From now on, “homosexuality” and “gender” are among the forbidden words in Iraq. They cannot be used in mass media and social networks. Instead, it is proposed to indicate homosexuality as a disease or non-conformity to the standard.
Swear words
This was announced by the Communications and Media Commission of Iraq. Now, instead of the word “homosexuality”, the phrase “sexual deviation” should be used. The punishment has not yet been finalized, but it is expected to be fine.
Specialists point out that even without mentioning moral and ethical aspects, such an initiative is inconvenient because there are many sexual deviations. This terminology is broad and imprecise. Such conditions are always accompanied by a feeling of personal discomfort.
Burn Korans or LGBT flags
There is no direct ban on sex between representatives of the same sex. But at the same time, the articles in the criminal code, which relate to moral standards, are formulated in such a way that they are actively used in relation to LGBT representatives.
Recently, criticism of LGBT people in Iraq has intensified. This is related to the Koran-burning episodes in Sweden and Denmark, which took place this year and caused a resonance in the East. Some radical Shiite groups seized the opportunity and organized protests during which they burnt traditional LGBT rainbow flags.
This attitude has been growing since 2022 when the famous Muslim leader al-Sadr held a large-scale collection of signatures to fight against gays and lesbians. He and his supporters call such people “vicious” and demand that they be forcibly treated with the use of psychiatric and medical techniques.
