Kazakhstan Rejects Anti-Gay Law

Kazakhstan's flag bearer, cross-country skier Yerdos Akhmadiyev leads his national delegation during the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics at the Fisht Olympic Stadium on February 7, 2014 in Sochi. AFP PHOTO / JONATHAN NACKSTRAND (Photo credit should read JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images)

(ATR) Human rights activists are marking progress in Kazakhstan this week.

On Wednesday, the Constitutional Council of Kazakhstan rejected a proposed law that would ban gay "propaganda" in the country hoping to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Both houses of parliament had passed the measure, that wouldcriminalize the dissemination of information promoting "nontraditional sexual orientation"to minors.

The Kazakh Constitutional Council, according to Human Rights Watch, dismissed the legislation as unconstitutional because of its vague wording.

Mihra Rittmann, a HRW researcher in the Europe and Central Asia division, says laws like this have no place in Kazakhstan.

"Propaganda bills like those that came before Kazakhstan's council are discriminatory and should never have been adopted in the first place."

Prior to the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Russia passed a similar banning gay "propaganda" throughout the country.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's affirmations that everyone was "welcome" at the Games did little to mollify human rights activists around the world.

Prior to the Sochi Olympics, Amnesty InternationalspokespersonLydia Aroyo told Around the Rings the organization still has concerns for the Games.

"It is not clear, for instance, if an athlete or spectator could be prosecuted for wearing a rainbow pin or waving a rainbow flag or dressing in a way considered to be typical of [gay and lesbian] individuals," Aroyo explained.

The Russian gay propaganda ban, Aroyo said, is "an affront to gay and lesbian athletes and spectators."

The Kazakh city of Almaty is one of two cities bidding to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Earlier in May, former professional tennis player Martina Navratilova led a group of sports figures in calling on the IOC to deny Kazakhstan the Olympics because of the proposed "propaganda" ban.

Members of Almaty 2022 and Beijing 2022 are traveling to Lausanne next week in preparation for the IOC Executive Board meeting.

Both bid teams will present progress made on plans for the 2022 Winter Games on June 9.

Written byNicole Bennett

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