Information on the situation for homosexuals in Kuwait

Information on the situation for homosexuals in Kuwait

Homosexuality is strictly forbidden in Kuwait, . Kuwaiti law is strongly influenced by the extreme muslim sharia laws. gays lin Kuwait have been arrested . A university professor faced a lot of controversy for discussing lesbianism in 1998, but she still teaches according to information I have received.In spite of the harsh laws of Kuwait, homosexuality can be quite open, and cruising for sex is quite common, especially among men. Even straight men cruise for gay sex, as the possibility of pre-marital sex with a woman is slim. It all seems to be a matter of who you talk to, where you go and how you act. Many hotels will reportedly tolerate bringing a man to the room, whereas a woman guest is unthinkable.Extreme caution is advised in the beginning.Kuwait is one of the world's richest countries, ruled in practice by one family, the Sabah's.kuwait was occupied by Iraq from August 2, 1990 until the Gulf War liberation in 26 February 1991. On November 10

Kuwaiti gays ask permission to get organised by Georgina Roberts

The gay and trans community in Kuwait has approached the government requesting an official gay rights organisation. The majority Muslim country currently does not allow such groups to exist, despite a growing number of openly gay and transgender Kuwaitis. According to online news service, Al Arabiya, the gay rights request follows the recent Upholding Ethics report from the Kuwaiti National Council. The report reveals $2m (£1m) has been allocated to combat the rise of homosexuality and a proposal to criminalise "cross-dressing." Homosexuality and transvestism are currently prohibited in Kuwait, but this is considered a crime of morality and is rarely enforced by law. The proposed amendment to the penal code would make transvestism punishable by a 1000 dinars (£1,780) fine or a jail sentence. The oil-rich country of three million people was invaded by Saddam Hussein in 1991, sparking the first Gulf War. It is relatively liberal and democratic compared to its Muslim neighbours. It has an elected national council and women gained the right to vote in 2006. However, homosexuality between men is punishable People entering Kuwait must prove they are not HIV positive and the "publication and distribution of any writing or images that are immoral" is against the law

June 18, 2008 14

Kuwaiti transexuals arrested and beaten to 'protect' citizens

by Staff Writer,

PinkNews.co.uk

In an attempt to 'protect its youth' the Kuwaiti government is stepping up a campaign to 'rid' the country of gay and transexual citizens. The Social Vice committee in Kuwait is in the process of organising a national conference in order to define the definition of 'social vices' and the ways to crackdown on them, said a former head of the committee. Talking to the Kuwaiti newspaper Alaqabs, Mr Valid Tabtabii, a Kuwaiti MP, said that it is the responsibility of the parliament to undertake this campaign, especially since the country's constitution states that the state has the responsibility to protect its youth. Facing increasing criticism about the way they handle social issues, he labelled those criticisms as unjustified and accused his opponents of ignorance. "Mankind is against anything he doesn't understand," he said. The Committee also has the support of the Parliament, as it was formed on a request from 43 out of 50 MPs. It has so far played a significant role in the Kuwaiti society in cracking down on 'social misconduct.' Mr. Tabatabaii said that in the past, the Committee has tried to crackdown on "girly boys" and homosexuals, who promote crime and sexual immorality in the country. This crackdown happened in schools and other public places, without violating people's privacy. Last December, Kuwait's parliament passed a law that criminalised “imitating the appearance of the opposite sex.” The amendment states that "any person committing an indecent act in a public place, or imitating the appearance of a member of the opposite sex, shall be subject to imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or a fine." Subsequent roundups netted at least 16 suspects, New York-based Human Rights Watch reported, adding that three detainees were beaten. The only known targets of the new Kuwaiti law have been transgender people. Kuwait does not allow transgender people to change their legal identity to match the gender in which they live or to adapt their physical appearance through gender reassignment surgery. In September 2007 Al Arabiya reported a new government campaign to "combat the growing phenomenon of gays and transsexuals" in Kuwait. Mr. Mohammad Haiif, the spokesperson for the Parliamentary Study Group on Social Vice, told reporters yesterday that " those suffering from queerness are in need of medical treatment for hormonal imbalance, and by doing so, we help them, and not harm them."

