Is it legal to be gay in palestine
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Last updated: 17 December
Types of criminalisation
- Criminalises LGBT people
- Criminalises sexual activity between males
Summary
Same-sex sexual activity is prohibited in Gaza under the British Mandate Criminal Code Ordinance The relevant provision carries a maximum penalty of ten years’ imprisonment. Only men are criminalised under this law.
The law was inherited from the British. It continues to be in operation in Gaza today, though it is not in force elsewhere in Palestine.
There is small evidence of the regulation being enforced, and it appears to be largely obsolete in practice. However, an incident in saw an author being threatened with prosecution for writing a novel which included LGBT themes. There act not appear to be any other reports of enforcement of the criminalising law or other laws. Nevertheless, the mere universe of this provision is itself a violation of human rights and underpins further acts of discrimination
The Plight of the LGBT Community in the Palestinian Authority and Muslim Countries
BESA Center Perspectives Paper No. 1,, September 19,
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Palestinian Authority’s violent treatment of the gay community under its rule offers a gloomy reminder of this community’s difficult situation in most Muslim countries.
On August 18, the Palestinian Authority barred the Al Qaws (Rainbow) organization, which combines several LGBT groups, from holding an event in the Nablus area. Palestinian policemen not only forcibly prevented the gathering but issued a harsh and threatening warning to members of the gay community. They asked citizens to provide the police with any information they might own about the organization’s activities, and made the monitoring statement:
The Palestinian police will prevent the holding of the event and notes that it did not know about the similar previous events that were held in Nablus. The event in question is not suitable to the conservative nature of the city and will offend the values of the local population and the city of Nablus…The ev
Which countries impose the death penalty on gay people?
Around the world, queer people continue to meet discrimination, violence, harassment and social stigma. While social movements have marked progress towards acceptance in many countries, in others homosexuality continues to be outlawed and penalised, sometimes with death.
According to Statistica Research Department, as of , homosexuality is criminalised in 64 countries globally, with most of these nations situated in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In 12 of these countries, the death penalty is either enforced or remains a possibility for private, consensual gay sexual activity.
In many cases, the laws only apply to sexual relations between two men, but 38 countries contain amendments that include those between women in their definitions.
These penalisations represent abuses of human rights, especially the rights to freedom of statement, the right to develop one's hold personality and the right to life.
Which countries enforce the death penalty for homosexuality?
Saudi Arabia
The Wahabbi interpretation of
Homosexuality: The countries where it is illegal to be gay
BBC News
US Vice-President Kamala Harris who is on a tour of three African countries - Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia - has drawn criticism over her support for LGBTQ rights.
In Ghana, in a speech calling for "all people be treated equally" she appeared to criticise a bill before the country's parliament which criminalises advocacy for gay rights and proposes jail terms for those that detect as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.
The country's Speaker Alban Bagbin later called her remarks "undemocratic" and urged lawmakers not to be "intimidated by any person".
In Tanzania, a former minister spoke against US support for LGBTQ rights ahead of the stop by and in Zambia some conflict politicians have threatened to maintain protests.
Where is homosexuality still outlawed?
There are 64 countries that include laws that criminalise homosexuality, and nearly half of these are in Africa.
Some countries, including several in Africa, ha