TIMEP Brief: LGBTQ Human Rights in Egypt

Source: The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy

Author(s): TIMEP

Original Link: 
https://timep.org/reports-briefings/timep-briefs/timep-brief-lgbtq-human-rights-in-egypt/

During the rule of former president Hosni Mubarak and under current President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi, the Egyptian government has appealed to its conservative base by positioning itself as a moral authority, instituting laws and upholding social norms that arbitrate what may be accepted as the “nation’s values.” This approach is at the expense of various communities that fall outside of these state-sanctioned norms, including LGBTQ individuals. LGBTQ individuals are targeted in crackdowns by security forces and subject to maltreatment in prison because of their sexuality; in some circumstances, this treatment amounts to torture. Although not explicitly criminalized in Egypt, same-sex relations and perceived support for LGBTQ issues can be prosecuted under the country’s debauchery and prostitution laws. Transgender individuals are subject to rules and regulations regarding gender-affirming medicine and surgeries. When it comes to issues like employment and access to housing, LGBTQ persons face discrimination by nongovernment actors as well. This systematic violation of the human rights of Egypt’s LGBTQ persons under the watch of the Egyptian government occurs in deliberate disregard for the country’s constitution and international legal obligations.

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