Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (

LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...

) 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 Stigma, originally referring to the visible marking of people considered inferior, has evolved to mean a negative perception or sense of disapproval that a society places on a group or individual based on certain characteristics such as their ...

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. 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 The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ), is a Regional integration, regional, intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Ba ...

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 The 2022 FIFA World Cup was the 22nd FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

, 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 Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–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 movie '

Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and introduced on March 9, 1959. The toy was based on the German Bild Lilli doll, Bild Lilli doll which Hand ...

', 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 In epidemiology, prevalence is the proportion of a particular population found to be affected by a medical condition (typically a disease or a risk factor such as smoking or seatbelt use) at a specific time. It is derived by comparing the number o ...

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 The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

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 47percent 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 In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

criminalised the intentional 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 Arabiya (, transliterated: '; meaning "The Arabic One" or "The Arab One") is a Saudi state-owned international Arabic news television channel. It is based in Riyadh and is a subsidiary of MBC Group. The channel is a flagship of the media c ...

'' 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

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.

Law

Living conditions

Discrimination

HIV/AIDS issues

LGBTQ rights movement in Kuwait

Summary table

See also

Notes

References

Further reading