Tokayev seeks to legally define family as a union between a man and a woman

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has emphasized the need to preserve traditional values, stating that marriage in the country should be legally defined as a union between a man and a woman. At the same time, he stressed that there should be no discrimination or persecution of individuals whose views on moral issues differ from the official position of the state. Tokayev made these remarks today, January 20, during his speech at a session of the National Qurultoy.

“The state must protect traditional values and combat destructive, frankly speaking, immoral patterns of behavior. In our society, the institution of marriage should be legally закреплено as the voluntary union of a man and a woman. A marriage officially recognized by the state institution exists between a man and a woman. However, there must be no criminal prosecution or moral discrimination for beliefs that contradict the official state stance on moral issues,” he said.

Tokayev added that the state’s position can be summarized by the principle that every citizen has the right to choose, and no one has the authority to impose this choice on others. He assured that the rights and freedoms of all citizens in the country will be protected.

It should be recalled that on December 30, 2025, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law banning the “promotion of pedophilia and non-traditional sexual orientation.”

The document introduces amendments to nine laws, three of which include prohibitive provisions. Fines are to be imposed for the posting and dissemination of illegal content containing signs of “LGBT propaganda” in mass media and on social networks.

Violations will be punishable by fines amounting to 20 times the minimum monthly wage (86,500 tenge, or more than 146 euros). Repeat offenders will face increased fines or administrative detention of up to 10 days.