ASTANA, November 12. /TASS/. The lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament, Majilis, adopted a law banning LGBT (the movement is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia — TASS) and pedophilia propaganda in mass media and online.

The corresponding provision is included in the amendments to the legislation on archival affairs and the restriction of illegal content distribution. "For the purpose of protecting children from information, harmful to their health and development, provisions have been established to restrict the distribution of information that promotes pedophilia and/or non-traditional sexual orientation in public spaces, as well as through mass media, online platforms and telecommunication networks," the conclusion of the Committee on Socio-Cultural Development notes.

After the Majilis, the law on LGBT propaganda will be submitted for consideration to the Senate (the upper house) of Kazakhstan’s parliament.

During the chamber meeting, lawmaker Yelnur Beysenbayev noted that the amendments on non-traditional sexual orientation and pedophilia propaganda in public spaces were introduced due to growing public concerns over protecting children and teenagers from harmful content. "We see that children and teenagers are exposed daily to online content that could negatively shape their views on family, morality and future. Protecting the minds of the younger generation from illegal content is a question of their security and mental health," the MP explained.

According to Beysenbayev, the amendments affect the laws on children’s rights, advertising, communication, culture, education, cinema and mass media. "A clear definition of non-traditional sexual orientation is introduced, along with restrictions on its distribution in mass media, on online platforms and through telecommunication networks. These regulations represent a consolidated decision made by the government, experts and civil society," he said. The lawmaker stressed that the measures do not restrict the rights of LGBT people. According to him, the restrictions set the framework for public distribution of such information, in line with widely accepted international practice.

Petition demands

In 2024, a petition was launched in Kazakhstan calling for a ban on LGBT propaganda, which gathered over 50,000 signatures—the threshold required for government consideration. In August of last year, the Ministry of Culture and Information reported that some of the petition’s demands had been partially addressed and that the need for "restrictions on the distribution of sexualized content to a young audience" was being considered.