Iraqi Parliament Passes Law Criminalizing Same-Sex Relationships: Impact and Controversies

The majority of Iraqis supported this law, stating that it would help preserve religious values in the country. The aim of the law is to preserve “the entity of Iraqi society from moral decay and calls for sexual deviation that have invaded the world.”

A hashtag titled “The West Supports Deviance” trended on platform X in Iraq, following objections from the US Embassy and Western countries to the Iraqi parliament’s vote on the law combating deviance and prostitution.

More than 60 countries criminalize same-sex relationships, while same-sex practices are legal in over 130 countries, according to “Our World in Data.”

Details of the law criminalizing homosexuality and deviance in Iraq

Initially, the draft law included the death penalty for same-sex relationships, but amendments were made to it before its approval after strong opposition from the United States and European countries.

Iraq has not explicitly criminalized homosexuality until now, but vague provisions in the Penal Code have been used to target sexual deviants.

Earlier this month, the Iraqi parliament postponed the vote on a bill that includes imposing the death penalty or life imprisonment for practicing deviance and homosexuality, a move Western diplomats claim would harm Iraq’s political and economic ties.

The text, which amends the Prostitution Prevention Law of 1988, was approved during a session attended by 170 deputies out of 329, according to a statement issued by the parliament’s media department.

The new legislation not only targets practitioners of homosexuality but also prohibits “the activities of any organization promoting prostitution and homosexuality in Iraq,” punishable by seven years in prison for “promoting” homosexual relations.

The law also imposes prison sentences on anyone promoting homosexuality or prostitution, doctors performing gender reassignment surgery, men who “resemble” women, or those engaged in “wife-swapping.”

In response, Amnesty International criticized the “violation of basic human rights,” claiming that the amendments adopted on Saturday “pose a danger to Iraqis who are already subjected to daily harassment” in a conservative country where sexual minorities lead hidden lives.

The US State Department also criticized Iraq after passing a law criminalizing same-sex relationships. Its spokesperson said: “We are deeply concerned about the amendment to the law combating prostitution and homosexuality in Iraq. This amendment threatens the most vulnerable groups in Iraqi society and undermines Iraq’s ability to diversify its economy and attract foreign investment,” in a serious indication of American support for vice and debauchery.

In August last year, Iraq’s Media and Communications Commission ordered all media outlets and social media companies operating in the country not to use the term “homosexuality” and to use the term “sexual deviance” instead, according to a government spokesperson and a document issued by the commission.

The document stated that the commission banned the use of the term “gender.” It also prohibited all mobile phone and internet service companies licensed by it from using these terms in any applications on mobile phones.