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Country Overview

Kazakhstan

At a glance

Same-sex Relations for Men Legal Throughout the Country?

Yes

Same-sex Relations for Women Legal Throughout the Country?

Yes

Legal Gender Recognition Possible?

Yes

LGBTI Orgs Able to Register?

No

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In Kazakhstan, LGBTQ individuals live in a climate of fear and widespread homophobia, forcing many of them into secrecy. LGBTIQ people face harassment, discrimination, and violence, and state authorities fail to provide LGBTIQ people adequate protection. LGBTIQ organizations and activists face many challenges, including government suppression. Trans people can change their legal gender markers, but this requires them to undergo invasive medical procedures, including sterilization. When Kazakhstan gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1998, it decriminalized same-sex sexual activity between adults. In 2015, 2018, and 2021, the parliament advanced bills that would have prohibited “gay propaganda,” but these bills have been struck down or amended each time. In 2019, the Kazakhstan Supreme Court held a Facebook user accountable for posting a video of two women kissing without their authorization, in violation of privacy provisions in the Civil Code. 

 

Global Impact

Sub-Saharan Africa

Outright supports LGBTIQ organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa and works with mainstream human rights organizations to respect human rights and influence positive changes in laws, policies, attitudes and beliefs that cause discrimination against LGBTIQ people.

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United Nations

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Europe and Central Asia

Outright International partners with activists to fight for an end to human rights violations based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in Europe and Central Asia, where most of our work involves emergency responses to harassment, discrimination, violence, and most recently, Russia’s brutal and expanded invasion of Ukraine.

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Our work in the Americas continues to build on the fundamental and positive transformation of human rights protections in recent years. We partner with groups in the Caribbean that focus on ending gender-based violence and eradicating discrimination against trans people.

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