Opponents of human rights for LGBTI people in Kazakhstan suffered a setback last week, as the nation’s
Constitutional Council blocked enactment of a Russian-style anti-“gay propaganda” bill.
The council announced on May 26 that it rejected the bill last week on the grounds that it contained “vague and
ambiguous definitions and terms.”
Last August, the lower house of the Kazakh parliament passed the bill, which is modeled on Russia’s law against
“propaganda of non-traditional sexual orientation.” The upper house passed it in February.
Because the country is vying with China to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, 27 Olympic and Paralympic athletes
called on the International Olympic committee to take a stand against the bill, which they said is “incompatible
with belonging to the Olympic movement.”
Several organizations, including Amnesty International, called on Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to reject
it. Amnesty said Kazakhstan is in the midst of a homophobic crackdown on LGBT people, human rights and the right
of free expression.
Although the Constitutional Council’s decision prevents the bill from being signed into law in its current form,
the council also ruled that Kazakhstan’s government can enact laws that restrict citizens’ rights to access and
distribute information as part of its responsibility to “defend marriage and family, motherhood, fatherhood and
childhood,” BuzzFeed reported.
The future of the bill remains unclear.
“The rare rejection left it unclear whether the bill is effectively dead, could be sent back to parliament for
revision, or revived after the fact, providing Kazakhstan is chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.” Radio Free
Europe stated.
by Colin Stewart
Source – Erasing 76 Crimes
