Belarus intensifies criminalisation of LGBTI people under its new “propaganda” law

On 15 April 2026, Alexander Lukashenko signed the law “On Amendments to the Codes on Administrative Responsibility,” introducing liability for so-called “propaganda” of “homosexual relationships, gender transition, childlessness, and paedophilia.” The law will take effect two months after its official publication.

TGEU condemns this systematic and dehumanising persecution of LGBTI people and calls for the repeal of all amendments and related legal provisions targeting LGBTI people.

Stigmatisation and criminalisation of LGBTI identities

The law explicitly places homosexual relationships, love, trans identity and gender transition in the same category as paedophilia, a criminal offence involving sexual exploitation and violence against children.

This legal framing contributes to the systematic dehumanisation of LGBTI people, reinforcing narratives that portray LGBTI persons as dangerous, undesirable and socially illegitimate. It institutionalises stigma and legitimises exclusion, invisibility and censorship.

UN experts say that the law passed in Belarus will institutionalise discrimination and significantly increase the risk of repression, and that it equates legitimate human rights activities with an administrative offence.

Shrinking civic space and collapse of LGBTI infrastructure

Since approximately 2022, most LGBTI organisations in Belarus have been forced to close or were liquidated by the state. This has left communities without institutional protection in an environment where LGBTI existence is officially framed as “propaganda.”

The trans advocacy organisation TG House continues to document cases of violence, discrimination, persecution and intimidation against trans people and their families, including coordinated raids on community events and gatherings.

Our position

TGEU condemns the Lukashenko regime’s ongoing systematic repression and persecution of LGBTI people and other targeted groups, which reflects a broader picture of entrenched authoritarian rule and the erosion of fundamental rights.

We call on democratic states, international institutions and human rights actors to strengthen coordinated resistance against this escalation of repression and to ensure protection for those affected.

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