Kasachstan gay
Inside Kazakhstan’s secret drag scene
At 11pm, the sun has long set over Kazakhstan’s custom-built capital city Astana, and the streets are quiet. After knocking on the door and saying the code word through the intercom, I am ushered inside. At first glance, the club consists of a small dance floor, a bar, a smoking room, a stage, and a dozen cabaret-style tables. Customers drink cocktails, puff on nitrous oxide balloons, heed to Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Britney Spears, and chat amongst each other. At first, the atmosphere is calm, but by the first drag show, the crowd are sufficiently uninhibited and cheer loudly.
Aside from the sounds of chatter in Russian, the club could easily be mistaken for a small male lover bar in Soho. Camp décor is everywhere – pride flags, disco balls, bowls of condoms in the bathroom, mirrors on the walls. Even the bartenders’ aprons depict a ripped, shirtless chest. The seated customers sip champagne and eat chechil, the Armenian cheese popular in Primary Asia. The first recital is an homage to Madonna’s
Statement in solidarity with the LGBTI movement in Kazakhstan
ILGA-Europe stands with Kazakhstan&#;s LGBTI Community amid Russia-style attempts to criminalise LGBTI people and their human rights
ILGA-Europe express solidarity with the LGBTI group in Kazakhstan as they face legislative proposals which will worsen the already exacerbated situation of the LGBTI group in the state. Two concerning anti-LGBTI legislative initiatives that were voiced last week by two separate groups of members of Kazakhstan’s Parliament threaten the fundamental rights and freedoms of LGBTI individuals in Kazakhstan.
The initiative by the Parliament members Aimagambetov and Ashimzhanov (both from Amanat Party) attempt to announce a legal prohibition for mass media to write about “non-traditional sexual orientation”. In the similar week, Parliament members Zhanbyrshin and Musabaev (also from Amanat party) introduced a draft amendment to include so-called “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” in the “discord incitement” provision of the Criminal Code and to prohibit peaceful assembli
Intro: There is very little trustworthy information about gay life in Kazakhstan on the internet, but here is one first-hand describe from a former Peace Corps volunteer, Everett Peachey, that bids a small window into this huge former Soviet country.
From: Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual US Peace Corps Alumni
By Everett Peachey
August
Regarding theGay Scene in Kazakhstan
In Kazakhstan, I establish the gay scene to be much more underground and on a much smaller scale than in Russia. Part of this had to do with the relatively small population of Kazakhstan. There were many similarities though. Everyone seemed to know one another, and the same mentality was there; for example, that trust of a partner was more effective than condom use.
One area of concern introduce in Kazakhstan to a greater degree than in Russia is the use of intravenous drugs. The city of Temirtau is especially plagued by HIV (there are over 1, reported cases) due primarily to intravenous drug use. Injection drugs are readily available and cheap in Kazakhstan because it is close to Central Asian drug trafficking rou
Gay Guide Kazakhstan
Homosexuality is legal in Kazakhstan, the age of consent is 16 for homosexual and heterosexual relationships. However, civil law describes marriage as partnership exclusively between a man and a female, so that a same-sex attracted marriage is just as impossible as some other forms of registered partnership for same-sex couples. Since the Republic of Kazakhstan achieved political independence, tolerance of sexual minorities has increased continuousily. However, this development is limited at present mostly to Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, and some regional conurbations. But even in these places it is not advisable to conduct oneself openly gay outside the bars and clubs listed in this guide. In rural areas, homophobia is still predominant.
Cities in Kazakhstan
Location: Central Asia
Initials: KAZ
International state code: 7 (omit 8 from area code)
International access code: 8 (wait for tone) 10
Language: Kazakh, Russian
Currency: 1 Tenge (T) = Tiin
Population: 16,,
Capital: Astana
Religions: 65% Muslim, 35% Christian
Climate: Summers are extremely hot and win