Being gay in dubai
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Last updated: 17 December 2024
Types of criminalisation
- Criminalises LGBT people
- Criminalises sexual activity between males
- Criminalises sexual activity between females
- Criminalises the gender expression of gender non-conforming people
- Imposes the death penalty
Summary
Same-sex sexual outing is prohibited under the Criminal Codes of the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, which criminalises ‘unnatural sex with another person’, and Dubai, which criminalises acts of ‘sodomy’. The Federal Penal Code criminalises ‘voluntary debasement’, but it is not clear what acts this covers. These provisions tote a maximum penalty of fourteen years’ imprisonment. Both men and women are criminalised under the law. Same-sex sexual activity may also be penalised under Sharia law, under which the death penalty is feasible, though there is no evidence that this has been used against LGBT people.
In addition to potentially being captured by laws that criminalise same-sex action, trans people may also face prosecution under the Federal Penal Code 1987, which crimina
How can a meaning of belonging be forged in a setting where one’s existence is forbidden? That is the question that LSE’s Dr Centner and his co-author Harvard’s Manoel Pereira Neto explore in their groundbreaking research into Dubai’s expatriate same-sex attracted men’s nightlife.
But it was not an easy topic to research. Dr Centner explains: “It's an illegal, or criminalised, identity and place of behaviours and practices, so in a very general sense, it's a taboo. And taboo subjects are very often under-researched, sometimes because people own a hard moment gaining access, gaining that trust, but also because, even if people earn that access, there could be significant repercussions for themselves as researchers, or for the people who are the research participants.
“As two queer researchers, we were able to enter the worlds of relatively privileged Western gay expatriates. Secrecy is often the norm, but the field was familiar to us, through previous visits and research projects.”
These were indeed ‘parties’ ...[but] not bars identified as homosexual. Not a unattached venue’s webpage uses the word ‘gay’ or related euphemisms, nor do they hint at targeting
LGBTQ+ Visitor Considerations
This blog send provides some insights and directions for LGBTQ+ visitors by Homosexual people living in Abu Dhabi.
Author and Audience
The primary author of this document is a cisgender gay Arab-American man. He has lived in the UAE with his cisgender gay European-American loved one for almost a decade. They both have academic jobs, and love living in the UAE.
The author’s advice and observations are based on his experience of living in the UAE, and his awareness of issues faced by other members of the LGBTQ+ community there. The intended audience of this document are LGBTQ+ conference attendees of EMNLP 2022.
This document is not intended to provide official legal advice.
Many thanks to all the society members (LGBTQ+ and allies) who helped with reviewing and adjusting different versions of this document.
The Public and The Private
Emirati customs values a separation between widespread and private lives in a way that’s different from some Western nations. In Abu Dhabi, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, public displays of affection are generally frowned upon, especially prolonged intimate actions.There is no dress code but general
Which countries impose the death penalty on gay people?
Around the world, queer people continue to face discrimination, violence, harassment and social stigma. While social movements have marked progress towards acceptance in many countries, in others homosexuality continues to be outlawed and penalised, sometimes with death.
According to Statistica Research Department, as of 2024, homosexuality is criminalised in 64 countries globally, with most of these nations situated in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In 12 of these countries, the death penalty is either enforced or remains a possibility for confidential, consensual same-sex sexual activity.
In many cases, the laws only apply to sexual relations between two men, but 38 countries own amendments that include those between women in their definitions.
These penalisations represent abuses of human rights, especially the rights to freedom of expression, the right to develop one's own traits and the right to life.
Which countries enforce the death penalty for homosexuality?
Saudi Arabia
The Wahabbi interpretation of Sharia law in Saudi Arabia maintains that acts of homosexuality should be disciplined in the sa