Homosexuality in Tunisia

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Tunisia

In Tunisia, homosexuality is taboo and is threatened with imprisonment.

history

From the end of the 18th century until the beginning of the 20th century, homosexual men, despite stigmatization, had socially recognized roles in Tunisian society. As in the rest of the Arab-Islamic world at that time, they were seen as intermediaries between the masculine and feminine world. For example, they had a special role in the lives of married couples. For example, homosexual men were allowed to go into women's private rooms, just as neuters were allowed. Straight men were not allowed to do this, probably for fear of cuckoo children.

After the Tunisian revolution , the web magazine Gayday was launched in March 2011. A radio station with this name was also launched. However, after the Islamic Ennahdha won the Constituent Assembly election on October 23, 2011 , Justice Minister Samir Dilou announced that he was against the publication of homosexual publications on the grounds that homosexuality is a medical disorder that needs to be eradicated . His statements were criticized by Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International . Amnesty International announced: "Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity could lead to violence and human rights abuses."

Criminal law

Article 230 of the 1913 Criminal Code (largely revised in 1964) threatens same-sex sexuality with up to three years in prison. It is very rare that the penalty is actually imposed. However, homosexuals in Tunisia are exposed to great discrimination, which can escalate to physical violence. In June 2018, a commission set up by Tunisian President Béji Caïd Essebsi called for comprehensive social reforms such as the decriminalization of sexual acts among men and women.

Social situation

A homosexual community is only just beginning to form due to the legislation in Tunisia. In the capital Tunis, there is a cruising location for same-sex sexual contacts on Avenue Bourguiba , among other places . In relation to other Islamic states such as Egypt or Libya, there is less repression and there is comparatively seldom prosecution of homosexual people. Nevertheless, according to reports from the travel industry, it can happen that gay tourists are blackmailed after having sex, although hustlers are most likely to fear persecution. In addition, there is no anti-discrimination legislation to protect gays and lesbians, and neither same-sex marriage nor any form of registered partnership is recognized by the state.

Changes in the law to protect gays and lesbians are not to be expected according to the statements of the Human Rights Minister. The editor-in-chief of Gayday magazine spoke of a worsening of the situation, since homosexuality is no longer a taboo subject and homophobic expressions are now increasing.

Civil society

Association Shams became the first LGBT civil rights organization to be registered in the Tunisian register of associations in May 2015. The association is committed to the decriminalization of homosexuality in Tunisia and the official establishment of the association sparked a public controversy.

The Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival has been taking place in Tunis since 2018 and shows queer films from the Global South.

Media representation of the LGBT community

There are several Tunisian films that address the homosexual or bisexual scene: L'Homme de cendres (Man of Ashes) by Nouri Bouzid (1986); Bedwin Hacker by Nadia El Fani (2002); Fleur d'oubli (Forgotten Flower) by Salma Baccar (2005); Le Fil (The Thread) by Mehdi Ben Attia (2008) and Histoires tunisiennes (Tunisian Stories) by Nada Mazni Hafaiedh (2012).

The social discourse on these films was restrained. "Le Fil" was not allowed to be shown in cinemas. The film "Tunisian Stories" received a lot of criticism. The film was about a young woman who discovered her homosexuality. Male homosexuality is more likely to be hidden, while female homosexuality and bisexuality are more likely to be shown.

Mawjoudin (Queer Film Festival)

The queer film festival Mawjoudin took place for the first time in January 2018 in Tunis. The aim was to defend the rights of the LGBT community through the public showing of the films. Now the festival is to be organized annually by the Mawjoudin organization. The festival took place from March 21st to 25th in 2019.

The festival is supported by the Hirschfeld Eddy Foundation, as the foundation works to decriminalize homosexuality on the African continent. "Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival" is the first festival that deals with questions of gender identity and non-normative sexual orientation in the MENA region (Arab world). "

This festival is sponsored by the Mawjoudin We Exist association, which was founded in 2014 and “combats discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation”. She defends the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Crémeaux, Anne; "Homosexualités en Afrique"; in Africultures; Nyons, 2013, ISBN 978-2-336-29943-3
  2. ↑ a b Laurent de Saint Périer: Gayday et le triste sire. March 11, 2012, accessed March 26, 2019 (French). .
  3. ↑ Welt.de: Presidential Commission proposes social reforms in Tunisia , accessed on June 22, 2018.
  4. ↑ Tunisia Sex Guide on gayegypt.com
  5. ^ Dossier of the Tunisian newspaper Réalités
  6. ↑ Human Rights Watch: In a Time of Torture: The Assault on Justice In Egypt's Crackdown on Homosexual Conduct , March 2004, ISBN 1-56432-296-3
  7. ↑ queer travel: To be enjoyed with caution. ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.queer-travel.net
  8. ↑ Tunisia: No Freedom of Speech for Gays? In: Queer.de. February 6, 2012, accessed February 8, 2012 .