Gay rights in Jordan

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Jordan is generally seen as a moderate Muslim nation and although the criminal code makes no explicit distinction between private, adult and consensual heterosexual and homosexual relationships, Jordanians are quite religious and Islam, like other Abrahamic religions, looks critically upon homosexuality^[1].

Contents 1 Penal Code 2 Press Law 3 Civil Rights 4 AIDS/HIV 5 See also 6 References

[edit] Penal Code

Officially the criminal code is silent on the topic of homosexuality when it involves consenting adults in private. However, vigilante honor killings are relatively common. In 2000 and 2003 the Jordanian parliament rejected efforts to repeal Article 340 of the national crime code that provides a legal protection for perpetrators of honor killings under certain circumstances ^[2].

A handful of upper-class LGBT Jordanians have fled to western nations, mainly Canada, and reported on the physical abuse they faced by their family ^[3]. This abuse does not appear to be official government policy, although the government seems reluctant to come to the aid of such an unpopular class of people ^[4].

[edit] Press Law

The National Press Law (aka "Press and Publication Law") was amended in 1998, and again in 2004. The initial document probibited the depiction or endorsement of "sexual perversion", which may have included homosexuality ^[5]. The revised edition in 2004 has a few provisions of direct impact on gay rights in Jordan. First of all, the content ban on 'sexual perversion' is replaced with a general requirement that the press "respect the values of....the Arab and Islamic nation." and that that press must also avoid encroaching into people's private lives ^[6].

[edit] Civil Rights

No civil rights legislation exists to protect people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. There are no known government-recognized LGBT community or human rights organizations, and no Jordanian political parties have expressed any support for LGBT legislation.

[edit] AIDS/HIV

It is not clear how many people are living in Jordan with HIV or AIDS, but it is likely to be around 600 - 1,000 people with most of the infections coming from people engaging in unsafe sex ^[7]. The Ministry of Health has a AIDS-HIV prevention and education program, although as is the case in much of the Middle East, the ignorance about the disease is common place ^[8]. As part of its prevention programs, the Foreign Ministry requires blood tests for foreigners who apply for visas longer than the standard 3-month tourist visa.

[edit] See also

• Human rights in Jordan

[edit] References