LGBTQ in Iraq

By ambiiiance
  • Period: 1501 to

    Safavid Era

    In the early Safavid era (1501–1723), when the Safavid empire ruled Mesopotamia from 1508–1533, male houses of prostitution (amrad khane) were legally recognized and paid taxes.
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    Ottoman Empire

    In 1858, the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the area of modern-day Iraq as part of Ottoman Iraq province, abolished its existing sodomy laws.
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    Penal Code by Baathists

    In 1969, Penal Code enacted by the Baathist's only prohibited sexual activity that involved adultery, incest, public acts, prostitution, deception or force or persons under the age of eighteen years. Homosexuality was not a criminal offense.
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    Penal Code in 1970s

    From the enactment of the Penal Code of 1969 - 2001, Iraqi security forces had considerably leeway, under the penal code, to harass, jail or even execute anyone deemed to be a threat to national security or public morality. LGBT people could be harassed, jailed or blackmailed into becoming spies for the regime
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    Organizations in Iraq

    No LGBT-rights organization was allowed to exist in Iraq, and laws designed to specifically discriminate against LGBT people began to appear in the 1980s.[
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    Summer of 1993

    In 1993, compulsory religious education was introduced into Iraqi schools. Nightclubs were amended to include the death penalty for homosexuality.
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    Urban Legend about Homosexuals

    In 1999, an urban legend began to circulate that the Iraqi government banned the South Park television series, and feature film, because it depicted Saddam Hussein being involved in a homosexual relationship with Satan.
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    IRCC Resolution 234

    In 2001, the IRCC Resolution 234 of 2001 was enacted that established the death penalty for adultery, being involved with prostitution, and anyone who, "Commits the crime of sodomy with a male or female or who violates the honor of a male or female without his or her consent and under the threat of arm or by force in a way that the life of the victim (male or female) is threatened"
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    "Emo"

    In 2010s, the so-called "emo" killings, in which as many as 70 teenagers accused of homosexuality on the basis of their clothing were murdered by Shiite death squads, were condemned by human rights groups outside of Iraq.