The Senate of Kazakhstan passed a bill banning advocacy for LGBTQ+ equality yesterday, just a month after the Central Asian nations lower chamber passed the same law. The bill now heads to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who is expected to sign it.The bill, modeled on Russias ban on LGBTQ+ speech,included fines and jail timefor people found to have spread pro-LGBTQ+ messages in the media (including education and advertising materials) or on social media. The bill bans the use of media, literature, entertainment, and other events that promote non-traditional sexual relations and pedophilia, linking LGBTQ+ identities with child sex abuse, an old negative stereotype used to drum up support for homophobia. Related Russia blocks childrens gaming platform Roblox for violating anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda law Children and teenagers are exposed to information online every day that can negatively impact their ideas about family, morality, and the future, Kazakh Education Minister Gani Beisembayev told lawmakers before the vote.The Senate was supposed to vote on the bill on December 4, but tabled it on December 3, which, The Diplomat notes, is the same day that several members of Kazakhstans Parliament met with European Union Ambassador Aleshka Simki. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today During that meeting, Simki expressed concerns about the bill. We were contacted by the LGBT community, who are very concerned because they are already now seeing some intolerance issues, she told the Kazakh outlet Vlast.Supporting the bill, Kazakh Sen. Ruslan Rustemov said that an analysis of international experience shows that many countries around the world have adopted legislation that ensures the protection of national values and traditions, including those that provide for the protection of the institution of the traditional family. Not only has Russia passed a law like this, but Russia, Georgia, Hungary, and other nations have as well. Human rights organizations denounced the bill, including a coalition of seven international groups that said in a statement: If adopted, the proposed amendments to a draft law on archival affairs would violate fundamental human rights and increase the vulnerability of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, and other queer people (LGBTIQ+) in Kazakhstan.Adopting a LGBT propaganda ban would blatantly violate Kazakhstans international human rights commitments, including childrens rights to education, health, and information, the groups said. Discriminatory and rights-violating provisions like those being proposed have no place in any democratic society, which Kazakhstan aspires to be, the statement continued.The bill stipulates that fines for supporting LGBTQ+ people in the media will be 150,000 Kazakh tenge (about $290), with a 300,000 tenge ($580) fine for subsequent offenses. President Tokayevhas indicated that he will sign it.The Muslim-majority nation does not ban homosexuality and only allows people to change the gender markers on official documents after surgery and sterilization. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.