Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has officially signed into law an amendment that prohibits so-called LGBTQ+ “propaganda” in the country.
The anti-LGBTQ+ law, which specifically prohibits the promotion of “non-traditional sexual orientation”, is part of a series of nine amendments to a 2002 law relating to children’s rights. It was signed on December 30, 2025.
Under the new law, those found guilty of sharing information about LGBTQ+ identities through media, literature, entertainment or other means will face fines for first offences and a prison sentence of 10 days for further offences.
The law, which also prohibits propaganda in relation to pedophilia, was initially approved by Kazakhstan’s lower chamber of parliament in November, before the country’s Senate approved it in December.
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The United Nations, along with a number of human rights organisations, have criticised the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, urging Kazakhstan’s lawmakers to reconsider. In a statement released in October 2025, the UN said the law violates multiple human rights, including “freedom of expression and equality before the law”.
Amnesty International, meanwhile, issued a statement condemning the law and said it is not about “protecting children” but rather “institutionalising stigma, fear and censorship”.
Marie Struthers, the group’s Eastern Europe and Central Asian director, said: “If the Kazakhstani authorities truly want to protect and nurture young people, they should rebuff this harmful initiative and instead reaffirm the country’s commitment to human rights and principles of non-discrimination already enshrined in the constitution and other binding legislation. There is no need to police love, literature or imagination.”
Queer KZ, a youth-led human rights initiative based in Kazakhstan, has been campaigning on social media, calling for the global community to protest Kazakhstan’s anti-LGBTQ+ law.
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“We are human beings, not an ideology,” read a statement posted to Instagram. “We call upon the people of the world to stand up. We ask you to gather peacefully at the Embassies of Kazakhstan and in the public squares of your cities. Let your presence be a testament that dignity knows no borders.”
In addition to protesting at embassies, Queer NZ urged its followers to write to senators and members of parliament, demanding that they cease trade, investment, and partnerships with Kazakhstan until the law is revoked.
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