will regulate the work of mass media. At that time, Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Kanat Iskakov stated that the MPs’ proposals concerning LGBT propaganda were not included in the final document.

In August, Kazakhstan made a decision regarding a petition against LGBT propaganda. It was the third petition in Kazakhstan to collect the required 50,000 signatures.

The Ministry of Culture then partially satisfied the petition regarding the demand to “protect and shield adolescents and children from the propaganda and promotion of sexual relations.”

Later, it became clear that MPs had once again returned to the idea of banning LGBT propaganda. And this amendment was decided to be included in the draft law on archival affairs.