LGBT rights in the State of Palestine: Difference between revisions
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==Criminal law== |
==Criminal law== |
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Male homosexuality is illegal in [[Gaza]], with laws dating to the British Criminal Code Ordinance of 1936. However, there are no anti-gay laws in the [[West Bank]].<ref>http://typo3.lsvd.de/fileadmin/pics/Dokumente/Homosexualitaet/World_legal_wrap_up_survey._November2006.pdf</ref> |
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According to the [[International Lesbian and Gay Association]], Palestinian Authority law prohibits sexual relations between two men.<ref name="Ottoson"> Daniel Ottoson [http://typo3.lsvd.de/fileadmin/pics/Dokumente/Homosexualitaet/World_legal_wrap_up_survey._November2006.pdf] LGBT World Legal Wrap-up Survey, November 2006, International Lesbian and Gay Association.</ref> |
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==Civil rights== |
==Civil rights== |
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Revision as of 13:31, 30 March 2011
LGBT rights in the Palestinian territories | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status | Male illegal (Gaza only) |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No recognition of same-sex couples |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights in the Palestinian territories are oftentimes spoke of in the geopolitical and cultural context of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It remains one of the more taboo human rights issues in the region.
Criminal law
According to the International Lesbian and Gay Association, Palestinian Authority law prohibits sexual relations between two men.[1]
Civil rights
Palestine has no civil right laws that protect LGBT people from discrimination or harassment. The Palestinian political organizations, both secular and fundamentalist, tend to avoid the issue of LGBT-rights. Within the last ten years, two LGBT-organizations have been created by LGBT Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank;
- Al Qaws for Gender and Sexual Diversity in Palestinian Society Template:Http://www.alqaws.org/q/
- Aswat ("Voices") - women[2].
Marriage and family
Same-sex marriages, civil unions or domestic partnerships are not given legal recognition in Palestine. A limited form of common law marriage does have legal status in Israel, although it is difficult for an Israeli to get legal residency status for their same-sex Palestinian or Arab partner.
Some LGBT Palestinians have fled, legally or illegally, mostly to Israel's urban centers, like Tel Aviv, seeking tolerance there. There are some reports of LGBT Arabs and Jews having relationships, thus breaking ethnic, religious and gender-based taboos[3]. LGBT Jews and Arabs are among the least prejudiced people in the region, as seen by the cross-cultural relationships and the fact that gay bars are often a peaceful mixture of Arabs and Jews[4].
Media & cultural references
Several Israeli films and or television programs have dealt with the issue of LGBT Palestinians, oftentimes having relationships with LGBT Israelis. However, none of these films have been directed by LGBT Palestinians.
- "Drifting" (1983) - First Israeli film to deal with LGBT themes features two Palestinian men, among the many people that the hero meets and interacts with while looking for love[5].
- "The Bubble (Ha-Buah)" (2007) - Two gay men, an Israeli and a Palestinian, face prejudice and other challenges while they date each other in Tel Aviv.
- "Zero Degrees of Separation" - Explores the challenges facing same-sex couples in Israel when one of the partners is Palestinian or Arab[4].
AIDS/HIV
A Palestinian National AIDS/HIV Health program was established in 1998. Dr Ezzat Gouda is the current doctor to focus on sexually transmitted diseases for the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Reports claim that very few people have become infected since 1987, and those people who are infected face prejudice and shortages of medicine[6].
In 2003 a report from the Palestinian Health Minister[7] made some references to the infections, under "communicable diseases"[8].
US Tour of Palestinian Queer Activists
In February 2011, members of Al Qaws and Aswat toured several major American cities and gave talks at numerous universities and community centers, including University of Pennsylvania, Harvard's Carr Center, the Audre Lorde Project, CUNY's Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies, and the Arab Resource Center in San Francisco.
The tour provided much needed information on pinkwashing, LGBT Americans role in Israel/Palestine, and the unique circumstances surrounding the Palestinian queer struggle.
See also
References
- ^ Daniel Ottoson [1] LGBT World Legal Wrap-up Survey, November 2006, International Lesbian and Gay Association.
- ^ "A lesbian group's struggle for acceptance in the Middle East". Guardian. UK. 2 October 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ a b http://www.globalgayz.com/g-palestine.html
- ^ [3][dead link]
- ^ "No friends, few drugs and little expertise for AIDS patients". IRIN. 6 December 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
- ^ [4][dead link]
- ^ "Palestinian Authority (West Bank and Gaza Strip)". Hivinsite.ucsf.edu. 19 September 2005. Retrieved 20 January 2011.
External links
- Asylumlaw.org: Sexual Minorities & HIV Status (Palestine) – various information packets used for asylum purposes
