Is Kazakhstan Moving Toward Anti-LGBT Laws?

Over the past month, Kazakhstan has seen a flurry of developments around the LGBT+ — raising widespread concern. Orda.kz takes a closer look at what’s happening and whether Kazakhstan could soon introduce laws targeting the LGBT+ community.

A Mysterious Disappearance 

In early March, an Azzattyq report surfaced indicating that Kursiv.media reported on a document allegedly issued by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Health. The report claimed that so-called "LGBT propaganda" does not influence children's sexual orientation. Reportedly, it also stated that the LGBT+ movement helps combat depression and bullying.

The report is no longer available.

According to the text, fears that LGBT topics “confuse” children lack any scientific foundation. The Ministry reportedly emphasized that “sexual orientation cannot be arbitrarily changed from the outside by propaganda.”

Shortly after, Radio Azattyq reported that the Ministry of Health had supposedly disavowed the study. Notably, no direct reference to the report could be found — neither online nor on the ministry’s official website, further fueling confusion.

Later, speaking at the Qurultay, President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev stated:

For decades, many countries were pressured into accepting so-called democratic moral values, including LGBT ideologies. Under this guise, international NGOs and organizations blatantly interfered in their internal affairs. In reality, it was quite simple —billions were embezzled. 

The country’s religious leadership echoed:

This clearly contradicts our national values and the path of our ancestors. Coming from Western countries, this immorality is now surfacing in our society. We must resist it. As a person who firmly follows the traditions of our ancestors, I am, of course, against this. Because this is open immorality and a grave sin, one that calls for strict punishment.said Supreme Mufti Nauryzbay kazhy Taganuly.  

A Response 

Activist Aziyat Agishev filed official requests with multiple ministries asking how the impact of LGBT on children was being studied. To his surprise, some ministries responded.

Let’s start by looking at the response from the Ministry of Education — which, in essence, suggests that the authorities believe LGBT+ individuals need to be protected from themselves.

While the Ministry admitted it hadn’t conducted any research of its own, it cited international studies and drew the following conclusions:

Children raised in LGBT families often face issues forming their sexual identity and self-esteem. 

The Ministry cited examples from the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Canada:

In the U.K., LGBT students experience depression and anxiety disorders twice as often as their heterosexual peers. In Canada, 64% of LGBT students have faced bullying, and 37% were physically assaulted. Such an environment is detrimental to a child's overall psychosocial development.

The Ministry goes on to outline the challenges these children face, highlighting that their development is often hindered by discrimination and violence — issues that require greater support and attention from specialists.

However, the conclusion they draw contradicts this very point:

Based on the above, it can be assumed that LGBT propaganda may negatively impact the development of non-traditional values among minors, ultimately affecting the demographic situation in the country. 

In other words, rather than advocating for protections, the Ministry pointed to “propaganda” as the problem—contributing to the very discrimination it acknowledged.

In response to Agishev, the Ministry of Health said no formal studies on LGBT propaganda or media representation had been conducted (despite the sudden disappearance of their earlier report — Ed.).

Instead, they cited psychiatric “clinical experience” to define two categories of LGBT+ individuals:

• People with “mental disorders,” including “gender identity or sexual orientation disorders.”
• People without mental disorders but whose gender identity “does not match their sex at birth” and who experience “discomfort with their anatomical sex.”

In other words, anyone identifying as LGBT+ was described either as mentally ill or suffering from a perceived inadequacy. The Ministry warned that openly living such a life could result in the spread of “non-traditional values” among children.

Agishev believes the Ministry’s response reflects bias masquerading as science, aimed at justifying potentially unlawful legislation. Scientifically, sexual orientation is not shaped by external influence — it’s innate. 

We spoke to LGBT+ individuals from Kazakhstan:

As far back as I can remember, I was always attracted to men — even before I knew it was something that existed in society. I was completely cut off from any information about it. The media did not influence my orientation. I grew up in a village with little to no internet access. I only started using the internet regularly in my teenage years,shared a young man named Assyl. 

