Freedom & human rights

Belarus Accused of Drafting Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation

FEB 19 2024·Updated FEB 20 2024

Story

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The Facts

Belarus has produced a draft law that would, if implemented, punish the "promotion of non-traditional relationships," state media claimed on Monday.
Phile News
According to the country's Prosecutor General, Andrei Shved, the lawmakers' bill would establish "administrative liability" for promoting "abnormal relationships, pedophilia, and the voluntary refusal to have children."
JURIST
The term "abnormal relationships" included in the proposed legislation — which is currently undergoing approval procedures — reportedly encompass LGBTQ+ relationships, characterized as non-traditional.
BNN
Though homosexuality was decriminalized in the country in 1994, Belarus doesn't recognize same-sex marriages and has reportedly cracked down on pride parades. Last year, Pres. Alexander Lukashenko publicly mocked the LGBTQ+ community, calling gays "perverts."
US News & World Report
Belarus's proposed legislation bears resemblance to neighboring Russia's anti-gay propaganda law, which effectively outlaws public expression of LGBTQ+ identity. In 2023, Russia's Supreme Court banned the "international LGBT social movement," designating it a terrorist organization.
Reuters

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The Spin

Establishment-critical narrative

In a modern world where morals seem to degrade daily, Belarus is doing its best to hold on to traditional family values and protect the orthodox principles that have sustained the country for centuries. This proposed law will protect Belarusian society from destructive Western ideologies.

www.tvr.by

Pro-establishment narrative

This legislation reveals a deeply ingrained, increasingly hostile bias against the LGBTQ+ community. By targeting the freedom of expression and the rights of LGBTQ+ citizens, the Belarusian government is aiming to silence an already marginalized community and enforce conformity to state-sanctioned norms of behavior and family structures.