On Saturday, April 27, Iraq passed a new anti-LGBTQ+ law criminalising same-sex relationships and transgender identities.

The Law on Combating Prostitution and Homosexuality was passed as an amendment to the country’s existing anti-prostitution legislation and reportedly claims to “protect Iraqi society from moral depravity and the calls for homosexuality that have overtaken the world”.

The so-called ‘morality’ law makes same-sex relations punishable by 10 to 15 years in prison, while those found guilty of the “intentional practice of effeminacy” or undergoing or performing gender transition surgeries face between one to three years of incarceration.

The new law also includes a seven-year prison sentence for anyone, including allies, who “promote” same-sex relations.

#We_are_NOT_Baghaa #Justice_for_LGBT #IraQueer #iraqueer #iraq #gay #lgbt #lgbtq #pride #loveislove #homosexulity #iraqgay #iraqigays #مثليين #مثليين_عراقيين #مجتمع_الميم #مجتمع_الميم_عين #trans #transgender #عابرات pic.twitter.com/AAzb1Tflcs

— IraQueer عراق كوير (@IraQueer) April 27, 2024

An earlier version of the bill included a clause calling for the death penalty for same-sex relations, but this clause was omitted in an amendment following opposition from Europe and the US. While the new law is less extreme than originally intended, it will undoubtedly cause harm.

Prior to passing this law, Iraq was one of the few remaining Islamic nations that did not criminalise same-sex relationships. However, all Iraqi media platforms were banned from using the words “homosexual” and “gender” in August 2023, and LGBTQ+ people living in the country already faced attacks and discrimination.

Supporters claim the new law upholds religious values in the predominately Muslim country, but the law has sparked outrage worldwide. Human rights activists have called it an “attack on human rights,” and Human Rights Watch’s Iraq researcher Sarah Sanbar described the new anti-LGBTQ+ law as: “a horrific development”.

Amnesty International’s Iraq Researcher Razaw Salihy told AFP that Iraq has “effectively codified in law the discrimination and violence members of the LGBTI community have been subjected to with absolute impunity for years.”

Homosexuality is now punishable by up to 15 years in prison in Iraq. Instead of passing laws that would protect and help Iraqis, parliament is doing the exact opposite. Horrific and unacceptable. https://t.co/ah8VKWGVSr

— Sarah Sanbar (@SarahSanbar) April 27, 2024

British Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron called the law “dangerous and worrying,” adding: “No one should be targeted for who they are. We encourage the Government of Iraq to uphold human rights and freedoms of all people without distinction.”

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the new law “threatens those most at risk in Iraqi Society,” and may be used to hamper free speech and would decrease the country’s ability to “diversify its economy and attract foreign investment”.