Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Kuwait face significant challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity between men is specifically outlawed and LGBTQ individuals may also be targeted under the public morality laws. LGBTQ persons are regularly prosecuted by the government and additionally face discrimination and stigmatization by officials and amongst the broader population.
Law
Consensual sexual activity between males is illegal under Kuwait's penal code. No laws specifically criminalise same-sex sexual activity between women.: 133 The relevant law states:
The penal code also covers "public indecency":
Living conditions
In September 2013, it was announced that all countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council had agreed to discuss a proposal to establish some form of, as yet unknown, "testing" to detect homosexuality in order to deny entry to gay foreigners. However, it has been suggested that concern for hosting 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and fears of controversy over the possible screening of football fans, made officials backtrack on the plans and insist that it was a mere proposal.
In 2017 Instagram star King Luxy was arrested in Kuwait for allegedly looking too feminine. He spent two weeks in custody before he was released.
Discrimination
LGBTQ individuals in Kuwait face significant challenges and discrimination. Same-sex sexual activity between men is explicitly outlawed, with penalties of up to seven years in prison. Although there are no specific laws criminalizing same-sex sexual activity between women, it is still technically illegal due to the inability to consent unless married. Public morality laws are strictly enforced, leading to regular prosecutions and stigmatization. For example, in 2017, Instagram star King Luxy was arrested for allegedly looking too feminine. Additionally, in August 2023, Kuwait banned the 'Barbie' movie, claiming it promoted homosexuality. Despite some progress, such as the 2022 Constitutional Court ruling that overturned the criminalization of "imitation of the opposite sex," discrimination remains prevalent.
HIV/AIDS issues
In 1988, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Public Health supported a study investigating the prevalence of unrecognised HIV infection in Kuwait, which found no infections in a sample of Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti men. A similar sentinel surveillance study was performed in 1997–1998, again detecting no HIV infection in its sample group. The incidence of HIV/AIDS has remained very low within Kuwait, under 0.1 percent over the entire period up to the latest reported figures in 2021. The segment of the population that forms the majority of those with HIV in Kuwait, is males aged between 25 and 49 years, at 47 percent of the total.
Foreigners found to be infected with AIDS/HIV are deported, but Kuwaiti citizens who are infected are entitled to outpatient medical care, organised by a specialized infectious disease hospital.
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.
In 1992, the National Assembly criminalised the knowing transmission of HIV to another person.
LGBTQ rights movement in Kuwait
No known association or charity exists in Kuwait to campaign for LGBTQ rights or to organize educational and social events for the LGBTQ community.
In 2007, the Al Arabiya news service reported that a group of Kuwaitis had applied for a permit to form a new association that would stand up for the rights of LGBTQ Kuwaitis. All such interest groups or clubs have to be approved by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, which never formally replied.
In July 2019 the group announced that they would again apply for a permit from the ministry in response to a crackdown by the Ministry of Commerce on symbols representing homosexuality such as rainbows in shops.
Summary table
See also
- Human rights in Kuwait
- GCC homosexuality test
- LGBTQ rights in the Middle East
- LGBTQ rights in Asia
Notes
References
Further reading
