New Delhi, Nov. 13 -- Kazakhstan's lower house of parliament on Wednesday approved a law banning what authorities view as "propaganda" of LGBTQ+ relations, a move criticized by rights advocates as detrimental to the country's LGBTQ+ community.

An online statement by the lower house said the bill aims to "protect children from content harmful to their health and development."

"The dissemination of information containing propaganda of pedophilia and/or non-traditional sexual orientation in the public domain, as well as through the media, telecommunications networks, and online platforms, is prohibited," the statement read.

Kazakhstan's deputy Culture Minister Evgeny Kochetov clarified to local media that "public endorsement of these acti...