LGBTQ rights in Yemen
LGBTQ rights in Yemen | |
|---|---|
Current (November 2021) political and military control in ongoing Yemeni Civil War (2014–present) Controlled by the Government of Yemen (under the Presidential Leadership Council since April 2022) and allies
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| Legal status | Illegal: Islamic Sharia Law is applied (Republic of Yemen) |
| Penalty | Lashes, prison and up to execution (Republic of Yemen) States under Houthi Movement: Capital punishment |
| Gender identity | No |
| Military | No |
| Discrimination protections | None |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No recognition of same-sex unions |
| Adoption | No |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Yemen face social and legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity is punishable by death; this law is applied to both men and women. Members of the LGBTQ community additionally face stigmatization and homophobic violence among the broader population.
A provincial court in Yemen sentenced several people to death for engaging in homosexual acts in 2024. In Yemen, homosexuality is criminalized under Article 264 of the Penal Code, with punishments ranging from 100 lashes to up to 7 years in prison for men and up to 3 years for women, while Sharia law imposes the death penalty by stoning for married men and severe penalties for others. The Yemeni Constitution, rooted in Sharia law, ensures that LGBTQ rights are entirely unrecognized, including the absence of protections against discrimination or recognition of same-sex unions. Under leaders such as former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and subsequent administrations, these laws have remained strictly enforced. Public advocacy for LGBTQ rights is prohibited, with individuals risking imprisonment, corporal punishment, or death for any related activities, reflecting the country's deeply conservative and oppressive stance on LGBTQ issues.