Kazakhstan’s Senate postpones review of “LGBT propaganda” ban amid talks with the European Union

Kazakhstan’s upper house of parliament has unexpectedly postponed until 18 December its review of a bill that would ban the “promotion of non-traditional sexual orientation,” a proposal widely criticised by international organisations. The decision comes on the eve of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s high-level meeting in Astana with the President of the European Council, António Costa.

The meeting, marking Costa’s first official visit to Kazakhstan, reportedly focused on political dialogue, economic cooperation, and regional security. One day earlier, Deputy Chair of the Senate Zhakip Asanov and several other lawmakers held discussions with Aleška Simkić, the EU Ambassador to Kazakhstan, during which the European side underlined the importance of the country’s human rights commitments.

The bill, removed from the Senate’s agenda, proposes amendments to Kazakhstan’s Labour Code and 12 other laws. The package includes provisions that would “ban the promotion of pedophilia and non-traditional sexual orientation.” Legal experts state that the language mirrors almost verbatim the discriminatory “LGBT propaganda” legislation adopted in Russia in 2013 and expanded in 2022.

The draft law was already approved by the lower house on 12 November and was expected to be forwarded for presidential signature following Senate approval. Local and international human rights organisations have openly condemned the proposal as discriminatory and have called for it to be withdrawn. They warn that the initiative would significantly heighten risks of criminalisation, large-scale persecution, and social stigma against LGBTQI+ communities.

In Central Asia, trends toward queerphobic legislation have intensified in recent years. In 2023, Kyrgyzstan adopted a similar ban on the “promotion of non-traditional sexual relations.”

Although uncertainty remains regarding the bill’s fate, observers note that Kazakhstan’s heightened political dialogue with the European Union has prompted the country’s leadership to reassess the international reputational risks associated with the proposed legal changes.

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