Will Kazakhstan Adopt Russia’s Anti-Gay Law?
Kazakhstan could be the next country to pass a law that prohibits spreading "homosexual propaganda" as the country's lawmakers are pushing to legalize a bill, mirroring Russia's controversial anti-gay law, according to Kazakhstan's news site Tengri News.
Kazakhstan's parliament wants to pass a similar law to Russia's "homosexuality propaganda" measure in order to "route out gay clubs and ban LGBT community's pride parades," Tengri News writes.
Aldan Smaiyl, a member of the country's Lower Chamber of the Parliament, or Majilis, said he first brought up the measure back in the spring when he filed a request to the Prime Minister, calling for a ban on "homosexual propaganda."
"I asked to ban gay-clubs, demonstrations and any and all of these disgusting relations. I received a reply that Kazakhstan had no such law (allowing to close the clubs)," he said.
Smaiyl will push for the law when he returns from his summer vacation in September. He said he met voters during work trips and claims they asked him to back the measure.
"I will raise this issue in the Social-Cultural Development Committee of the Majilis first, and then talk to the deputies. This should not continue the way they are now," he said.
Kazakhstan parliament member Murat Akhmadiyev says that there should not even be a debate when it comes to the "homosexuality propaganda" measure in the country.
"Ideally there should not even be any discussions about it, as homosexuality is a clearly unacceptable behavior. We have always said that our country is different, not like Europe," he said.
He added that he will be one of the first lawmakers to sign the draft of the law if it is submitted to the parliament. Akhmadiyev also said that Kazakhstan should "stand up for its principles and laws even in the international community criticizes its intolerance to the LGBT community," Tengri News writes.
Though a number of the lawmakers may back the measure, they still say that the LGBT community should "not be infringed on their rights," the publication writes. Akhmadiyev said making same-sex relationships illegal would be wrong, but the "spread of homosexuality" in the country should not be allowed.
Though same-sex sexual activity is allowed in Kazakhstan, the country does not recognize any form of same-sex relationships.