LGBT Propaganda Study: Ministries Claim They Know Nothing About It

For several months, LGBT activists have been pushing for transparency regarding the so-called study on “LGBT propaganda” in Kazakhstan. Orda.kz has learned that they repeatedly sent inquiries to the Ministry of Culture and Information, which is coordinating the review of the petition titled “We Are against Open and Hidden LGBT Propaganda in Kazakhstan!” The responses show that not a single relevant agency is willing to take responsibility for the content or quality of the materials presented.

Previously, activists from the Education Community, an organization defending LGBT rights in Kazakhstan, demanded that the government publish the full text of the study on the impact of “LGBT propaganda” on minors.

According to the activists, the document provided by the government lacks scientific evidence and is based on subjective judgments — something they warn could fuel further pressure and stigmatization in society.

The controversy stems from a Ministry of Culture decision issued on August 6, 2024, concerning a petition against “LGBT propaganda.” The document instructed several government agencies to conduct research and analyze international studies on the influence of the LGBT movement on children and adolescents.

The study, carried out by the National Endowment for Prosperity, claims to show “the negative impact of LGBT propaganda,” yet its text has not been made public. The Education Community emphasizes that the report could shape government policy on human rights and, therefore, should be openly accessible.

No Basis for Evaluation

On August 8, activists submitted an official request to the Ministry of Culture and Information asking for clarification about the independent expert review the agency planned to conduct of the “study.”

The ministry’s response was brief:

Currently, the Ministry has no legal grounds to impede the National Endowment’s activities or evaluate its research.Thus, according to the decision following the review of the petition “We Are against Open and Hidden LGBT Propaganda in Kazakhstan!”, the Ministry is not responsible for organizing or conducting the studies in question.

This refers to the National Endowment for Prosperity, the organization that produced the “study” on “propaganda.” 

The Ministry of Culture’s position shows that it is willing to accept any kind of ‘research’ without examining the quality of the work or the reliability of its sources. The Ministry is prepared to accept any information, even the most inaccurate, without verifying it against scientific standards. Such a position cannot be tolerated, Activists commented.

Research Without Researchers

Following this, activist Aziyat Agishev sent a follow-up inquiry to the Ministry of Culture and Information, seeking clarification on whether the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MSHE), the Ministry of Health (MOH), and the Ministry of Education (MOE) had conducted the research mandated by the petition decision.

In other words, the decision’s provisions instructing the ministries to conduct their own research have not been carried out.

It appears that the first two provisions of the final decision (in which the MHE, MHE, and MOE were supposed to conduct their research) have not been implemented, yet the MCI is already rushing toward the final stage — public hearings, Education Community reports.

The activists decided to send separate inquiries to the MSHE, MOH, and MOE to determine whether they had any findings and to request the full texts of the studies they conducted.

The Ministry of Health’s Response

When asked about the study’s results, the Ministry of Health replied that it neither possesses the study nor has the authority to distribute it:

The Ministry also cited the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Copyright and Related Rights,” which stipulates that the results of scientific work belong to their authors.

The Ministry of Science and Higher Education’s Position

The MSHE’s response was even more straightforward:

Moreover, the ministry stressed that it is not conducting any research on gender diversity and provides no funding for such topics.

The National Endowment for Prosperity does not conduct research within the framework of grant or program-targeted funding competitions of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education,  the document states.

Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education’s response was similar:

It appears that none of the relevant Ministries—Science, Health, or Education—have conducted their own research or participated in developing the documents now being submitted for public hearings.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture and Information maintains that it is not responsible for verifying the accuracy of the foundation’s “research” and has no plans to carry out an expert review.

Activists stress that decisions concerning human rights cannot be based on research that, in fact, does not exist.

Original Author: Yegor Grozny