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LGBT Rights in El Béqaa Province

El Béqaa is governed by federal Lebanon law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ⚢
    Ambiguous
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✖ Unrecognized
    Censorship
    Ambiguous
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Legal, but requires surgery
    Gender-Affirming Care
    Unknown
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Adoption
    ✖ Single only
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    Unknown
    Military
    ✖ Don't Ask, Don't Tell
    Donating Blood
    ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    N/A
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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in El Béqaa

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Homosexual activity in El Béqaa is ambiguous.

Current status
Since Mar 1, 1943
Ambiguous
Note: Technically illegal, although enforcement is ambiguous.

Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code prohibits sexual relations that “contradict the laws of nature”.

While the law has been used to penalize homosexuality, it has been successfully challenged in court several times with defendants being acquitted. Several courts have also declined to prosecute.

Currently no national law has been passed to repeal Article 534, decriminalize homosexual activity, or clarify the position of the law.
Details
Sources:
humandignitytrust.org/count…
wionews.com/world/amid-econ…
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_…
hrw.org/news/2018/07/19/leb…
today.lorientlejour.com/art…
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Same-sex marriage in El Béqaa

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Same-sex marriage in El Béqaa is unrecognized.

Current status
Unrecognized
Same-sex marriage is not currently legal in Lebanon. The country does not recognize same-sex marriage or any other form of legal partnership for same-sex couples. There have been some calls for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Lebanon, but the issue remains controversial and there has been no significant movement towards changing the current legal status of same-sex marriage in the country.
Details
Sources:
Conjectural based on status of homosexual activity.
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Censorship of LGBT issues in El Béqaa

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Censorship of LGBT issues in El Béqaa is ambiguous.

Current status
Ambiguous
The Lebanese government has vowed to shut down LGBT organizations, while several films have been banned in the country for LGBT content. Although it is not explicitly illegal to promote homosexuality as many LGBT night clubs and bars exist in the country.
Details
Sources:
google.com/amp/s/www.voanew…
latimes.com/entertainment-a…
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Right to change legal gender in El Béqaa

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Right to change legal gender in El Béqaa is legal, but requires surgery.

Current status
Since Jan 2016
Legal, but requires surgery
As well as requiring gender reassignment surgery, they must also be unmarried and not have children.
Details
Sources:
pinknews.co.uk/2016/01/28/l…
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Gender-affirming care in El Béqaa

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Gender-affirming care in El Béqaa is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in El Béqaa

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in El Béqaa is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
No recognition
Details
Sources:
aljazeera.com/indepth/featu…
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LGBT discrimination in El Béqaa

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LGBT discrimination in El Béqaa is no protections.

Current status
No protections
No protections from discrimination.
Details
Sources:
state.gov/reports/2020-coun…
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LGBT employment discrimination in El Béqaa

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LGBT employment discrimination in El Béqaa is no protections.

Current status
No protections
No protections.
Details
Sources:
state.gov/reports/2020-coun…
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LGBT housing discrimination in El Béqaa

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LGBT housing discrimination in El Béqaa is no protections.

Current status
No protections
No discrimination protections in housing. Full housing discrimination protection pending.
Details
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Same-sex adoption in El Béqaa

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Same-sex adoption in El Béqaa is single only.

Current status
Single only
Both married and single individuals may adopt in Lebanon. However, Lebanon does not recognize same-sex marriage.
Details
Sources:
ilga.org/downloads/ILGA_Wor… (page 328)

travel.state.gov/content/tr…
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Intersex infant surgery in El Béqaa

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Intersex infant surgery in El Béqaa is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Serving openly in military in El Béqaa

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Serving openly in military in El Béqaa is don't ask, don't tell.

Current status
Since Mar 30, 2019
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
In 2019 a military tribunal acquited four personnel who accused of sodomy. The judge ruled that the law does not specify what acts are "contrary to nature". They were however dismissed from their posts.
Details
Sources:
aljazeera.com/news/2019/3/3…
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Blood donations by MSMs in El Béqaa

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Blood donations by MSMs in El Béqaa is banned (indefinite deferral).

Current status
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Sexual contact with another male, even once.
Details
Sources:
moph.gov.lb/userfiles/files…
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Conversion therapy in El Béqaa

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Conversion therapy in El Béqaa is not banned.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2013
Not banned
Homosexuality was declassified as an illness in 2013.
The Lebanese Psychiatric Society, the Lebanese Psychological Association, other professional associations and NGOs have called for banning conversion therapy. To date, it is still legal.
Details
Sources:
pinknews.co.uk/2013/07/12/l…
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Equal age of consent in El Béqaa

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Equal age of consent in El Béqaa is n/a.

Current status
Since 2013
N/A
Homosexuality is not legal in Lebanon as of 2023
Details
Sources:
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_…
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Equality Index ?
17 / 100
Legal Rights
14 / 100
This region's Equality Index is based on legal rights alone. Please submit survey results that show the public opinion of LGBTQ+ issues in El Béqaa to help improve its accuracy.

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El Béqaa LGBT Organizations

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