Current:Home > InvestBelarusian lawmakers to soon consider anti-LGBTQ+ bill -WealthMindset Learning
Belarusian lawmakers to soon consider anti-LGBTQ+ bill
View
Date:2025-04-16 13:29:20
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A bill in Belarus that would outlaw the promotion of homosexuality and other behavior is set to land on lawmakers’ desks amid an unwavering crackdown on dissent initiated by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020.
Prosecutor General Andrei Shved said Thursday the proposed legislation establishes administrative liability for anyone promoting “abnormal relationships, pedophilia (and) voluntary refusal to have children.” He didn’t elaborate or discuss what the potential punishments would be for breaking the law.
The bill will be submitted to the Belarusian parliament, which is under the strict control of Lukashenko.
“The activities of opponents who are trying to destroy traditional family values, and therefore morality and statehood, are generally aimed at destroying Belarus as a country,” Shved said on Belarusian television, warning that it was necessary to “prevent even discussion” of such topics.
He added that it would be necessary to carry out “broad ideological and explanatory work, including in schools.”
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Belarus in 1994, but the country does not recognize same-sex marriage. However, in the deeply conservative and predominantly Orthodox country, there are no anti-discrimination measures in place to protect the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for the past three decades, is an open critic of homosexuality, and has declared publicly that “it is better to be a dictator than to be gay.”
Human rights organizations in Belarus report pressure on LGBTQ+ people from the KGB state security service, which recruits members of the community by blackmailing them with the threat of making their sexual orientation public.
Activists say LGBTQ+ people in Belarus continue to face stigma in society and note high rates of suicide among the community, in part because professional psychological care is generally unavailable.
In 2023, independent gay rights group ILGA-Europe said Belarus ranked 45th out of 49 countries in its annual survey of the freedoms of LGBTQ+ people in Europe and Central Asia, noting that “pro-government propagandists regularly call for persecution of LGBT activists.”
Since the start of an unrelenting crackdown on dissent in August 2020, after an election the opposition and the West denounced as a sham gave Lukashenko his sixth term in office, LGBTQ+ people have begun leaving Belarus en masse, seeking political asylum in the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States.
Belarus is a close ally of Russia, where a law against “gay propaganda” has been in place since 2013, prohibiting the promotion of “non-traditional” sexual relationships.
The Russian Supreme Court banned what the government called the LGBTQ+ “movement” in Russia in November 2023, labeling it an extremist organization. The ruling was part of a crackdown on LGBTQ+ people in the increasingly conservative country where “traditional family values” have become a cornerstone of President Vladimir Putin’s 24-year rule.
veryGood! (88837)
Related
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Department of Defense says high-altitude balloon detected over Western U.S. is hobbyist balloon
- If You’re an ‘It’ Girl, This Is Everything You Need To Buy From Coach Outlet’s 75% off Clearance Sale
- Indiana teacher found dead in school stairwell after failing to show for pickup by relative
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- 1 killed, 17 injured in New York City apartment fire
- Proof Kris Jenner Is Keeping Up With Katy Perry and Taylor Swift’s Reunion
- What Sets the SAG Awards Apart From the Rest
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Wendy Williams Breaks Silence on Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia Diagnosis
Ranking
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- How pop-up bookstore 18 August Ave helps NY families: 'Books are a necessity to learn and grow'
- Man charged with killing Indianapolis police officer found guilty but mentally ill
- Woman killed during a celebration of Chiefs’ Super Bowl win to be remembered at funeral
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Jennifer Lopez's Twins Max and Emme Are All Grown Up on 16th Birthday Trip to Japan
- Ahead of South Carolina primary, Trump says he strongly supports IVF after Alabama court ruling
- Florida refuses to bar unvaccinated students from school suffering a measles outbreak
Recommendation
The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
Magician says political consultant hired him to create AI robocall ahead of New Hampshire primary
GOP lawmakers try to thwart abortion rights ballot initiative in South Dakota
University of Wyoming identifies 3 swim team members who died in car crash
Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
Stolen memory card used as evidence as man convicted in slayings of 2 Alaska women
How Benny Blanco Has Helped Selena Gomez Feel Safe and Respected in a Relationship
GM suspends sales of Chevy Blazer EV due to quality issues