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Country Overview

Kuwait

At a glance

Same-sex Relations for Men Legal Throughout the Country?

No

Same-sex Relations for Women Legal Throughout the Country?

Yes

Legal Gender Recognition Possible?

No

LGBTI Orgs Able to Register?

No

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Kuwait criminalizes same-sex sexual acts between men with a maximum punishment of seven years imprisonment. There have been reports of authorities arresting and deporting people accused of being homosexual, and government officials have publicly denigrated the LGBTIQ community. According to reports, police officers have subjected trans women to significant humiliation and physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. Yet, in a landmark move in 2022, Kuwait repealed an article of its Penal Code against “imitating the opposite sex,” which had been used to target and harass transgender and gender-nonconforming people. LGBTIQ activism does exist in Kuwait, but the current legal framework would likely not allow for LGBTIQ organizations to be registered. 

 

Global Impact

Sub-Saharan Africa

Outright supports LGBTIQ organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa and works with mainstream human rights organizations to respect human rights and influence positive changes in laws, policies, attitudes and beliefs that cause discrimination against LGBTIQ people.

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United Nations

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Asia

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In the Middle East and North Africa, we partner with local groups in various countries as part of our international solidarity work. We also work with our local partners on different topics through capacity building, advocacy, research and holistic security.



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Europe and Central Asia

Outright International partners with activists to fight for an end to human rights violations based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in Europe and Central Asia, where most of our work involves emergency responses to harassment, discrimination, violence, and most recently, Russia’s brutal and expanded invasion of Ukraine.

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Americas

Our work in the Americas continues to build on the fundamental and positive transformation of human rights protections in recent years. We partner with groups in the Caribbean that focus on ending gender-based violence and eradicating discrimination against trans people.

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Pacific

Our work in the Pacific aims to increase the visibility of activists, respond to human rights emergencies, and actively bridge local, regional, and international activism to achieve equality and justice.

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Human Rights Research

Since 1990, we have partnered with activists from all over the world to produce hundreds of groundbreaking reports.

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