Gay Kyrgyzstan
Photo from Wikipedia
Homosexuality was legalized in Kyrgyzstan on 1st January 1998, with the repeal of Article 121 of the Soviet Criminal Code, after concerted pressure from international human rights organisations.
Article 130 of the new criminal code – concerning “violent actions of a sexual nature” – punishes “homosexual, lesbian or other actions of a sexual nature resorting to the use of force or to the threat of force against the victim or against other individuals or taking advantage of the weakness of the victim” with a prison sentence of between three to eight years. This is wider than Rape which is covered in a different clause.
The constitution makes no mention of “sexual orientation” when referring to discrimination.
(Homosexual activity is still illegal in the neighbour countries – Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and China – and can be punished by severe penalties In fact, according to IRIN News, some gay people come here from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, where homosexuality is punishable by law, in search of a more favourable and accepting environment.).
According to some reports, most gays and lesbians in the country live in Bishkek, or the northern oblasts – which is the most liberal part of the country. Citizens of Bishkek, the capital and largest city, often exhibit a more relaxed approach to the subject – since 1998, a small “scene” has developed with a number of gay bars and clubs – although the number may vary from time to time.
Remember, however, that the country is nominally Muslim, and traditional, which means that generally homosexuality is frowned upon, even if it is legal. Kyrgyzstan’s Mufti Murataly Ajy Jumanov, has said: “According to the Koran and Shari’a [Islamic law], men should marry women and nobody else. Women have to give their bodies and spirits to men. Islamic law absolutely refuses such [homosexual] connection between men and women. It is illegal and inhuman.” The view of the Orthodox church is also uncompromising – Igor Dronov, a senior priest of the Russian Orthodox Church in Bishkek, told the United Nations’ IRIN news service that tolerance “washes out the essence of absolute moral values.”
Homosexuality is not a subject for conversation, and people may simply fail to understand (or pretend not to understand) references to the topic. Many local homosexuals remain “closeted” and risk physical and verbal abuse, possible loss of work and unwanted attention from the police and authorities if the come “out”. They are often subject to beatings – and the fact that you are a tourist will not necessarily grant you any insurance against this. Openly gay people can still face discrimination in public places, e.g. bars and restaurants, and are often asked to leave. In addition, there have been cases of police intimidation – and blackmail.
There was a nongovernmental organization (established in 1995) working to protect the rights of gay men and other sexual minorities voluntary (“Oasis”) with branches in Bishkek in Osh – but there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the opening of the Osh branch. Currently there is an organisation called Labrys (http://labrys.kg/), which was established in 2004 and is committed to improving the situation of Lesbians, Bisexual women, Gay men and Transgender people in Kyrgyzstan through empowering themselves and working with general public to integrate in society. (The Labrys, or double-bladed axe, comes from the goddess Demeter (or Artemis). It has become a symbol of lesbian and feminist strength and self-sufficiency.)
The age of consent in Kyrgyzstan is 16. It is the same for all forms of sex. (The age of criminal responsibility is 14).
As far as we can ascertain – lesbians have never been subject to legal penalties (except where force is used) but they have suffered social ostracism and prejudice and admission to psychiatric hospitals. Lesbians in Kyrgyzstan launched the support group called Labrys.
In Russian
- Homosexual – pederast
- Gay – goluboi (= ”sky blue” … the term comes from the colour of the cover fo the first book on the subject of homosexuality toi be published in Russia)
- Lesbian – lesbianka
Bishkek