Kyrgyzstan Bans Marriage Equality As Violence Against Queer Community Increases

Voters in Kyrgyzstan have overwhelmingly backed amending the constitution to ban same-sex marriage as violence against queer people continually escalates.

The question was among a package of 26 proposed amendments that voters in the mostly Muslim former Soviet republic were being asked to approve with a simple “yes-or-no” vote on December 11.

The Central Election Commission said 80 percent of voters backed the measures and just over 42 percent of eligible voters cast ballots.

Traditionally, same-sex marriage and homosexuality in general don’t have much support among most Kyrgyz as religious clerics in the predominantly Muslim country routinely condemn both as toxic Western values.

Experts believe the ban on same-sex marriage is just the first of several anti-LGBT measures to be put up to a public vote. Bills focused on toughening punishments for people engaging in a “homosexual way of life” and other “nontraditional sexual relations” are currently working their way through parliament.

Two years ago, the Kyrgyz parliament followed the lead of its powerful neighbour Russia and introduced a series of amendments outlawing the promotion of same-sex relationships. Popularly known as the “anti-gay propaganda law” it has unleashed a campaign of violence and intimidation against the LGBT community, with a near 300% increase in reported attacks since the legislation was announced.

The police are often accused of being at the forefront, with many activists detailing instances of officers threatening to expose their sexual identity unless they pay bribes.

“In effect,” investigative reporter Andrew North wrote, “the proposed legislation created a fake issue. It [gave people the] permission to exterminate…and so legitimized attacks on the gay community.”