User:Épine/LGBT rights in Iraqi Kurdistan

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights in the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan has seen public debate since 2016 when the LGBT+ movement became more mobilised, and with the work of multiple organizations, most known ones being IraQueer and Rasan. LGBT+ identities and relationships are considered deeply taboo due to religious and tribal values, which cause regular hatecrime against the LGBT+ community. While organizations have worked for LGBT+ rights, it is illegal for organizations to register solely to defend queer people, as the Directorate of Non-Governmental Organizations often deny the registration, referencing Article 393 of the Iraqi Penal Code, which is originally about non-consensual sex and not specifically to criminalizing LGBT+ relationships. This article is mistranslated into Kurdish to penalize homosexual relationships and is often used to illegally detain LGBT+ people.

Queer people, especially activists, face heavy social stigma and discrimination when they open up about their sexuality and gender identities. Religious conservatives push the story of "people of lot" to lobby against the movement by swaying public opinion, while organizations take a different route to adovcate for LGBT+ rights in the region, such as education, awareness raising, and utalizing international pressure in case of violations to force the government to take action, yet, the LGBT+ movement in the region is at it's early beginning, with overwhelming public disapproval. pro-LGBT organizations and activists attribute this to the low level of awareness surrounding topics related to gender and sexuality.

There are no LGBT+ anti-discriminatory laws in place, which has left LGBT+ people in a vulnrable position and easy targets of hate crime. There is also discrimination when it comes to housing, work, and other basic aspects of life which have not been addressed by the government. Civil society organizations have made efforts to assist LGBT+ people on an individual level, such as by providing psychosocial services, helping them leave the region in case of dire emergency, while few organizations took on the responsibility to publicly advocate for LGBT+ rights.

LGBT+ people do not have any public representations in politics.