HUMAN RIGHTS AUDACITY IN ADVERSITY LGBT Activism in the Middle East and North Africa WATCH Audacity in Adversity LGBT Activism in the Middle East and North Africa Copyright © 2018 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-6231-35904 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org APRIL 2018 ISBN: 978-1-6231-35904 Audacity in Adversity LGBT Activism in the Middle East and North Africa Glossary .............................................................................................................................. i Summary ........................................................................................................................... 1 Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 4 I. Background ..................................................................................................................... 6 Legal Context ........................................................................................................................... 6 Criminalization of Same-Sex Conduct ................................................................................ 6 Prohibitions on Expression of Gender Identity.................................................................... 8 Prohibitions on Freedom of Expression and Association ................................................... 10 Absence of Rights-Based Legal Gender Recognition .......................................................... 11 Absence of Non-Discrimination Legislation ....................................................................... 13 Social, Political, and Religious Context ................................................................................... 13 Politicized Islam and the 2011 Uprisings ........................................................................... 13 Violence and Conflict ....................................................................................................... 16 Family and Community Pressure and the Risks of Being “Out” .......................................... 21 II. Effective Activism in Constrained Spaces ...................................................................... 24 Building Community .............................................................................................................. 29 Staying Safe ........................................................................................................................... 31 Digital Security ................................................................................................................. 34 Building Alliances ................................................................................................................... 36 Reaching the Movable Middle ................................................................................................ 40 The Arts and Cultural Production ..................................................................................... 40 Mainstream Media Outreach ............................................................................................ 44 Social Media Campaigning .............................................................................................. 46 Underground Outreach ..................................................................................................... 50 Direct Outreach to Potential Allies .................................................................................... 51 Ensuring Access to HIV Prevention and Treatment ................................................................... 53 Changing Abusive Practices, Policies and Laws ....................................................................... 55 Forced Anal Exams ........................................................................................................... 56 Making Use of the International System .................................................................................. 59 The Universal Periodic Review and UN Treaty Bodies ......................................................... 59 The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights .................................................. 62 Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... 63 Annex: Laws Prohibiting or Used to Punish Same-Sex Conduct and Gender Expression in the Middle East and North Africa ............................................................................................ 64 Algeria ................................................................................................................................... 64 Bahrain ................................................................................................................................. 64 Egypt ...................................................................................................................................... 65 Iraq ....................................................................................................................................... 66 Jordan .................................................................................................................................... 67 Kuwait .................................................................................................................................... 67 Lebanon ................................................................................................................................ 68 Libya ..................................................................................................................................... 69 Mauritania ............................................................................................................................. 69 Morocco ................................................................................................................................ 69 Oman ..................................................................................................................................... 70 Palestine ................................................................................................................................ 71 Qatar ...................................................................................................................................... 71 Saudi Arabia ........................................................................................................................... 72 Sudan .................................................................................................................................... 72 Syria ....................................................................................................................................... 73 Tunisia ................................................................................................................................... 73 United Arab Emirates .............................................................................................................. 74 Yemen .................................................................................................................................... 75 Glossary Bisexual A sexual orientation in which a person is sexually or romantically attracted to both women and men. Cisgender The gender identity of people whose sex assigned at birth conforms to their identified or lived gender. Gay Synonym in many parts of the world for homosexual; often used to refer to the sexual orientation of a male whose primary sexual and romantic attraction is towards other males. Gender Social and cultural codes used to distinguish what a society considers “feminine” and “masculine” conduct and/or characteristics. Gender A person’s internal, deeply felt sense of being female or male, neither, identity or both. A person’s gender identity does not necessarily correspond to their sex assigned at birth. Gender A descriptor for people who do not conform to stereotypical non- appearances, behaviors, or traits associated with their sex assigned at conforming birth. Heterosexual Sexual orientation of a person whose primary sexual and romantic attractions are toward people of a different sex. Homophobia Fear of, contempt of, or discrimination against homosexuals or homosexuality, usually based on negative stereotypes of homosexuality. Homosexual Sexual orientation of a person whose primary sexual and romantic attractions are toward people of the same sex. Intersex An umbrella term that refers to a range of traits and conditions that cause individuals to be born with chromosomes, gonads, and/or genitals that vary from what is considered typical for female or male bodies. “Intersex” originated as a medical term