LGBT rights in Jordan
LGBT rights in Jordan 
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|---|---|
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| Same-sex sexual activity legal? | Legal since 1951 |
| Gender identity/expression | – |
| Discrimination protections | None |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships |
No recognition of same-sex couples |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Jordan are considered to be relatively advanced, compared to most other countries in the Middle East.
Same-sex sexual activity was illegal in Jordan under the British Mandate Criminal Code Ordinance until 1951, when Jordan adopted its own penal code that did not criminalize homosexuality. Jordan is one of few Muslim countries to do so. However, LGBT people displaying public affection can be prosecuted for "disrupting public morality". A general interest gay magazine is published in Jordan. Most LGBT persons face social discrimination not experienced by non-LGBT residents.
The British Mandate Criminal Code Ordinance criminalized homosexuality with up to 10 years in prison, until 1951 when Jordan adopted its own penal code that did not criminalize homosexuality. In 1951, a revision of the Jordanian Criminal Code legalized private, adult, non-commercial, and consensual sodomy, with the age of consent set at 16.
The Jordanian penal code no longer permits family members to beat or kill a member of their own family whose "illicit" sexuality is interpreted as bringing "dishonor" to the entire family. As of 2013, the newly revised Penal Code makes honor killings, as a legal justification for murder, illegal.
The Jordanian penal code gives the police discretion when it comes to protecting the public peace, which has sometimes been used against gay people organizing social events [2].
The first time that the Jordanian government made any public statement regarding LGBT rights was at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in 1995. The international conference sought to address women's rights issues on a global scale, and a proposal was made to have the conference formally address the human rights of gay and bisexual women. The Jordanian delegates to the conference helped to defeat the proposal. More recently, the kingdom's United Nations delegates have also opposed efforts to have the United Nations itself support LGBT rights, although this later proposal was eventually adopted by the United Nations.
The Jordanian government also tolerates a few cafes in Amman that are widely considered to be gay friendly.
Books@Cafe opened up in 1997 and remains a popular bookstore and cafe for patrons supportive of "creativity, diversity and tolerance". In the twenty-first century, a Jordanian male model, Khalid, publicly came out and has been supportive of a general interest, gay-themed magazine published in Jordan. "Growing up, it was hard for me to find topics, subjects and publications that I could relate to! In my country, most magazines rejected me and my ideas due to my young age at the time, and I felt like an outcast in my own society!" Khalid told soginews.com.
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