After Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law on 30 December banning LGBTQ+ "propaganda" in the country amid local support, critics and members of the community alike questioned what they said was its vagueness over what it encompasses under the term.
The law restricts disseminating what the law says is "propaganda" of paedophilia and "non-traditional sexual orientation" in social and public media, on online platforms and in public spaces, "including deliberately distorted information for an undefined circle of persons in order to create a positive public opinion."
It provides for changes to eight other laws, including children's rights, education, mass media, advertising, culture, cinematography, online platforms and the protection of children from harmful content.
Notably, the amendments were introduced through legislative acts on archival materials.
Tokayev previously made statements about the so-called LGBTQ+ agenda being used to manipulate governments.
“For decades, the so-called democratic national values, including LGBT rights, were imposed on many countries,” Tokayev said at the National Kurultai gathering in March 2025.
“And under this guise, international non-governmental foundations and organisations grossly interfered in their internal affairs. In reality, everything turned out to be quite simple – billion-dollar budgets were being embezzled.”
Problems with the law
Reports on what is and what is not propaganda vary so widely that LGBTQ+ activists have raised concerns that the law will be interpreted at will, as there is no clear indication of what constitutes a breach of the regulations or how it will be detected.
Government officials note, however, that being part of the LGBTQ+ community is not banned by this law.
“If, for example, two men hold hands in a park – that’s not considered propaganda. It’s their personal boundaries, and there are no questions here,” said Yelnur Beisenbayev, member of the Mazhilis, the lower chamber of the parliament, and one of the law's initiators.
According to him, people are just not allowed to invite others to participate in or show support for the movement.
However, it is unclear whether you can publicly identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, post about your relationship on your social media, or provide educational or health-related information.
Furthermore, concerns remain that accountability could extend to community allies, as well as lawyers, journalists, and psychotherapists.
The law's critics also object to the association with paedophilia that equates violence to “non-traditional sexual orientation.”
"The very combination of these two concepts in one sentence is deeply flawed, unacceptable, and offensive," said Arsen Aubakirov, director of Human Rights Consulting Group.
"It stigmatises an entire group, violates international law, and introduces a false connection between sexual violence and human identity into the public consciousness."
International reaction
Nine international human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, Civil Rights Defenders, and International Partnership for Human Rights, called on Kazakhstan to reject the bill when it was first considered by the parliament.
“Lawmakers in Kazakhstan should reject a draft law with amendments that would ban “propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientation,” their statement said.
“If adopted, the proposed amendments to a draft law on archival affairs would violate fundamental human rights and increase the vulnerability of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and other queer people in Kazakhstan."
Following the law signing, 21 European diplomatic missions in Kazakhstan, including the EU delegation, released a joint statement expressing "deep concern" over the amendments.
"In our view, these amendments are not in line with international human rights obligations of Kazakhstan, and they leave room for arbitrary misinterpretation affecting fundamental freedoms, in particular freedom from discrimination," said the statement.
EU Ambassador to Kazakhstan Aleška Simkić also expressed her concern in a meeting with Senate Deputy Speaker Zhakip Assanov shortly before the Senate session.
While the EU is Kazakhstan's largest investor, it is worth noting that the country also has close ties with supporters of the anti-LGBTQ+ agenda, including China, Russia, Hungary and Turkey.
Public reaction
The law’s adoption has also divided the country's citizens. The proponents of the law welcome its adoption and see it as an affirmation of Kazakhstan as a traditional country with strong family values.
According to them, it is not the identity or relationships that are banned, only propaganda about the community.
Others, who do not support the LGBTQ+ community, still object to the law as they think it can be a precursor to persecution of unwanted individuals due to the law’s vagueness.
The activists have further highlighted that the law will facilitate a spike in violence and suicide rates, especially among teenagers.
Activists see a clear influence of Russia, which has ratified a similar law in 2013 and outlawed the LGBTQ+ community altogether in 2024.
They fear repeating the Russian scenario, where a similar law led to declaring non-traditional sexual orientation or gender identity as a form of extremism within a decade.
Activists warned that police started raiding LGBTQ+ events and clubs even before the law was signed, and are afraid that the persecution will become even more vigorous.
Law provisions and reasoning
The two chambers of the Kazakh Parliament, the Mazhilis and the Senate, ratified the law on 12 November and 18 December, respectively.
As the grounds for the bill, the parliament members cited last year's petition, "We Are against Open and Hidden LGBT Propaganda in Kazakhstan".
It was signed by 50,000 people and was only the third petition to reach that number in the country. Activists, however, question its legitimacy, citing reports of coerced signing.
As per the legislators, the punishment for LGBTQ+ propaganda will be a €145 fine for the first offence, and a €290 fine or 10 days in jail for subsequent offences.
The Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information noted that no automatic detection system will be employed, but that actions will be taken based on civilian complaints.
Local communities note that there is already a group of individuals who periodically raid LGBTQ+ gatherings with police.
With Tokayev signing the law "on crime prevention" at the end of the year, it will give them the right to assault LGBTQ+ people legally, critics claim.
The law introduces the concept of "community helper" and allows them "to use physical force and other means to prevent offences and detain offenders if it is not possible to achieve these goals by other means."
Both laws will take effect 60 days after signing.
