Tunisia’s online community, despite the crackdown, has taken up the cause of raising awareness about the gay community. “Beginning in , and continuing to this day, Tunisia’s attitude toward gay rights began to improve slightly as a result of the growing online initiatives calling for change,” Aymen explained. Our experts complement our research work and bolster our advocacy efforts. Dario Sabaghi. Dario Sabaghi is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in The Independent, Middle East Eye, Deutsche Welle and other outlets.
A series of cultural projects aim to overhaul the Tunisian conversation on LGBT issues [Getty] Post-revolutionary Tunisia continues to push the debate about gay rights into the public sphere, braving a repressive law, gender-based discrimination, and homophobic violence. Around forty percent of Tunisia is composed of the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil and a km coastline. Both played a prominent role in ancient times, first with the famous Phoenician city of Carthage, then as the Africa Province which became known as the bread basket of the Roman Empire, and then as the Maghreb region of various medieval Islamic states. Tunisia ranks high among Arab and African nations in reports released by The World Economic Forum.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Tunisia face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity are illegal in the country. According to the United States Department of State 's report on human rights in Tunisia, "authorities occasionally use [the anti-sodomy law] to detain and question persons about. In its response, the government stated that only three individuals have been prosecuted under article since , and that these persons were not subjected to the rectal examination. However, official data obtained by Damj, the Tunisian Association for Justice and Equality, from the Justice Ministry in contradict this version which Tunisia presented to the Human Rights Council. The Ministry recognizes that the number of persons imprisoned on the basis of article of the Criminal Code reached in
Interested in LGBT rights in Tunisia? Whether you're planning a trip or simply curious, our comprehensive guide covers laws, acceptance, and more. However, its Penal Code continues to uphold Article which dates back to under French colonization and criminalizes same-sex sexual activity. One year later, the same community is facing unprecedented crackdowns. As a worker in civil society, she targets Article and all articles that prohibit or limit sexual freedom and gender expression.