A Kazakhstani politician has come up with an “easy” method to identify gays – you just have to test the blood of people wearing coloured trousers for ‘degeneratism’.

Dauren Babamuratov, who leads the Bolashak national movement, made the claim in a press conference this week calling for a ban on the “promotion” of homosexuality.

A rise in anti-gay sentiment in the country was sparked last month by a poster for a gay club featuring two national heroes kissing.

According to Tengrin News, Mr Babamuratov said: “I think it is very easy to identify a gay person by his or her DNA. A blood test can show the presence of degeneratism in a person.

“One can see a lot of people in the city’s malls and other public places — these are young people in coloured pants.

“Unfortunately, suppressing activities of the LGBT community in Kazakhstan is extremely difficult, because there is no law in our country prohibiting this type of activity, that is, the promotion of homosexuality.

Journalist Zhanar Sekerbayeva countered: “There is no gay ‘propaganda’ in Kazakhstan, but there is homophobia

“The LGBT community is not an invention of the West, [gays] are much more traditional than ‘traditional’ heterosexuals.

“LGBT people have always been there since the ancient times – Ancient Rome, Greece, it is only that the attitude towards them was different.”

The mayor of capital city Astana claimed the media are “brainwashing” children.