Kazakhstan Senate Removes “LGBT Propaganda” Amendments from Agenda Minutes Before Debate
The Senate of Kazakhstan removed from its plenary agenda the discussion of controversial amendments introducing a ban on the so-called “LGBT propaganda.” The decision was taken shortly before the issue was scheduled to be debated.
According to reporting by BES.media, the amendments disappeared from the official agenda about an hour before the Senate session began.
Read the original report here.
What happened
The provisions had been inserted into a broader legislative package titled “On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Issues of Archival Affairs and Restricting the Distribution of Unlawful Content”.
The bill had initially been scheduled for consideration during the Senate’s plenary session at 10:00, but in the updated agenda circulated to journalists the item was no longer listed.
Updated agenda
The revised agenda for the Senate session contained only two legislative items:
- Amendments to the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Subsoil and Subsoil Use” concerning improvements in the regulation of hydrocarbons and uranium extraction.
- Amendments to several legislative acts concerning administrative justice, rulemaking, and the organization of legal assistance.
The bill containing provisions related to the “LGBT propaganda” ban was absent from the final agenda.
Context
Earlier, a group of deputies attempted to introduce administrative penalties for what they described as “propaganda of LGBT and pedophilia.” The proposed sanctions included fines of up to 40 monthly calculation indices (MCI) or administrative arrest for up to 10 days.
Human rights defenders and activists criticized the initiative, arguing that it relied on misleading narratives and could be used to justify censorship and discrimination against LGBTQ people.
Monitoring the Senate session
REQUEST monitored the parliamentary session closely.
10:11 — several media reported that even though the item had been removed from the agenda, it could potentially return during the session.
11:05 — Senators completed consideration of two bills and announced a short break to coordinate the agenda.
11:31 — The Senate concluded legislative business and moved on to other matters, confirming that no additional laws would be considered during that session.
What happens next
Although the controversial amendments were removed from the December 4 agenda, the legislative initiative has not formally been withdrawn. Observers note that the provisions could still return to the parliamentary process at a later stage.
Civil society groups continue to monitor developments closely, warning that the proposal could have significant implications for freedom of expression, access to information, and the rights of LGBTQ people in Kazakhstan.