Donald Trump is already influencing other countries to intensify their crackdowns on homosexuality

This blog is originally appeared at LGBTQ Nation.

A leading lawmaker in Uzbekistan referenced Trump’s electoral victory as a reason to push for a ban on LGBTQ+ “propaganda.

The leader of a party in Uzbekistan’s government coalition has announced that they are drafting a law to ban LGBTQ+ “propaganda” in the country, crediting Donald Trump for inspiring the move.

Alisher Qodirov, head of the Milliy Tiklanish (National Revival) party, which shares control of the lower chamber of Uzbekistan’s parliament with the Liberal Democrats, shared the news on Telegram. He revealed that his party is working on a draft law aimed at prohibiting discussions about LGBTQ+ issues.

In his post, Qodirov referenced a statement from Ivanka Trump, where she endorsed her father’s opposition to “inappropriate sexual content” and “transgender ideology” in schools. This rhetoric, which falsely claims that schools are teaching children to be transgender or exposing them to gay sexual content, has been used in some U.S. states and school districts to justify bans on any mention of LGBTQ+ issues.

Qodirov wrote, “The change in the center of the disease is very good,” adding that his party is working on a law to ban any form of LGBTQ+ “propaganda.”

Homosexuality remains illegal in Uzbekistan, a Muslim-majority nation, and can lead to up to three years in prison. The country, along with Turkmenistan, is one of the only two post-Soviet states to criminalize homosexuality. There are no legal protections against anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination or hate crimes in Uzbekistan.

A 2021 Human Rights Watch report highlighted the severe abuse faced by gay and bisexual men in the country, who are targeted by both vigilante groups and law enforcement. Many LGBTQ+ activists have been forced to abandon public efforts and operate “completely underground” due to the threat of violence and harassment.

One activist shared their experience with HRW, explaining that they had to suspend most of their projects due to the intense risks involved. Five men told the organization they were forced to pay bribes of up to $1,000 to prevent the police from exposing their sexual orientation to their families or the public.