The Cost of Freedom in Lebanon: A Summer of Crackdown on LGBTQ+ Individuals

05-10-2023

Perla Khaled

Middle East and Human Rights Researcher 

Global Human Rights Defence

Lebanon has witnessed a disturbing surge in systematic attacks against LGBTQ+ individuals throughout the past couple of months, amidst an alarming increase in homophobia and calls for the criminalisation of homosexuality. 

In early July, nine members of the Lebanese parliament introduced a bill to decriminalise same-sex relationships. The proposed law endeavours to repeal Article 534 of the Penal Code, which prohibits “any sexual intercourse contrary to the order of nature” with a penalty of up to one year in prison. [1] Once publicly circulated, the suggested legislation was met with intense backlash and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments, subjecting its signatories to an online harassment campaign. [2] Consequently, MP Adib Abdel Massih abruptly withdrew his support, claiming that he would not compromise his religion and community and had merely signed the bill to spark debate. [3]

During the subsequent period, two separate draft laws were introduced with the explicit aim of criminalising homosexuality, sexual nonconformity, and gender conformity operations. [4] These proposed legislations seek to impose penalties of up to three years in prison and a minimum fine of 5 million Lebanese pounds on individuals found guilty of “promoting homosexuality”. [5] The bills were put forward by the Culture Minister Mohammad Mortada and MP Ashraf Rifi, who justified their actions based on religious, traditional, and constitutional grounds. [6] Should these three proposals advance to committee review, the likelihood of repealing Article 534 appears slim, given the predominant influence of sectarian elites in the Lebanese parliament who have repetitively relied on religious justifications to spread anti-LGBTQ+ views.

On September 30th, over 24 civil society organisations staged a protest against the suppression of personal and political liberties in Lebanon. [7] During the demonstration, assailants on motorcycles pelted the protesters with stones, yelled homophobic insults, and physically assaulted them for nearly an hour. [8] This resulted in two demonstrators being hospitalised for treatment of facial and eye injuries. [9] Witnesses and video footage show the presence of the Internal Security Forces (“the ISF”) at the scene, albeit they took no action to intervene and halt the attacks. [10]

On August 23rd, “Jnoud El-Rab”, a far-right Christian group, attacked an LGBTQ+-friendly bar in Beirut, destroying furniture, physically assaulting people who tried to flee, chanting homophobic slurs, and threatening the owner with more attacks if they continued to “promote homosexuality”. [11] According to the bar’s owner, the ISF were sent to the scene but made no effort to stop the attack or apprehend any of the assailants. Instead, they merely blocked the attackers from entering the bar and assisted guests attempting to leave. [12]

These incidents were not isolated occurrences. Instead, they are part of a larger pattern of crackdown against LGBTQ+ individuals, a political tactic utilised to divert public attention away from a paralysed public sector, presidential vacuum, deteriorating living standards, and accumulating crises. On July 29, a prominent political party leader labelled homosexual relationships as “sexual perversion”, warning that queer people pose a “threat to society”. [13] The same leader had overtly encouraged violence against gay and lesbian individuals, demanding their execution and imploring society to “collectively face this phenomenon [homosexuality], by all means necessary, without any limits.” [14] During the same month, the minister of culture attempted to ban the Barbie movie, claiming that it  “contradicted morals and values” and calling upon the media to refer to homosexuality as “sexual perversion”. [15] Similarly, the minister of education banned a board game used in schools because it included a rainbow. [16]

The ongoing attacks on LGBTQ+ individuals and activists in Lebanon infringe on their fundamental rights, including the freedom of movement, speech, assembly, and association, as well as the freedom from discrimination and the right to legal protection. Under international law, all individuals must be protected against violence and have access to justice. Security forces must be adequately equipped to protect citizens from violence and harm, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

Lebanon’s sectarian political factions have converged on their shared anti-LGBTQ+ stances, setting aside their apparent disparities on a range of political matters. Today, the fight extends beyond merely advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, it represents a fundamental struggle to secure basic freedoms and safeguard the inalienable right to equality.

Sources and further reading:

[1] Al-Monitor, ‘Lebanon: Backlash as MPs introduce bill to decriminalise LGBTQ+ relationships’ (09 September 2023) <https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/09/lebanon-backlash-mps-introduce-bill-decriminalize-lgbtq-relationships> accessed 05 October 2023.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Human Rights Watch, ‘Lebanon: Attack on Freedoms Targets LGBTI People’ (05 September 2023) <https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/09/05/lebanon-attack-freedoms-targets-lgbti-people>  accessed 05 October 2023.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Al-Monitor, ‘Lebanon: Backlash as MPs introduce bill to decriminalise LGBTQ+ relationships’ (09 September 2023) <https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2023/09/lebanon-backlash-mps-introduce-bill-decriminalize-lgbtq-relationships> accessed 05 October 2023.

[7] Amnesty International, ‘Lebanon: Investigate assault on Freedom March protesters’ (03 October 2023) <https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/10/lebanon-investigate-assault-on-freedom-march-protesters/> accessed 30 September 2023.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Amnesty International, ‘Lebanon: Attack on LGBTI bar another ‘ominous sign’ of deteriorating rights situation’ (24 August 2023) <https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/08/lebanon-attack-on-lgbti-bar-another-ominous-sign-of-deteriorating-rights-situation/> accessed 30 September 2023.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Human Rights Watch, ‘Anti-LGBT Rhetoric Undermines Rights in Lebanon’ (01 August 2023) <https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/01/anti-lgbt-rhetoric-undermines-rights-lebanon> accessed 30 September 2023.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Amnesty International, ‘Lebanon: Attack on LGBTI bar another ‘ominous sign’ of deteriorating rights situation’ (24 August 2023) <https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/08/lebanon-attack-on-lgbti-bar-another-ominous-sign-of-deteriorating-rights-situation/> accessed 30 September 2023.

[16] Ibid.