• In Kuwait, “police raided a party where homosexuals were allegedly celebrating a wedding,” and a law was approved “to impose a fine of $3,450 and/or one year’s imprisonment for those imitating the opposite sex and it was full of lesbians and gays and most girls run away and get away

6LGBT rights in Kuwait

Kuwait is a Muslim nation and thus both homosexuality and cross-dressing are treated as crimes and signs of immorality. However, as is the case with other "moderate" Muslim nations in the Middle East, their are few recorded cases of the criminal laws being enforced.Contents1 Criminal Code2 Printing and Publication Law3 Civil Rights4 Marriage & Family5 AIDS/HIV6 ReferencesCriminal CodeSeveral Articles in the national penal code are used to prohibit hommosexuality between consenting adults in private and to restrict the public discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity.Article 193 of the Penal Code punishes homosexuality between men, over the age of 21, with up to seven years imprisonment [1]. If the conduct involves persons under the age of 21, then imprisonment can be for a maximum of ten years [[2]. .Article 204 prohibits the public encouragment of "immoral acts" and the publication and distribution of any writing or images that are immoral.In 1996, the Kuwaiti police arrested seven Filipino hairdressers, working in Kuwait, and jailed them for homosexuality and prositution. They were all soon deported with the Kuwaiti government informing the Philippine Embassy that it would not tolerate the existence of gay foreign workers or their sexual conduct[3].[edit]Printing and Publication LawFirst enacted in 1961, the national law has several regulations that are used against LGBT themes.Article 26 bans the, "publication that violates public morality or persons' dignity or personal freedom...". [4].Article 37 gives the Office of Printing and Publications the power to ban the importation of publications that will harm "public morals" or the, "the sanctity of religions." [5].In 1997, Dr Alia Shoaib was dismissed from her professorial chair in Kuwait University for suggesting that homosexuality existed in the emirate. Her comments were printed in the "al-Hadaf" magazine, which faced charges for obscenity. The Kuwati Information Minister said the professor's comments had "defamed the University" and that, "We know that there are gays in Kuwait, they are hidden and should remain so" [6]. That same year the famous Kuwaiti novlist, Leila Othman, aced obscenity charges for her novel titled "The Departure" which included stories featuring same-sex relationships.In 2000, the Kuwaiti appeals courts overturned the lowers courts criminal convictions against these two women, but upheld the heavy fines [7]. Civil RightsNo civil rights legislation exists to prohibit public or private sector discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. No LGBT association or interest group is officially allowed to exist, although their is some online rumors about an underground LGBT associations with such names as "Gay Freedom" [8].In 2003, Kuwait's Civil Bench of the Court of First Instance dismissed the case of a 25-year-old woman who wanted to change her name on official documents after undergoing a sex-change operation in Thailand [9]. Marriage & FamilyKuwaiti law does not recognize same-sex marriages, civil unions or domestic partnership benefits. AIDS/HIVIn 1988, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Public Health published a report on HIV infections in Kuwait [10], especially the person's nationality, martial status and sexual orientation. In 2004 a United Nations report on HIV in Kuwait found that about six percent of known transmission cases were the result of unprotected sexual contact between men [data.unaids.org/Publications/Fact-Sheets01/kuwait_en.pdf].In 1992, the Kuwaiti national assembly outlawed the knowing transmission of HIV to another person. Foreign residents must prove that they do not have HIV or AIDS to enter or remain in Kuwait [11].In 2007, a seminar titled "AIDS- The Epidemic of the Century", was held by the Kuwait Medical Society (KMS). Officially the number of Kuwaiti infected with HIV is small and thus the pandemic is often seen as a problem caused by so-called "foreign" problems; i.e. homosexuality [12].