LGBTQ Rights

Kuwait Strikes Down Anti-Trans Law!

On Wednesday, February 16, the constitutional court of Kuwait overturned Article 198 of the country's penal code. Introduced in December 2007, Article 198 of the Kuwaiti Penal Code criminalizes "imitating the appearance of a member of the opposite sex."

The law effectively criminalizes transgender, creating a hostile environment for transgender individuals in Kuwait.

New Zealand Bans Conversion Therapy!

New Zealand's parliament passed a bill that will ban conversion therapy on Tuesday, February 15. Introduced in August 2021, the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill passed its third reading with a massive offset of 112 to 8.

When enacted, the bill will "prohibit conversion practices that seek to change or suppress a person's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression."

Iran Executes Two Men on 'Sodomy' Charges

On January 30, Iran executed two men after finding them guilty of charges related to homosexuality. An Iran Human Rights Watch tweet identified the victims as Mehrdad Karimpour and Farid Mohammadi.

The two were charged with "sodomy by force," a term used as legal gymnastics by the Islamic Republic of Iran to detain and eventually murder homosexuals. Before the execution, both Karimpour and Mohammadi spent six years in Mehrdad Prison.

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