Gay middle eastern

The Equality Index is an average of two indexes: the legal index and the public opinion Index.

Legal Index

The LGBT legal index measures the current legal status of 13 different issues ranging from the legal status of homosexuality, same-sex marriage, transgender rights, LGBT discrimination protections, LGBT censorship laws, and more.

For example, if a poll asked "Do you support same-sex marriage?" and 56% of people said "yes", the value "56" would be used. Ancient Mesopotamian texts, Persian poetry, and Greco-Roman influences reflect a range of attitudes toward same-sex relationships. But due to the government’s recent crackdown on the local LGBTQ communityhe chooses to maintain a low profileand won't share his full name.  

Fouad finds inspiration in classical poems by the 8th-century poet Abu Nawas, who was renowned for his homoerotic verses.  

Abu Nawas and many other classical Arab, Persian and Turkish poets explored same-sex desires centuries ago.

Living one’s gender identity in safety is a human right.

This weight decay ensures that the public opinion index is always most influenced by the most recent data, reflecting evolving public attitudes, while still taking into account older surveys to maintain a comprehensive overview.  

France and Britain, each controlling major parts of the Arab world, introduced the first penal codes against homosexuality in the region.

However, social media platforms have become crucial spaces for advocacy and community building, allowing LGBTQ+ individuals to share their stories and organize for change.

LGBTQ+ Activism and Progress

Grassroots Movements

Activism in the Middle East is often led by grassroots organizations and individuals advocating for LGBTQ+ rights despite significant risks.

The harmful influence of certain media and social networks amplifies hostile attitudes towards the LGBTQI+ community with complete impunity.

Campaigns to "hunt" LGBTQI+ individuals, arbitrary and prolonged imprisonments, police and judicial surveillance, and intimidation are frequently observed in countries with such laws. However, for surveys older than two years, an exponential decay of 75% applies each year.

They are calling for concerted action by governments and civil society to end systemic discrimination and ensure an egalitarian society for all. In return, European travelersvisiting pre-colonial Arab communities were shocked to see men openly expressing their attraction for boys. 

Records also indicate recognition of transgender individuals, with some medieval Arabic dictionaries and encyclopedias describing five or more categories of sexes.

Hamza also writes about a judicial case where a Muslim judge in 16th-century Damascus permitted a transgender woman to marry a man who was in love with her. 

Accepting LGBTQ individuals? 

Still, historians are cautious about branding the pre-colonial Middle East as LGBTQ-tolerant. 

Sexual orientation was not seen as central to an individual's identity in Muslim societies.

This oppression is often hidden by the authorities in the absence of verified data and official statistics on the actual prosecutions against LGBTQI+ individuals. Notable incidents include the attacks and intimidation against the association Damj and its coordinator Mira ben Salah in April 2024.

In this difficult context, among the advocacy and protection actions undertaken by the FIDH, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, created in partnership with the OMCT in 2007, plays a crucial role in alerting and supporting defenders.

The second is the Islamophobic narratives that treat them as tokens and use their grievances to portray a dark picture of Muslim societies." Consequently, queer activists are increasingly emphasizing the indigenous aspects of their identity, she noted. While change is slow and uneven, the resilience of LGBTQ+ individuals and activists in the Middle East offers hope for a more inclusive future.

Conclusion

Homosexuality in the Middle East is a subject marked by contradictions—between tradition and modernity, repression and resilience.

More recently, in Iraq, following hate campaigns by political figures targeting the LGBTQ+ community, on April 27, the Iraqi Parliament adopted amendments to an anti-prostitution law dating from 1988. The underreporting of arrests and prosecutions in countries like Morocco and Qatar is often highlighted by LGBTQI+ rights organisations.

Inhumane and degrading treatments are also inflicted on LGBTQI+ individuals.

While attitudes and policies vary across countries, the overarching narrative is one of tension between traditional values and emerging calls for LGBTQ+ rights.