Hawalli is governed by federal Kuwait law. Learn more
- Homosexuality
- ⚢✖ Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Banned
- Censorship
- ✖ State-enforced
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Illegal
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✔ Legal
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Housing Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Adoption
- N/A
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- Unknown
- Military
- ✖ Don't Ask, Don't Tell
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- N/A
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Public Opinion
Hawalli is missing public opinion data.
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Suggest Public Opinion DataHistory
Homosexual activity in Hawalli is illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
Current status
Since Jan 1, 1960
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
Article 193 of Kuwait’s Penal Code explicitly prohibits male homosexual sex for up to seven years in prison. For lesbians, there is no specific law criminalizing it, however it is still technically illegal. This is because in Kuwait you are not able to consent to sex until you’re married. So, since gay marriage is not legal in Kuwait and you can’t give consent until your married, lesbian sex is illegal.
Same-sex marriage in Hawalli is banned.
Current status
Since Jun 2, 1960
Banned
Homosexuality is currently illegal, and marriage is legally defined as an union between a man and a woman.
Censorship of LGBT issues in Hawalli is state-enforced.
Current status
Since Feb 16, 2022
State-enforced
The Kuwaiti Constitutional Court has overturned Article 198 of the Penal Code, which criminalized “imitation of the opposite sex”, because it violates Article 30 of the constitution that guarantees personal freedom.
However, there's still censorship of LGBT issues under Article 21 of the Press and Publications Law (Law No. 3) (2006), which prohibits the publication of anything that would insult public morals.
This law was extended to include online publications under the Law Regulating Electronic Media (Law No. 8) (2016).
In August 2023, Kuwait and Lebanon banned the 'Barbie' movie, claiming it "promoted homosexuality."
However, there's still censorship of LGBT issues under Article 21 of the Press and Publications Law (Law No. 3) (2006), which prohibits the publication of anything that would insult public morals.
This law was extended to include online publications under the Law Regulating Electronic Media (Law No. 8) (2016).
In August 2023, Kuwait and Lebanon banned the 'Barbie' movie, claiming it "promoted homosexuality."
Until Feb 16, 2022
Imprisonment as punishment
Mass arrests , people could be sent to deportation or imprisonment under public morality or Islamic Laws.
LGBT cinema also censored publicly.
LGBT cinema also censored publicly.
Right to change legal gender in Hawalli is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
Trans people are not allowed to change their legal gender.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Hawalli is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
In Kuwait, it is not possible to legally change one’s gender.
LGBT discrimination in Hawalli is no protections.
Current status
Since Jun 2, 1960
No protections
Homosexuality is illegal there. Homosexuality is currently illegal.
LGBT employment discrimination in Hawalli is no protections.
Current status
Since Jun 2, 1960
No protections
LGBT housing discrimination in Hawalli is no protections.
Current status
Since Jun 2, 1960
No protections
Same-sex adoption in Hawalli is n/a.
Current status
N/A
Adoption is prohibited in Kuwait for everyone.
Intersex infant surgery in Hawalli is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
Serving openly in military in Hawalli is don't ask, don't tell.
Current status
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Not specifically outlawed. Social convention of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" rule.
Blood donations by MSMs in Hawalli is legal.
Current status
Legal
No deferral.
Conversion therapy in Hawalli is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
According to the ILGA World, there's no ban on conversion therapy in Kuwait.
Equal age of consent in Hawalli is n/a.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 1960
N/A
In Kuwait, you can only give consent to sex after marriage. Gay marriage in Kuwait is not legal either, so there is no age of consent for homosexual sex.
Equality Index ?
N/A
There is not enough information on Hawalli for an Equality Index to be assigned. Please contribute LGBTQ+ rights information or survey results that show the public opinion of LGBTQ+ issues in Hawalli to help improve its accuracy.
Top Contributors
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- JuliaB 2 contributions
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- Samanthos 2 contributions
- LGBTsoutheastasian 2 contributions
- Notdog1996 1 contribution
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Hawalli LGBT Organizations
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Alternative names: Hawalli