Kazakhstan gay
Kazakhstan
Since the country gained autonomy from the former Soviet Union in 1998, its criminal code has not contained any provision outlawing consensual queer sexual acts between adults. Trans people can change their legal gender markers on the condition that they undergo invasive medical procedures, including sterilization. Non-consensual medical interventions on intersex children endure legal.
There is widespread and institutionalized prejudice against LGBTIQ people in the state. In 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2024, the parliament advanced bills that would have prohibited “gay propaganda,” but they have been struck down or amended each time. In 2024, a similar effort to advance anti-LGBTIQ lawmaking came in the establish of a Union of Parents petition to the Ministry of Culture and Information. While the petition has not spurred new legislation, President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev and government ministries are on tape condemning so-called LGBT ideology.
In 2019, the Kazakhstan Supreme Court upheld and protected the privacy rights of two women, holding a Facebook user accountable for posting a video of the two women kissing, without their authorization, in violation of privacy
Intro: There is very little reliable data about gay being in Kazakhstan on the internet, but here is one first-hand report from a former Calm Corps volunteer, Everett Peachey, that applications a small window into this enormous former Soviet country.
From: Lesbian, Same-sex attracted & Bisexual US Peace Corps Alumni
http://www.lgbrpcv.org/articles/02_04_russia.htm
By Everett Peachey
August 2009
Regarding theGay Scene in Kazakhstan
In Kazakhstan, I establish the gay scene to be much more underground and on a much smaller scale than in Russia. Part of this had to do with the relatively little population of Kazakhstan. There were many similarities though. Everyone seemed to grasp one another, and the same mentality was there; for example, that reliance of a companion was more powerful than condom use.
One area of concern present in Kazakhstan to a greater degree than in Russia is the use of intravenous drugs. The city of Temirtau is especially plagued by HIV (there are over 1,000 reported cases) due primarily to intravenous drug use. Injection drugs are readily available and inexpensive in Kazakhstan because it is shut t
Gay Guide Kazakhstan
Homosexuality is legal in Kazakhstan, the age of consent is 16 for lesbian and heterosexual relationships. However, civil law describes marriage as partnership exclusively between a man and a woman, so that a gay marriage is just as impossible as some other forms of registered partnership for gay couples. Since the Republic of Kazakhstan achieved political independence, tolerance of sexual minorities has increased continuousily. However, this development is limited at present mostly to Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, and some regional conurbations. But even in these places it is not advisable to behave openly gay outside the bars and clubs listed in this guide. In rural areas, homophobia is still predominant.
Cities in Kazakhstan
Location: Central Asia
Initials: KAZ
International land code: 7 (omit 8 from area code)
International access code: 8 (wait for tone) 10
Language: Kazakh, Russian
Currency: 1 Tenge (T) = 100 Tiin
Population: 16,797,000
Capital: Astana
Religions: 65% Muslim, 35% Christian
Climate: Summers are extremely hot and winters bitterly cold, spring (Apr-Jun) and autumn (Aug-Oct) are the best seasons to visit
Inside Kazakhstan’s secret drag scene
At 11pm, the sun has long set over Kazakhstan’s custom-built capital city Astana, and the streets are quiet. After knocking on the door and saying the code word through the intercom, I am ushered inside. At first glance, the club consists of a small dance floor, a bar, a smoking room, a stage, and a dozen cabaret-style tables. Customers drink cocktails, puff on nitrous oxide balloons, hear to Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Britney Spears, and chat amongst each other. At first, the atmosphere is calm, but by the first drag recital, the crowd are sufficiently uninhibited and cheer loudly.
Aside from the sounds of chatter in Russian, the club could easily be mistaken for a small same-sex attracted bar in Soho. Camp décor is everywhere – pride flags, disco balls, bowls of condoms in the bathroom, mirrors on the walls. Even the bartenders’ aprons depict a ripped, shirtless chest. The seated customers sip champagne and eat chechil, the Armenian cheese popular in Pivotal Asia. The first production is an homage to Madonna’s performance of Vogue at the 1990MTV awards, with drag queens in Marie Antoinette-style dresses, drap