Deputy president Aldan Smayyl ‘ranted’ against homosexuality in Kazakhstan’s parliament last week, describing it as ‘amorality of the highest degree’.

‘A law should be adopted which would allow [homosexuals] to be considered criminals against humanity,’ said Smayyl of the ruling Nur Otan party.

‘In [Kazak capital] Almaty there are already 20 gay clubs; in Astana four clubs! What sort of disgrace is this?’

Eurasia Net reports that ‘homophobic rants have echoed through the hallowed halls of parliament’ in recent weeks.

Smayyl’s efforts to criminalize homosexuality are in response to more vocal discussion of LGBT rights in the central Asian nation after a lesbian couple held a public (but non-legally binding) wedding last month.

Consensual gay adult sex has not been criminalized in Kazakhstan since ‘buggery’ was removed from the criminal code in 1997.

The country is a signatory on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which prohibits discrimination on any grounds.

Another Nur Otan member of parliament Kairbek Suleymenov called for ‘mechanisms’ to ensure gay marriage is not legalized in Kazakhstan, despite there being no plans for such a law.

Kazakhstan is influenced by homophobic attitudes in Russia, where LGBT rights activist Nikolai Aleskeev was arrested for organizing a gay pride march three days ago.