Kazakhstan gay
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 bids a small window into this giant former Soviet country.
From: Lesbian, Homosexual & 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 set up 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 petite population of Kazakhstan. There were many similarities though. Everyone seemed to realize one another, and the same mentality was there; for example, that confide in of a significant other 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 low-cost in Kazakhstan because it is cover t
Kazakhstan
Since the country gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1998, its criminal code has not contained any provision outlawing consensual same-sex 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 remain legal.
There is widespread and institutionalized prejudice against LGBTIQ people in the country. In 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2024, the parliament advanced bills that would have prohibited “gay propaganda,” but they own been struck down or amended each time. In 2024, a similar effort to advance anti-LGBTIQ lawmaking came in the build of a Union of Parents petition to the Ministry of Culture and Information. While the petition has not spurred recent legislation, President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev and government ministries are on write down 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
Inside Kazakhstan’s secret performative scene
At 11pm, the sun has drawn-out set over Kazakhstan’s custom-built capital capital Astana, and the streets are hushed. 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 sip cocktails, puff on nitrous oxide balloons, listen to Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Britney Spears, and chat amongst each other. At first, the atmosphere is calm, but by the first performative performance, 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 gay 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 Core Asia. The first performance is an homage to Madonna’s performance of Vogue at the 1990MTV awards, with queenly queens in Marie Antoinette-style dresses, drap
Gay Guide Kazakhstan
Homosexuality is legal in Kazakhstan, the age of consent is 16 for homosexual and heterosexual relationships. However, civil law describes marriage as partnership exclusively between a man and a lady, so that a lgbtq+ marriage is just as impossible as some other forms of registered partnership for same-sex 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 conduct 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 nation 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 blazing and winters bitterly chilly, spring (Apr-Jun) and autumn (Aug-Oct) are the leading seasons to visit