Lawmakers in Belarus have approved a bill that would introduce penalties for what authorities call the “promotion of homosexuality, gender transition, childlessness, and pedophilia”.
The legislation was passed by the country’s upper chamber of parliament on Thursday, after it was approved by the lower house last month. It now goes to President Alexander Lukashenko for signing, with little doubt that he will approve it.
If signed into law, the measures would allow authorities to punish people accused of “promoting” those ideas with fines, community service, or up to 15 days of administrative detention.
Is homosexuality criminalised in Belarus?
Homosexuality itself is not criminalised in Belarus. It was decriminalised in 1994 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, the country does not recognise same-sex relationships and provides no legal protection for LGBTQ+ people.
Human rights groups say the situation for LGBTQ+ Belarusians has deteriorated sharply in recent years.
According to campaigners, LGBTQ+ organisations have been forced to close, while security forces have raided private events, including nightclub gatherings in the capital, Minsk.
Activists have also accused Belarus’s security agency, the KGB, of targeting LGBTQ+ people, with claims that some have faced blackmail in an effort to force their cooperation.
There is also increasing concern among transgender people that the proposed law could further limit access to healthcare and legal recognition.