Zhansaya (name changed - Ed.) shared a similar experience:

My entire life was shaped by the idea that heterosexual relationships were the only ‘correct’ ones, and everything else was met with hostility or outright rejection. I read books that only portrayed love between a man and a woman and watched movies and shows that did the same. So, if orientation could somehow be influenced by exposure, I— like most people — was constantly surrounded by heterosexual ‘propaganda’ from birth. But it didn’t change who I was. I never began to love men. If anything, it just left me confused and triggered years of painful self-doubt and misunderstanding. 

She added that when she once tried to come out, her grandmother said, “Such people should be isolated,” and her mother shut down the conversation entirely, and they never spoke about this ever again. It's been ten years now.

The Petition 

In 2024, a petition titled "We Are against Open and Hidden LGBT Propaganda in Kazakhstan!" began circulating.

Later, an anonymous source told us that members of the AMANAT party had been distributing the petition and encouraging people to sign it. The party itself has not responded to our inquiries.

The Ministry of Culture provided this answer:

By order of the acting Minister of Culture and Information, a working group was created to examine the petition. It includes representatives from the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice, the Kazakhstan Institute of Public Development, the National Scientific and Practical Institute for Improving Children's Welfare "Orken," and the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Mental Health.

No civil society or human rights organizations were invited.

This lack of inclusion risks producing a study that overlooks key aspects of the issue and ignores the perspectives of independent experts — particularly those focused on human rights. In other words, the entire process remains firmly under state control. 

It’s also worth noting that some of Kazakhstan’s most influential partners — China, Russia, and Türkiye — are countries that take a strong stance against the LGBT community.

There are major shifts happening on the global political stage, and it’s clear that the influence of democratic countries is fading. Europe is bearing heavy losses as the primary supporter of Ukraine, and it’s unlikely to have the capacity to extend that support to Central Asia. If it stretches itself too thin, there’s a real risk that conditions within European countries could deteriorate significantly.explains International politics expert Arj Tursynkan  

He argues that Kazakhstan, sharing the same media space as Russia, is influenced by similar narratives and public sentiments — which inevitably shape its political direction.  Kazakhstan doesn’t openly resist the idea of passing laws similar to those in Russia; it chooses to adapt them to fit local conditions.

Political analyst Dimash Alzhanov has also weighed in, saying the panic around LGBT issues was manufactured and imported as part of Russia’s broader propaganda efforts.

Unfortunately, this tactic is being partially adopted by Kazakh authorities and is fueling social division. Essentially, LGBT issues are being used to discredit youth-led movements that call for equal rights,Alzhanov said. 

Across Central Asia, countries continue to pass legislation targeting LGBT+ communities, and in Kazakhstan, debates over the issue show no signs of stopping. Authorities appear intent on shielding the younger generation from reality, trying to "seal them off."

As for Kazakhstan’s global reputation, Tursynkan believes that even if the country leans further into pro-Russian policy, it’s unlikely to suffer serious image damage.

Discriminatory laws may well be passed, but in a softened version—framed to maintain Kazakhstan’s image as a peace-loving nation.he says. 

What Comes Next?

Tursynkan warned that while Kazakhstan currently looks better than Kyrgyzstan — which has begun shuttering LGBT+ organizations — that could change. The country still holds symbolic promise as a democratic outpost in Central Asia. However, its tight connection with Russia could compromise that image.

A well-known Central Asian security expert I interviewed pointed out that Kazakhstan continues to follow a multi-vector foreign policy. However, it’s important to remember that the country isn’t integrated into the EU system, which limits Europe’s influence. If democratic nations don’t step up with protective measures or appealing investments, there’s a strong chance Kazakhstan will begin adopting legislation aligned with Russian interests — laws designed, in part, to manage the outflow of its own citizens, and potentially even bring back those who’ve already left,says Arj Tursynkan. 

Original Author: Yegor Grozny