LGBTQ rights in Egypt

This article is about the situation in the modern Egyptian state. For information about homosexuality in antiquity, see Homosexuality in ancient Egypt.

LGBTQ rights in Egypt
Egypt
StatusDe jure legal
De facto illegal after 2000
PenaltyUnder morality laws punishment up to 17 years with hard labor, fines, and deportation[1]
Gender identitySex reassignment surgery is allowed and can be performed in the country after obtaining approval from Al-Azhar Mosque or the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.[2][3][4]
MilitaryNo
Discrimination protectionsNone
Family rights
Recognition of relationshipsNo recognition of same-sex relationships
AdoptionNo

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Egypt face severe challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. There are reports of widespread discrimination and violence towards openly LGBTQ people within Egypt, with police frequently prosecuting gay and transgender individuals.[5]

Contemporary Egyptian law does not explicitly criminalize same-sex sexual acts.[6] Instead, the state uses several morality provisions for the de facto criminalization of homosexual conduct.[6] Any behavior, or the expression of any idea that is deemed to be immoral, scandalous or offensive to the teachings of a recognized religious leader may be prosecuted using these provisions. These public morality and public order laws have been used to target the LGBTQ community.[5]

  1. ^ "In a Time of Torture: The Assault on Justice In Egypt's Crackdown on Homosexual Conduct: II. Homosexual Conduct and the Law: The Conditions for a Crackdown". www.hrw.org.
  2. ^ Amin, Shahira (December 12, 2021). "Al-Azhar rhetoric alarms LGBTQ community - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East". www.al-monitor.com. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  3. ^ Skovguard-Peterson, Jakob (Spring 1995). "Sex Change in Cairo: Gender and Islamic Law". Journal of the International Institute. 2 (3). ISSN 1558-741X.
  4. ^ Mahmoud, Ebtsam (January 7, 2018). "Transgender in Egypt: Islam's stance on sex reassignment surgery". Egypt Independent. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Egypt". Human Dignity Trust. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  6. ^ a b ILGA World; Lucas Ramon Mendos; Kellyn Botha; Rafael Carrano Lelis; Enrique López de la Peña; Ilia Savelev; Daron Tan (December 14, 2020). State-Sponsored Homophobia report (PDF) (Report) (2020 global legislation overview update ed.). Geneva: ILGA. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 15, 2020.