- Homosexuality
- ⚢✖ Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Unrecognized
- Censorship
- ✖ Imprisonment as punishment
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Illegal
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✖ Banned
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Housing Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Adoption
- ✖ Illegal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- Unknown
- Military
- ✖ Illegal
- Donating Blood
- ✖ Banned (1-year deferral)
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- N/A
💬 Join Equaldex's LGBTQ+ Discord to discuss LGBT rights and chat!
Public Opinion
According to recent survey data, there appears to be strong opposition to LGBTQ+ rights in Iraq.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
History
Same-sex marriage in Iraq is unrecognized.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2003
Unrecognized
Same-sex relationships are not recognized in Iraq.
Censorship of LGBT Issues in Iraq is imprisonment as punishment.
Current status
Imprisonment as punishment
Not known in Iraqi Kurdistan but LGBT people could be censored in Iraq under extensive public morality law namely , paragraph 215 , 220, 376, 401,402,403,404 and 408 of the Iraqi Penal code.
In August 2023, Iraq banned all media from using term "homosexuality", saying they must use "sexual deviance." The term "gender" was also banned.
In August 2023, Iraq banned all media from using term "homosexuality", saying they must use "sexual deviance." The term "gender" was also banned.
Right to change legal gender in Iraq is illegal.
Current status
Since Apr 27, 2024
Illegal
Article 3 of the new bill Iraq’s Parliament passed April 27th, prohibits altering a person's biological sex based on psychological desires, and Article 6 imposes penalties of imprisonment for those attempting or performing such changes.
Gender-Affirming Care in Iraq is banned.
Current status
Since Apr 27, 2024
Banned
On April 27th, 2024, the Iraqi Parliament passed the amendment to the Law Against Prostitution and Sexual Deviance. Article 2 of the bill criminalizes "acts of effeminacy," defined as imitating women through actions such as wearing women’s cosmetics or clothes in public, taking hormones to display feminine traits, or any other behavior deemed effeminate by medical and social standards. Offenders could face imprisonment ranging from one to three years or fines between five and ten million dinars. Additionally, Article 3 prohibits altering a person's biological sex based on psychological desires, with Article 6 imposing penalties of imprisonment for those attempting or performing such changes, except in cases of necessary surgical interventions for congenital anomalies.
Legal
In 2008, Iraq adopted the ICD-10 classification, which contains codes for diagnosing transsexualism in adulthood and childhood, which authorize the initiation of medical transition.
Until 2008
Banned
Medical transition is not possible
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Iraq is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
No recognition in Iraq
LGBT discrimination in Iraq is no protections.
Current status
No protections
According to the United States' Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, "[Iraq] law prohibits discrimination based on race, disability, or social status, but it does not address the problem of sexual orientation or gender identity. Societal discrimination in employment, occupation, and housing based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and unconventional appearance was common."
LGBT employment discrimination in Iraq is no protections.
Current status
No protections
There are no employment discrimination protection for LGBT people in Iraq.
According to the United States' Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, "[Iraq] law prohibits discrimination based on race, disability, or social status, but it does not address the problem of sexual orientation or gender identity. Societal discrimination in employment, occupation, and housing based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and unconventional appearance was common."
According to the United States' Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, "[Iraq] law prohibits discrimination based on race, disability, or social status, but it does not address the problem of sexual orientation or gender identity. Societal discrimination in employment, occupation, and housing based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and unconventional appearance was common."
LGBT housing discrimination in Iraq is no protections.
Current status
No protections
There are no housing discrimination protection for LGBT people in Iraq.
According to the United States' Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, "[Iraq] law prohibits discrimination based on race, disability, or social status, but it does not address the problem of sexual orientation or gender identity. Societal discrimination in employment, occupation, and housing based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and unconventional appearance was common."
According to the United States' Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, "[Iraq] law prohibits discrimination based on race, disability, or social status, but it does not address the problem of sexual orientation or gender identity. Societal discrimination in employment, occupation, and housing based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and unconventional appearance was common."
Same-sex adoption in Iraq is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
Adoption by any person goes against Iraqi law. Guardianship is possible by extended family and close friends of the same religion as the child.
Blood donations by MSMs in Iraq is banned (1-year deferral).
Current status
Banned (1-year deferral)
Under recent changes.
Conversion therapy in Iraq is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
No protections
Equal age of consent in Iraq is n/a.
Current status
Since Apr 27, 2024
N/A
On April 27th, 2024, Iraq's parliament passed a law that criminalizes same-sex relationships. So, the age of consent for homosexual sex is N/A.
Until Apr 27, 2024
Ambiguous
While the age of consent for non-married couples in Iraq is 18, the laws regarding homosexuality are ambiguous so the age of consent status is also ambiguous.
LGBT Rights by Province
View the LGBT laws in each individual province of Iraq.