Qaraghandy oblysy is governed by federal Kazakhstan law. Learn more
- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Unrecognized
- Censorship
- ✖ State-enforced
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Legal, but requires surgery
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✔ Legal
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Housing Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Adoption
- ✖ Single only
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✖ Not banned
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✖ Banned (1-year deferral)
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
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Homosexual activity in Qaraghandy oblysy is legal.
Current status
Since 1998
Male illegal, female legal
An article under which sodomy was punishable by imprisonment from 5 to 8 years appeared in the Soviet Criminal Code on March 7, 1934 - number 154-a: “Sexual intercourse between a man and a man (sodomy) - imprisonment for a term of three to five years. Sodomy committed with the use of violence or taking advantage of the dependent position of the victim - imprisonment for a term of five to eight years."
Same-sex marriage in Qaraghandy oblysy is unrecognized.
Current status
Since Dec 16, 1991
Unrecognized
Though not banned constitutionally, neither same-sex marriage nor civil unions are legal.
Censorship of LGBT issues in Qaraghandy oblysy is state-enforced.
Current status
Since Jul 14, 2022
State-enforced
In July 2022, Kazakhstan banned the Disney/Pixar animated film 'Lightyear' after the country's Culture and Sports Minister responded to complaints from local conservative and religious groups regarding the film's inclusion of a same-sex kiss.
In January 2024, an LGBTQ-education website for teenagers, SelfTanu.kz, was blocked by Kazakhstan's Culture and Information Ministry, which citied safeguarding children's rights and respecting Kazakhstan's societal norms and traditions as reasons for the ban.
In January 2024, an LGBTQ-education website for teenagers, SelfTanu.kz, was blocked by Kazakhstan's Culture and Information Ministry, which citied safeguarding children's rights and respecting Kazakhstan's societal norms and traditions as reasons for the ban.
No censorship
There used to be no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of the LGBTQ+ related topics. The earliest case of censorship known in this country was when the government announced a n animated movie ban in 2022 due to a one-second scene showing a same-sex kiss
Right to change legal gender in Qaraghandy oblysy is legal, but requires surgery.
Current status
Since 2011
Legal, but requires surgery
In 2011, new guidelines were established and allowed change to identity documents only after sex reassignment surgery, physical and psychiatric medical examinations, hormone therapy and sterilization. Additionally, people under 21 are not allowed to change their gender on their official identity documents.
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
Since 2003, Transgender individuals have been allowed to change legal gender in Kazakhstan. People who wanted to change their gender had to receive a diagnosis of "gender identity disorder" involving several medical tests and a 30-day psychiatric evaluation.
Legal, but requires surgery
Under Soviet law, after the fall of the Soviet Union, the regulations were not changed.
Until Apr 5, 1972
Illegal
Legal gender change is impossible
Gender-affirming care in Qaraghandy oblysy is legal.
Current status
Since Mar 31, 2015
Legal
New guidance which came into effect in 2015 dictates the regulations on gender-affirming care. The restrictions are largely practical as Kazakhstan is very geographically spread out. The legal barriers to accessing care are seemingly not overly discriminate based on age or in general.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Qaraghandy oblysy is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
There is no legal recognition of non-binary gender.
LGBT discrimination in Qaraghandy oblysy is no protections.
Current status
No protections
There are no explicit legal protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
According to the Constitution, any kind of discrimination is illegal as long as a person is considered a competent citizen. (Article 14 of the Constitution). And a non-cishet person may not be considered one, since neither sexual orientation nor gender identity is considered a mental illness by the Ministry of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
As an example, in 2019 the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan ordered a compensation for illegally uploading a photo of two women kissing on Facebook without their consent.
In 2019, at The Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the government of Kazakhstan accepted a recommendation from Chile to ensure the freedom of human rights advocacy for the LGBTI groups.
According to the Constitution, any kind of discrimination is illegal as long as a person is considered a competent citizen. (Article 14 of the Constitution). And a non-cishet person may not be considered one, since neither sexual orientation nor gender identity is considered a mental illness by the Ministry of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
As an example, in 2019 the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan ordered a compensation for illegally uploading a photo of two women kissing on Facebook without their consent.
In 2019, at The Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the government of Kazakhstan accepted a recommendation from Chile to ensure the freedom of human rights advocacy for the LGBTI groups.
Until Dec 25, 1991
No protections
No protections under the Soviet law
LGBT employment discrimination in Qaraghandy oblysy is no protections.
Current status
No protections
There is no explicit legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment.
LGBT housing discrimination in Qaraghandy oblysy is no protections.
Current status
No protections
There is no legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in housing.
Same-sex adoption in Qaraghandy oblysy is single only.
Current status
Since Feb 23, 2024
Single only
In Kazakhstan, anyone who adheres to "non-traditional" sexual orientation are banned. However, adoption is legal for single women and some single men. Gender dysphoria is also considered an exclusionary factor.
Intersex infant surgery in Qaraghandy oblysy is not banned.
Current status
Since Feb 20, 2022
Not banned
Following the case, a parent may now choose the official sex of an intersex child, however an intersex child may change their gender later. Also, it's now illegal to perform an intersex surgery unless a parent consents
Serving openly in military in Qaraghandy oblysy is legal.
Current status
Since Feb 25, 2022
Legal
The ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2022, said in an interview that no one is banned from serving in the military because of their sexual orientation. Quote "According to our Constitution, no one can be discriminated against for any reason." indicates that discrimination based on any reason in Kazakhstan is illegal according to the constitution, the same applies to military service. Since transgenderism is not classified as a mental illness in this country, trans people have legal rights to serve in the military, just like any other citizen.
Blood donations by MSMs in Qaraghandy oblysy is banned (1-year deferral).
Current status
Since Aug 2022
Banned (1-year deferral) under federal Kazakhstan law
"The rules for the donor to donate blood and its components of a mandatory medical examination within the framework of a guaranteed amount of free medical care" approved by order of the Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. RK HМ-102/2020, was amended in 2022 and includes in its "List of questions to identify additional information that limits or prevents admission to donation", the following:
11. Have you had promiscuous sexual relations with heterosexual or homosexual partners in the last 12 months.
12. Have you had an irregular relationship with a homosexual partner(s) in the last 12 months.
13. Have you had a regular relationship with a regular homosexual partner over the past 12 months.
11. Have you had promiscuous sexual relations with heterosexual or homosexual partners in the last 12 months.
12. Have you had an irregular relationship with a homosexual partner(s) in the last 12 months.
13. Have you had a regular relationship with a regular homosexual partner over the past 12 months.
Conversion therapy in Qaraghandy oblysy is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
No laws are in place against conversion therapy.
Equal age of consent in Qaraghandy oblysy is equal.
Current status
Since Jul 16, 1997
Equal
The law sets the age of consent as 16 for all sexual activities ("sodomy and "lesbianism" included explicitly.)
Legal Rights
43 / 100
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Alternative names: Karaganda, Karagandi, Karagandy, Qaraghandy, Ķaragandı