Kyrgyzstan has amended its constitution to ban same-sex marriage, but continues to delay action on a proposed Russian-style law against “gay propaganda.” Continue reading
Tag Archives: Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyz homophobia surges; anti-LGBT bill lingers
Russia’s anti-gay attitudes are affecting Kyrgyzstan, the Central Asian country that is the subject of the Coda Story media project about the erosion of LGBT rights in Russia and the former Soviet Union. These are excerpts from that Coda Story article, including a brief update on the off-again/on-again Kyrgyz anti-“gay propaganda” bill: A Violent Struggle Over … Continue reading
Anti-‘gay propaganda’ bill is back in Kyrgyzstan
A proposal for a Russian-style anti-“gay propaganda” law in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan is back in the Kyrgyz parliament. Reporter Anna Lelik, writing for EurasiaNet, sees some reasons for optimism in the latest developments. However, continued inaction on the homophobic bill would have been more encouraging. [Note for non-British readers: The online Free … Continue reading
Violent homophobia plagues Russia and 5 neighbors
Homophobia, often violent, is a problem in Russia and five nearby countries that have enacted or considered imposing anti-“gay propaganda” laws. None of these countries has a specific law against same-sex intimacy, with the exception of the internationally unrecognized Moldovan break-away territory of Transnistria. But each of them has prohibited or considered imposing prohibitions on … Continue reading
Proposals for new ‘gay propaganda’ laws; Europe worries
The European Parliament is keeping a worried eye on two Central Asian nations’ proposals to adopt Russian-style anti-“gay propaganda” laws. The Russian law, enacted in 2013, provides for fines of up to 200,000 rubles (about US $3,000) for “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” that appears where the message could reach minors, including online. The law … Continue reading
Belarus weighs Russia-style anti-‘gay propaganda’ law
The U.S.-based advocacy organization Human Rights First warns of threatened restrictions on the human rights of LGBT people in Belarus. In a commentary titled, “Homophobic Legislation Threatens LGBT Community in Belarus”, Belarus activist Slava Bortnik writes: Homophobic Legislation Threatens LGBT Community in Belarus Belarus, my home country, is toying with a Russian-style “anti-propaganda” bill, potentially … Continue reading
Bad news: Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria, more
News briefs about countries with anti-gay laws or considering anti-gay legislation, excerpted with slight modifications from UNAIDS’s Equal Eyes recap of the world’s LGBTI-related news. ASIA With a nearly unanimous vote on the second reading, the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan continues to advance its “Gay Propaganda” bill, which would impose penalties of up to a year in prison for those … Continue reading
Nigeria criticizes U.N. for seeking end to LGBTI repression
The hate-crime murders of thousands of LGBTI people worldwide aren’t enough to convince Nigerian officials or their anti-gay American supporters that tolerance for sexual minorities is a good idea. Nigeria claims that an appeal by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights for recognition of the human rights of LGBTI people is an infringement on … Continue reading
Anti-LGBTI attack disrupts Kyrgyz anti-homophobia day
Anti-LGBTI protesters invaded and disrupted a May 17 celebration of the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan in central Asia. The LGBTI rights organization Labrys reported that the hostile assault came from members of the anti-LGBTI groups Kalys and Kyrk Choro. “The crowd of aggressive men threatened and … Continue reading
How Russia and the West boosted Kyrgyz anti-gay violence
Commentary By Tom Ana In April, Kyrgyzstan’s only LGBTI advocacy group, Labrys, became the target of an anonymous arson attack. The incident, although one of the most serious attacks in the group’s history, fortunately resulted in no injuries and only very minor damage. That event was the latest in a growing list of violent attacks … Continue reading
