By John Mack Freeman
The legislature of Kyrgyzstan approved an anti-gay propaganda bill modeled off of Russia’s infamous law in a second reading of the law this week. 90 legislators voted in favor of the bill with only two opposing. The bill must be voted on at a third reading, projected for October, but it is widely expected it will be adopted at that time. Via Gay Star News:
The bill, similar to Russia’s own anti-gay law, will make it illegal to spread information about ‘non-traditional sexual relations’ in the former Soviet country.
Unlike Russia, which only fines the ‘guilty’, Kyrgyzstan will punish people who ‘propagate homosexual relations’ by up to one year in jail.
But that doesn’t mean LGBTI people won’t be fined. The fines included in the bill are equivalent to more than half of the Kyrgyz average monthly salary.
Journalists will also be ‘held accountable’ if they are found guilty of disobeying the law.
LGBTI groups will also be banned under the legislation.
The European Union has described the draft law has one of the most ‘sweeping anti-propaganda bills ever published’.
