Kyrgyz anti-LGBT propaganda law

The Kyrgyz anti-LGBT propaganda law has been enacted on 14 August 2023. The bill was introduced on 17 March 2023 and will come into effect on 30 August 2023.^[1][2] The official title of the law is "On introducing amendments to several legal acts of the Kyrgyz Republic". It consists of amendments to the Code of Misdemeanors, the law "On measures to prevent harm to children's health, physical, intellectual, mental, spiritual and moral development in the Kyrgyz Republic", and the law "On Mass Media". The law expands the definition of "information harmful to the health and development of children" to include information that "denies family values, promotes non-traditional sexual relationships, and encourages disrespect for parents or other family members" and subjects those who disseminate such information among minors to fines.^[3]

The anti-LGBT propaganda bill was previously introduced in 2014 in the Kyrgyz Parliament to criminalize expressions that create "a positive attitude towards non-traditional sexual relations, using mass media or information and telecommunication networks", which was strongly criticized by national and international human rights and LGBT rights activists.^[4]

It would have been a harsher version of the Russian gay propaganda law. It was also criticized for its ambiguous wording, which could lead to very broad interpretations. For example, Australian expert Cai Wilkinson points out that the "non-traditional sexual relations" referred to in the bill could be interpreted as non-procreative sexual relations outside marriage, which could also undermine efforts to combat HIV and promote safe sex in general.^[5]

Initially, the bill was briefly withdrawn in the face of international pressure, but was later taken up again. On October 15, the bill was passed its first reading, in a vote of 79 to 7. It has received widespread international opposition, and has been delayed multiple times.^[6] A final vote on the bill was expected to take place in 2016, but was postponed and ultimately failed to pass.^[7]

References

1. "Kyrgyzstan proposes anti-LGBTI+ "propaganda" law". www.ilga-europe.org. 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
2. "Глава Кыргызстана подписал закон о запрете "пропаганды ЛГБТ"". Radio Liberty (in Russian). 2023-08-14. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
3. "Statement: Kyrgyzstan targets LGBTI communities in a new law". www.ilga-europe.org. 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
4. "Kyrgyzstan Considers 'Gay Propaganda' Ban". www.advocate.com. 2014-03-28. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
5. "Kyrgyzstan's Anti-Gay Bill to Outlaw Homosexuality, Activists Say | Eurasianet". eurasianet.org. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
6. "Kyrgyzstan's Anti-Gay Bill: Just Following in Russia's Footsteps? | Eurasianet". eurasianet.org. Retrieved 2021-07-12.
7. Bishkek, Katie Arnold in (2017-10-19). "'All of us will be victims at some point': why Bishkek's only gay club closed". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-07-12.