Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Tunisia face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Tunisia, and there is only one official organised LGBT rights group, named "Association Shams".
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History
Dictatorship of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
In 2008, the Government of Tunisia was one of the co-sponsors opposing statement the 2008 General Assembly resolution and declaration calling for the decriminalization of same-sex sexual intercourse worldwide.
During the dictatorship of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the regime pervasively filtered several gay and lesbian information or dating pages.
Post-dictatorship of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
In March 2011, Tunisia's first online magazine for the country's LGBT community, Gayday Magazine, was launched. In 2014, Shams Association was formed as Tunisia's first LGBT rights organization. On 18 May 2015, Shams received official government recognition as an organization. On 10 December 2015, which is International Human Rights Day, Shams group joined with local activist groups to protest the ongoing discrimination against Tunisia's LGBT community.
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Legality of same-sex sexual activity
Article 230 of the Penal Code of 1913 (largely modified in 1964) decrees imprisonment of up to three years for private acts of sodomy between consenting adults.
Cross-dressing is not expressly illegal, although transgender people, along with gay people, are oftentimes accused of violating Article 226 of the national penal code which outlaws "outrages against public decency."
Several civil organizations, such as the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women, have been pushing for the repeal of Article 230.
In June 2012, Human Rights Minister Samir Dilou rejected the recommendation of the United Nations Human Rights Committee for Tunisia to decriminalize same-sex sexual acts, stating that the concept of "sexual orientation is specific to the West" and is overridden by Tunisian law, which "clearly describes Tunisia as an Arab Muslim country". In response, Amanullah De Sondy, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Miami said, "It appears that the minister is stating that Article 230 is about upholding Islam yet it is a French Colonial law that was imposed on Tunisia in 1913 and has nothing to do with Islam or Tunisian Arab traditions."
In 2014, a campaign was launched on Facebook, to repeal the criminal laws used against LGBT people in Tunisia. A representative of this campaign expressed an interest to create a registered group in Tunisia to campaign for these legal reforms. Several NGOs in Tunisia, including the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women, have asked the Government to repeal the criminal law against homosexuality.
On 7 December 2016, two Tunisian men were arrested on suspicion of homosexual activity in Sousse, "anally probed" and forced to sign confessions of having committed "sodomy." On 11 March 2017, while on bail, they were given eight-month prison sentences.
Forced anal testing
The Tunisian Government has in the past used forced anal testings to determine if individuals had committed sodomy. The practice was controversial, and was criticised by many human rights groups and doctors. If the individual, accused of homosexuality, refused to be "anally probed", the authorities would view this refusal as evidence of guilt. In June 2017, a 16-year-old teen was sentenced to 4 months in jail for homosexuality and refusing to be "anally probed".
In September 2017, Minister Mehdi Ben Ghardia agreed to stop forced anal tests as proof for homosexuality. Ben Gharbia told Agence France-Presse that authorities could still perform anal tests on men suspected of being gay, but "these exams can no longer be imposed by force, physical or moral, or without the consent of the person concerned." Additionally, he said that Tunisia was "committed to protecting the sexual minority from any form of stigmatization, discrimination and violence," adding that "civil society must first be prepared" for such change in a Muslim country.
Recognition of same-sex relationships
Marriage is defined as a union between a man and a woman in Tunisia. Same-sex marriage, or the more limited civil unions, are not legally recognized in Tunisia.
Living conditions
A Facebook page campaigning for LGBT rights in Tunisia also has several thousand "likes".
During a television interview in February 2012, Minister for Human Rights Samir Dilou stated that "freedom of speech has its limits," homosexuality is "a perversion," and gay people needed to be "treated medically". His comments were condemned by some in Tunisian society who posted pro-LGBT pictures on social networking sites.
In May 2016, several LGBTI associations organized a small, discreet gay pride reception in Tunis. Associations also organized events and public demonstrations to mark the International Day against Homophobia in May.
Media
In March 2011, Tunisia's first online magazine for the country's LGBT community, Gayday Magazine, was launched. Running stories and interviews related to the country's community, the publications covers consisted on English and French titles. In 2012, Gayday was hacked, as homophobic hackers took over the publication's email, Twitter and Facebook accounts. These attacks took place at the height of an international campaign of which Gayday Magazine is a part, to raise awareness about the massacre of emo and gay people in Iraq.
Human Rights Minister Samir Dilou with the encouragement of popular TV celebrity host Samir Wafi have called for the magazine to be denied the right of free speech and expression and stating that being LGBT is a sickness not a human right. He was asked about Gayday magazine on a talk show, the Tunisian Minister for Human Rights, who is a member of the Islamic Ennahdha Party, said even freedom of expression has limits. "Of course these people are also citizens, but there is a red line and that line is our morals, our history and our culture," he said, adding - to the presenter's consternation - that that sick people needed to be treated. "That was a politically-correct type of insult," says Houssem, with a wry smile. After all, he explains, the Minister did not explicitly refer to homosexuals as sick.
Fadi Krouj is the editor-in-chief and creator of Gayday Magazine, an e-magazine that's been addressing LGBT issues with a focus on the Maghreb region. Commenting on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia in 2012, Fadi said: "The Tunisian LGBT community in Tunisia has started to mobilize and discretely form its support-base. Reactions to the thus far mainly online activism were met with radical, homophobic statements from the current Minister of Human Rights, Samir Dilou. He described homosexuality as a mental illness that requires treatment and isolation, and described social values and traditions as red lines not to be crossed."
As of 2017, the site is still running.
Human rights
The U.S. Department of State's 2011 human rights report found that:
Consensual same-sex sexual activity remained illegal [in 2011] under the penal code, which criminalizes it with sentences of up to three years in prison. There was anecdotal evidence that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals faced discrimination, including allegations that police officers sometimes harassed openly gay persons and accused them of being the source of HIV/AIDS. There were no known reports of persons arrested for consensual same-sex sexual activity; however, a local LGBT activist reported an uptick during the year in harassment of and assaults by unknown individuals on persons perceived to be LGBT, including multiple incidents in which individuals were followed to their homes and assaulted by people the victims described as Salafists. Human rights activists also alleged that government forces continued to assault individuals perceived as LGBT.
Male prostitution
Male prostitution occurs in some Tunisian tourist resorts. In 2013, Ronny De Smet, a Belgian tourist, was sentenced to three years in prison for attempted homosexual seduction in what he believes was a sting operation by local police to extort money. De Smet was released after three months.
Public opinion
Public opinion regarding LGBT right is complex. According to a 2014 poll by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, 18% of Tunisian people were in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, with 62% were opposed to the legalization.
Summary table
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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