"Egypt Jails Four Men for Gay Acts"
"Egypt Jails Four Men for Gay Acts," is an article that is dedicated to the injustice occurring in Egypt in regards to freedom of sexual expression and individuality. Men were arrested, charged, and convicted for attending sex parties while dressed in women's clothes and wearing make-up. In Egypt, as in many countries around the world, homosexuality is looked down upon greatly and measures are taken to enforce what is considered "normal" by not partaking in or expressing that sexuality or practice. Egyptian law doesn't ban homosexuality outright, however, they have other laws that can be utilized to try and convict homosexuals.
This has also been occurring more frequently in Egypt since their President Mohammed Morsi was ousted in July of 2013. Human Rights advocates are worried because Egypt sets the trends for other Arab regions in that area. They are worried there will be an increase in arrests across that region now because of Egypt. This is also a mark against political freedoms. Without the ability to express individuality and gender identity, people live in a state of oppression and fear. Anyone can be accused and anyone can be convicted in a system that does not cater to those with a different sexual orientation then what is considered "the norm."
It is not only in Egypt that homosexuality faces this discrimination. Russia has fierce discrimination as seen in the news during the Olympics of this year. It runs rampant and there are legislative proposals that discriminate against individuals on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. These were introduced to the Russian Federation. Any protesters are attacked, harmed, or simply disappear. Those who are found or suspected to be gay are brutally attacked, raped, and sometimes killed by those against homosexuality to use as an example. Also, if those attacked survive and try to press charges, they receive ill treatment by the justice system and rarely ever receive justice.
In some countries (5 and parts of 2 others) homosexuality is punishable by death. These countries are Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen and parts of Nigeria and Somalia. 70 other countries simply arrest and imprison their people due to their sexual orientation. There are bans on marriage, unequal ages of consent, laws banning the promotion of homosexual acts, and other acts against human rights. In the map indicated below, countries in red punish homosexuals with the death penalty, dark orange, imprisonment, light orange laws against gay expression, and beige different age of consent. Very light gray homosexual acts are legal, light grey there are laws against discrimination, grey there is a marriage substitute, and dark grey marriage. As you can see, North America and parts of South America allow marriage, Australia has a substitute, and other parts of the world homosexual acts are legal.
Also of note is that in the last 200 years countries have been either decriminalizing same-sex relationships or criminalizing them. Decriminalization was becoming popular, however, recently, punitive laws have strengthened existing laws against homosexuality. India reinstated a 153 year old law that criminalizes gay sex in 2013. Also, the United States who always seems to be at the forefront of human rights, did not decriminalize homosexuality until 2003. At the beginning of 1789, homosexuality was illegal in 126 countries.
| Criminalized | Date | Decriminalized |
| 126 countries | ||
| 1791 | France | |
| 1793 | Monaco | |
| 1795 | Belgium | |
| Luxembourg | ||
| 1811 | Netherlands | |
| Singapore | 1819 | |
| 1822 | Dominican Republic | |
| 1831 | Brazil | |
| Russian Empire | 1832 | |
| 1837 | Peru | |
| Hong Kong | 1841 | |
| 1858 | Turkey | |
| India | 1860 | |
| Bangladesh | ||
| Bhutan | ||
| Pakistan | ||
| Myanmar | ||
| Sri Lanka | ||
| Ghana | 1860s | |
| Seyshelles | ||
| Sierra Lione | 1861 | |
| Jamaica | 1864 | |
| San Marino | 1865 | |
| Zanzibar | 1867 | |
| 1869 | Suriname | |
| German Empire | 1871 | |
| 1872 | Mexico | |
| Fiji | 1874 | |
| Kiribati | 1880s | |
| Maldives | ||
| Marshall Islands | ||
| Soloman Islands | ||
| Western Samao | ||
| Lesotho | ||
| Swaziland | ||
| 1880 | Paraguay | |
| Togo | 1884 | |
| Botswana | 1885 | |
| Portugal | 1886 | |
| 1887 | Argentina | |
| Belize | 1888 | |
| Papua New Guinea | ||
| Somalia | ||
| Gambia | ||
| 1890 | Italy | |
| Malawi | 1891 | |
| Zimbabwe | ||
| Uganda | 1894 | |
| 1896 | Taiwan | |
| Kenya | 1897 | |
| Burundi | 1899 | Honduras |
| Sudan | ||
| Nauru | ||
| Nigeria | 1901 | |
| Uganda | 1902 | |
| Brunei | 1906 | |
| Vanuatu | ||
| Zambia | 1911 | |
| 1917 | USSR | |
| Namibia | 1920 | |
| Tanzania | ||
| 1932 | Poland | |
| 1933 | Denmark | |
| USSR | 1934 | Uruguay |
| 1940 | Iceland | |
| 1942 | Switzerland | |
| 1944 | Sweden | |
| 1951 | Greece | |
| Jordan | ||
| West Bank | ||
| 1957 | Thailand | |
| 1961 | Mongolia | |
| 1962 | Czechoslavakia | |
| Hungary | ||
| Algeria | 1966 | |
| 1968 | East Germany | |
| Bulgaria | ||
| 1969 | Canada | |
| West Germany | ||
| 1971 | Finland | |
| Austria | ||
| Costa Rica | ||
| Cameroon | 1972 | Norway |
| 1973 | Malta | |
| 1975 | Timor Leste | |
| 1976 | Bahrain | |
| 1977 | Croatia | |
| Montenegro | ||
| Slovenia | ||
| 1979 | Cuba | |
| Spain | ||
| 1981 | Colombia | |
| 1982 | UK | |
| 1983 | Portugal | |
| 1986 | New Zealand | |
| Haiti | ||
| 1988 | Israel | |
| 1989 | Liechtenstein | |
| 1990 | Andorra | |
| 1991 | Bahamas | |
| Ukraine | ||
| Hong Kong | ||
| Nicaragua | 1992 | Latvia |
| Estonia | ||
| 1993 | Australia | |
| Russia | ||
| Ireland | ||
| Lithuania | ||
| Guinea Bissau | ||
| 1994 | Belarus | |
| Serbia | ||
| 1995 | Djibouti | |
| Moldova | ||
| Albania | ||
| 1996 | Macedonia | |
| Romania | ||
| 1997 | China | |
| Ecuador | ||
| 1998 | Cyprus | |
| Kazakhstan | ||
| Kyrgyzstan | ||
| South Africa | ||
| Tajikistan | ||
| 1999 | Chile | |
| 2000 | Azerbaijan | |
| Georgia | ||
| 2001 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
| 2003 | United States | |
| Armenia | ||
| 2004 | Cape Verde | |
| 2005 | Marshall Islands | |
| 2007 | Vanuatu | |
| 2008 | Nepal | |
| Nicaragua | ||
| Panama | ||
| Burundi | 2009 | India |
| 2010 | Fiji | |
| India | 2013 |
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