Riding a wave of Russian homophobia, neighboring Kazakhstan, the world’s largest landlocked country by land area, plans to introduce legislation in September that would shutter gay clubs, bar protests from the LGBT community and prevent what officials are calling the propagandization of alternative lifestyles.
Member of the Majilis (the lower chamber of the parliament) Aldan Smaiyl reminded that he had brought up the issue back in spring 2013 when he had filed a request to the prime minister calling to ban homosexuality ‘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),” the deputy said.
And rounding up public support should prove effortless. Like many other deeply conservative, religious and rural countries, many of its citizens view the LGBT community with a mixture of revulsion and hatred. “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,” remarked Kazakhstan MP Murat Akhmadiyev.
But despite the ominous talk, Akhmadiyev added that he believes that gays should not be infringed on their rights. “There are many representatives of sexual minorities in Kazakhstan and banning the same-sex relationships altogether would be inappropriate. But, in his opinion the further “spread of homosexuality in Kazakhstan should be harnessed and suppressed.”
Of course, one need only look to Russia to see how well the anti-propaganda measures are working out for the LGBT community. Just yesterday a transgender woman was savagely beaten in broad daylight by five men.
