KAZAKHSTAN: Anti-Gay Propaganda Bill Struck Down To Save 2022 Olympics Bid

Via Eurasianet:

Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Council has struck down a controversial law that would have outlawed “propaganda” of homosexuality to minors, amid signs the legislation was damaging the country’s bid to host the Winter Olympics. The law was “not in line with the constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan” the Vlast.kz website quoted the Constitutional Council (which rules on the legality of legislation) as saying. The law governed “the protection of children from information causing damage to their health and development." It was passed by parliament in February. The council struck down the law because of unclear wording rather than human rights concerns, the Vlast.kz report said. The announcement came after a group of household-name sports stars urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reject Kazakhstan’s bid to host the Winter Games in Almaty in 2022, arguing that the law outlawing the “propaganda” of homosexuality to minors was incompatible with Olympic principles of equality.

After the October 2014 withdrawal of Oslo, Almaty's only remaining 2022 Olympics rival is Beijing, which hosted the summer games in 2008. The IOC makes its final decision on July 31st. Almaty is Kazakhstan's largest city with a population of 1.5 million.

KAZAKHSTAN: Lawmaker Proposes Bill To Recriminalize Homosexuality

Kazakhstan, which has already seen an attempt to copy Russia's ban on "homosexual propaganda," might be taking things a step further.

Kazakhstan’s Parliament deputy Bakhytbek Smagul has suggested drafting a law to ban same-sex relationships in Kazakhstan, Tengrinews reports from the plenary meeting of the Majilis (lower chamber of the Parliament). “I believe it necessary not only to enhance the article 11 of the Family Code (persons not allowed to marry), but also to develop a draft law eradicating same-sex relations, and close the nightclubs everywhere,” Smagul read out his address to Kazakhstan Prime-Minister Serik Akhmetov. According to the MP, several countries that “set traditional family relations a priority in their state policies” have already adopted laws banning same-sex relations because the latter are not part of their national mentalities. “These are Afghanistan, Malaysia and Indonesia. Russia also intends to adopt such law,” he said.

While relatively sparsely populated, Kazakhstan is the largest of the former Soviet republics and is about twice the size of Alaska. (Via Gay Star News)

Kazakhstan Might Copy Russia's Law

The parliament of Kazakhstan may soon consider its own version of Russia's ban on "homosexual propaganda."

Kazakhstan parliament wants to follow in Russia's footsteps and put through a bill banning homosexuality 'propaganda' in Kazakhstan, Tengrinews.kz reports. MPs believe that Kazakhstan needs a law that would route out gay-clubs and ban LGBT community’s pride parades. Member of the Majilis (the Lower Chamber of the Parliament) Aldan Smaiyl reminded that he had brought up the issue back in spring 2013 when he had filed a request to the Prime-Minister calling to ban homosexuality 'propaganda'. “I asked to ban gay-clubs, demonstrations and any and all of these disgusting relations. I received a reply that Kazakhstan had no such law (allowing to close the clubs),” the deputy said. The deputy plans to lobby adoption of the law after he gets back from the summer vacation in September. He says that his voters that he met during his working trips asked him to support the law. “I will raise this issue in the Social-Cultural Development Committee of the Majilis first, and then talk to the deputies. This should not continue the way they are now,” Smaiyl said.