LGBT rights in Qatar
LGBT rights in Qatar 
|
|
|---|---|
|
|
| Same-sex sexual activity legal? | Illegal: Islamic Sharia Law is applied |
|
Penalty:
|
Fine or 7 years in Prison. |
| Gender identity/expression | – |
Homosexual acts between adult females and adult males in public are both illegal in Qatar. There is no legal recognition of same-sex marriages, civil unions or domestic partnership benefits.
In November 2008 George Michael performed at a successful concert in Qatar, despite being openly gay. However, most LGBT people living in Qatar run the risk of harassment, discrimination and even criminal sanctions if their sexual orientation or gender identity becomes publicly known. The government does not allow a visible LGBT community to exist, much less a LGBT-rights movement.
Since 2004, Article 296 of the current Penal Code (Law 11/2004) stipulate imprisonment between 1 and 3 years for sodomy between men. This is a slight revision of the original law that stipulated up to five years imprisonment for male homosexuality.
In 1995 an American citizen visiting Qatar was sentenced to six months in shabab markeah and 420 lashes for homosexual activity. In the 1990s, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration informed Philippine workers that gay workers were prohibited in Qatar. This was in response to several mass arrests and deportations of Philippine workers in Qatar, for homosexuality.
Article 296 of the Penal Code does not address sexual acts between women. However, gay or bisexual women living in Qatar could face criminal charges for violating other public morality laws, such as the ban on fornication or, if they are lawfully married, the ban on adultery.
Family law is governed by traditional cultural and religious values. No legal recognition exists in Qatar for same-sex marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships. Cohabitation is also illegal in Qatar.
In September 2013, it was announced that all Gulf Cooperative Countries had agreed to discuss a proposal to establish some form of, yet unknown, testing in order to ban gay foreigners from entering any of the countries.
Qatar's record on LGBT rights became a source of debate again, with gay rights groups criticizing FIFA for choosing to host the event in a country where homosexuality is illegal.Richard de Mos, a member of the Dutch Parliament for the Freedom Party (PVV), has proposed that the Dutch football team play in pink, instead of the country's national colour, orange, to protest the gay rights situation in Qatar.
...
Wikipedia