LGBT Activists in Almaty Speak Out Against Proposed “Propaganda” Ban

A press conference by LGBT activists was held in Almaty in protest of government-backed amendments they say will restrict minority rights, Orda.kz reports.

Organizers argued that adopting such measures would only deepen the stigmatization of vulnerable groups and distract from genuinely urgent social issues.

The protest followed the Majilis’s review of amendments banning so-called “LGBT propaganda.” Human rights defenders warned that the proposals could fuel hatred and increase the number of teenage suicides by depriving young people of vital information and support.

Activist Zhanar Sekerbayeva directly addressed the authorities, posing a series of pointed questions she said remain unanswered:

Who will answer for the fact that today’s population of Kazakhstan isn’t living, but merely surviving? Who will answer for every woman killed by an abuser? Why are the deputies silent about the horrific killing of Yana Legkodimova? Why is the Prosecutor General’s Office still trying to extradite Dina Tansari? Who will reach out to a bullied and deeply lonely schoolboy (but you’re too late) like Vlad in the village of Saimasay, who took his own life? As I imagine all this, I hope your heart will at least once tremble, as mine did, and at least one tear will fall from your eyes, because you don’t see this problem; you see it as an LGBT problem,
 Sekerbayeva said.

Activists also suspect that the proposed amendments mirror Russian legislation.

According to Temirlan Baimash, founder of the Queer.kz initiative, such laws ultimately protect no one.

We’re seeing violence and attacks unfolding now. Such laws will only further spread hatred. They probably only protect those who fear accountability from authoritarian regimes. Clearly, it's needed to divert the public  — blame the ‘enemy within’ — so that people forget about their problems and don’t demand accountability,
 he said.

Political analyst Arj Tursynkan added that rhetoric about “traditional values” could later be used to target ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and women.

At the end of the conference, Zhanar Sekerbayeva shared findings from a remote study showing that the causes of child suicides are rooted not in LGBT identity, but in stress caused by discrimination and violence against LGBT people.

In their closing statement, the speakers emphasized that the proposed amendments violate Kazakhstan’s Constitution and restrict citizens’ fundamental freedoms.

Activists said they plan to continue opposing the changes through public and international advocacy. 

Feminita has also prepared a template letter that citizens can use to contact members of parliament and express their dissent.

Original Author: Yegor Grozny

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