LGBT rights in Syria
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the Syrian Arab Republic have limited legal rights. Article 520 of the penal code of 1949 prohibits "carnal relations against the order of nature", punishable with a prison sentence of up to three years.
LGBT rights in the Syrian Arab Republic | |
|---|---|
Syria | |
| Status | Illegal (Syrian Arab Republic) |
| Penalty | Up to 3 years in prison |
| Gender identity | No |
| Military | No |
| Discrimination protections | None |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No recognition of same-sex unions |
| Adoption | No |
Vigilante executions, beatings, and torture against LGBT people occur frequently in Syria, including attacks by the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Mahmoud Hassino, a gay Syrian activist and journalist who created the online magazine Mawaleh, notes that regardless of the outcome of the civil war, work needs to be done in the area of civil rights on behalf of all Syrians, not just the LGBT community. Miral Bioredda, a secular leader of the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, said "Personally I see homosexuality as a private matter. But Syrian society would say 'no way' if gays rose to claim their rights. Developing a civil society will take time." Nasradeen Ahme, a member of the Free Syrian Army which strives to topple the government of Bashar al-Assad, said "If I was in charge I would enforce tougher laws against homosexuals. If someone said homosexuals should be stoned to death as in Iran and Saudi Arabia, I would not object."