Jordan gay rights

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals in Jordan face legal challenges and discrimination not experienced by non-LGBTQ persons. Same-sex sexual activity was illegal in Jordan under the British Mandate Criminal Code Ordinance (No. 74 of ) until when Jordan drafted its own penal code which did not criminalise. Whether you are traveling to Jordan with children, with a disability, as an LGBT couple, independently or as part of a voluntary project, we have gathered all the advice for travelers in Jordan and put it into one place. Families are a central part of Jordanian culture and children are highly valued in the community. Foreign visitors with children are equally valued so families should expect to be greeted with a big smile on a regular basis.

LGBT Rights in Jordan: homosexuality, gay marriage, gay adoption, serving in the military, sexual orientation discrimination protection, changing legal gender, donating blood, age of consent, and more. Jordan is one of the few Middle Eastern countries where consensual same-sex sexual acts are not criminalised. Such religious rulings are not legally binding, but the General Iftaa Department acts in an advisory capacity to government branches and courts. Meanwhile, OutRight International reports that surveys show low public acceptance of homosexuality in Jordan.

What are gay rights in Jordan like? Society may be ultra-conservative, but unlike most other Arab countries, the LGBTQ laws of Jordan are less severe. For example, Jordan got rid of its anti-gay laws back in (that's long before the USA in , and the UK in ). Legal Gender Recognition Possible? In , Jordan abolished a colonial-era ban on same-sex relations, and in , it criminalized honor killings, which may target LGBTIQ people. Transgender people have been allowed to change their legal gender markers in some cases, although there is no clear legal pathway.

Same-sex sexual conduct is decriminalised by the Penal code in Jordan since , with equal age of consent for homosexual and heterosexual sex. Islamic Sharia law prohibits same-sex sexual conduct and relationships, but no fines or other penalties can be enforced under criminal law. Human rights groups say activists have been abducted, harassed and monitored, as well as having their sexuality revealed to religiously conservative families. In January two activists were allegedly detained by GID officers and had their bank accounts frozen. GID agents then called his parents, he said, and told them that he was homosexual.