Egypt

LGBTIQ individuals in Egypt continue to experience significant repression and discrimination, aggravated by laws that indirectly target same-sex activity. While homosexuality is not explicitly criminalized, vague public morality and debauchery laws are commonly used to arrest individuals. Authorities use dating apps such as Grindr to entrap and arrest LGBTQ people, often employing minimal evidence, like possession of condoms or small amounts of cash, to charge them with “habitual debauchery.” As a result, many LGBTQ individuals face jail time, sometimes up to twelve years, under these charges, reflecting the government’s hostility towards LGBTQ persons. The Egyptian government does not provide a formal process for transgender individuals to change their legal gender on official documents. While there have been a few rare instances where transgender people have sought gender-affirming surgeries or legal recognition, these cases are extremely limited and face significant societal and institutional resistance.

Social attitudes towards LGBTIQ people remain highly conservative, with widespread public disapproval reinforced by government policies. Egypt does not offer protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics. Anti-LGBTQ rhetoric is also prevalent in educational settings, where the Ministry of Education has integrated concepts warning against "deviant" sexual behavior, including homosexuality, into school curricula. In 2022, the government ordered posters and awareness campaigns in schools to raise the alarm over so-called abnormal sexual behaviors. More recently, in 2024, a German school in Cairo was under threat of losing its license for allegedly promoting homosexuality through its textbooks, demonstrating the continued crackdown on any perceived LGBTQ acceptance.

In addition to criminalizing same-sex behavior through indirect laws, Egypt’s 2018 Cyber Crimes Law has been used to monitor and punish online content that the government claims threatens family values, often targeting LGBTQ individuals. Nevertheless, LGBTQ activists continue to advocate for their rights amid significant risks, including harassment, arrest, and social ostracism. The government’s ongoing crackdown shows no signs of easing, as proposals to explicitly criminalize homosexuality continue to emerge, further marginalizing LGBTQ communities.  

*Outright research indicates bodily autonomy of intersex people is not respected and protected.