Mongolian Government may introduce LGBT protections in face of neo-Nazi violence
The Mongolian government is considering the implementation of anti-discrimination legislature to protect its LGBT citizens in the face of rising neo-Nazi violence.
The law, put forward in May, includes language that protects against crimes of bigotry, hate and crimes committed against migrant communities. It is likely to pass with extensive amendments.
The law was proposed in response to the outcry within Mongolia’s LGBT community, after a number of brutal attacks by neo-Nazi groups in the capital Ulaanbaatar.
Nationalist neo-Nazi groups have been gaining power in Mongolia in recent years in an effort to maintain cultural and racial purity. They see LGBT tolerance as a negative influence of Western values and retaliate against the LGBT community by threatening, harming and discriminating against them.
Discrimination against LGBT individuals is common in Mongolia where homosexuality has been banned since the 12th Century. Cases of discrimination and crimes committed against the LGBT community are underreported due to social stigma and homophobic justice system.
Attacks on LGBT individuals since 2011 have captured the attentions of the Mongolian government and brought the issue of hate crimes to the forefront.
