Homosexuality in Kazakhstan

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Location of Kazakhstan in Asia

Homosexuality is taboo in large parts of society in Kazakhstan, but has been legal since 1998.

legality

Homosexual acts have been legal in Kazakhstan since 1998. Anti-discrimination laws to protect sexual orientation do not exist in Kazakhstan. The Criminal Code of Kazakhstan provides for the criminal prosecution of acts of a sexual nature that include sodomy, lesbianism or other acts of a sexual nature combined with violence or under threat of violence against the victim or another person, or taking advantage of the helpless state of a victim (Article 121 ). The age of consent is 16 years for both heterosexual and homosexual relationships.

Recognition of same-sex couples

There is no recognition of same-sex marriages , and registered partnerships are not allowed. As of December 26, 2011, marriages between two people of the same sex have been prohibited since a law was revised.

Social situation

A LGBT Association of there on a small scale in the former capital Almaty . Most of the opinion published by the state discriminates against homosexual people in Kazakhstan and state authorities such as the police harass LGBT activists in the country.

In August 2014, a large advertising poster in Almaty , showing a kiss between the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin and the Kazakh composer Qurmanghazy Saghyrbaijuly, caused a nationwide sensation and public outrage. It was intended as an advertisement for a gay bar located at the intersection of two streets named after the two people. Several people then filed a lawsuit against the advertising agency, claiming that the poster was "offensive to both Kazakhs and Russians".

Attitude of politics

LGBT flag of Kazakhstan

Former Kazakh Defense Minister Aedilbek Shaqsybekov wrote on his official blog in 2012 that "gay men are not welcome in the Kazakh military on the grounds that the state regards homosexuality as a disorder". He went on to write that homosexuality is a "disorder of sexual desire that excludes access to military service in the armed forces, other troops, and military formations of the Republic of Kazakhstan." Although soldiers must meet certain health requirements, such disorders are not explicit the law established.

Yelnur Beisenbayev, a member of the Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan, declared in 2014 that homosexuals are not sick, but criminals, who deserve much harsher treatment. He also said that in addition to the ban on homosexual propaganda, an anti- sodomy law that had already existed in Soviet times should be adopted. Dauren Babamuratov, chairman of the Bolashak organization, said at a press conference that homosexuals are “young people in brightly colored trousers who no longer hide their sexual orientation. I think it's very easy to identify a homosexual person by their DNA . A blood test can show the deterioration in a person ”.

In August 2013, Mäschilis MP Aldan Smaiyl put a question to the Prime Minister calling for a ban on "homosexual propaganda ". "I asked that gay clubs, demonstrations and all those disgusting relationships be banned." MEP Murat Akhmadiev commented, “Ideally, there should be no such discussion about it, as homosexuality is undoubtedly unacceptable behavior. We have always said that our country is different, not like Europe . ”At the same time he was of the opinion that homosexuals should not be restricted in their rights, but the further spread of homosexuality in Kazakhstan should be prevented. In February 2015, the Kazakh Senate passed a bill to protect children from information that is harmful to their health and development. The draft includes a ban on information that includes cruelty and violence, such as suicide , pornography and advertising for non-traditional sexual orientations. In May 2015, the Constitutional Council of Kazakhstan declared the planned law to be unconstitutional due to the unclear wording.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ equaldex.com: LGBT Rights in Kazakhstan (English). Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  2. ^ The Guardian: Gay club advert sparks controversy in Kazakhstan (English). Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  3. ↑ eurasianet.org: Kazakhstan Says No to Gays in Military (English). Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  4. ↑ a b Tengri News: Kazakhstan looks to ban gay 'propaganda' and identify gays by searching for degeneratism in their DNA . Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  5. ↑ Tengri News: Kazakhstan wants to ban gay 'propaganda' (English). Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  6. ^ Tengri News: Kazakh Senate passes anti-gay draft law (English). Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  7. ↑ Human Rights Watch: Kazakhstan: Anti-Gay Laws Found Unconstitutional . Retrieved December 16, 2015.