Kazakhstan’s lower house of parliament approved a law on Wednesday that would ban what authorities describe as “Propaganda” of LGBTQ+ relationships, a move drawing sharp criticism from rights groups both domestically and internationally.

According to The Associated Press, an official statement states that the legislation is intended to “protect children from content harmful to their health and development.”

The law prohibits “the dissemination of information containing Propaganda of pedophilia and/or non-traditional sexual orientation in the public domain, as well as through the media, telecommunications networks, and online platforms.”

Deputy Culture Minister Evgeny Kochetov clarified that “public endorsement of these actions” would be considered Propaganda. “Calls to the effect that being an LGBT person is better than being a heterosexual person will be banned,” Kochetov told the Orda.Kz outlet.

He also said any LGBTQ+-related content not deemed Propaganda — such as films or books — would carry an 18+ rating. Violators could face steep fines or jail time.

The bill now moves to Kazakhstan’s upper house, the Senate, before being signed into law by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Tokayev, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week in Moscow, has repeatedly emphasized the need to uphold “traditional values” in the country of more than 19 million. Similar rhetoric has underpinned Putin’s recent legislation in Russia, which has severely restricted LGBTQ+ rights.

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Rights advocates have condemned the bill as a serious threat to Kazakhstan’s LGBTQ+ community. The local group Queer.KZ urged the Senate and the president to reject the measure, stating online: “Our fight continues.”

Human Rights Watch, alongside six other international rights organizations, warned that the law “would violate fundamental human rights and increase the vulnerability of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and other queer people (LGBTIQ+) in Kazakhstan.”

While Kazakhstan decriminalized homosexuality in 1998 and has allowed transgender individuals to update gender markers in official documents since 2003, same-sex marriage remains prohibited.

According to Human Rights Watch, there are no protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The LGBTQ+ community continues to face assaults, threats, blackmail, extortion, and discrimination from both law enforcement and private actors.

The law’s approval in the lower house marks a significant escalation in restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights in the conservative, predominantly Muslim nation, raising concerns about the safety and freedoms of queer individuals across Kazakhstan.