Iraq Gay Travel Index 2026
Score = Legal 10/60 + Scene 0/40 = 10/100 · thin scene coverage — legal-weighted provisional score
Updated 15 Oct 2026 · release 2026.3.
A live score, not an annual report — it recomputes as laws, rulings and the scene itself change. See what moved in 2026.
Legal composite · Legal milestones · Scene on the ground · Frequently asked questions
Same-sex intimacy is criminalized or actively repressed here. Consult your government travel advisories before any trip; this listing is informational, not an endorsement of travel.
Legal composite — 10/60 points
| Criminalization | Criminalized (2024 law) |
|---|---|
| Partnership | ● No not recognised |
| Anti-discrimination | ● No |
| Gender recognition | Not possible — no legal gender recognition |
| Enforcement reality | Active enforcement — arrests and prosecutions continue |
Research note: April 2024 law; prosecutions and arrests documented HRW — GayOut Index 2026.3 legal research (ILGA World / Human Dignity Trust / Rainbow Europe / Equaldex).
Legal composite, five components
Fulfilment per component (100 = maximum). Weights: criminalisation 35% · partnership 20% · enforcement 20% · anti-discrimination 15% · gender recognition 10%.
Legal milestones
Background, not travel advice — how the current status came to be. For planning a trip, rely on the current score, tier and scene sections above; 2026 movements are tracked in the sourced change log.
- 1969Iraq's penal code did not explicitly criminalize consensual same-sex relations between adults. ↗
- 2003After the invasion, the Coalition Provisional Authority restored the 1969 code, leaving same-sex relations without explicit criminalization. ↗
- 2009Militias waged killing campaigns against men perceived as gay, with violence peaking through 2012 and going unpunished. ↗
- 2024Parliament criminalized same-sex relations with up to 15 years in prison, plus penalties for 'promoting homosexuality' and gender-affirming surgery. ↗
- TodaySame-sex relations were explicitly illegal, and LGBTQ Iraqis faced imprisonment, militia violence and honor killings with no legal protection. ↗
Sources: ILGA World · Human Dignity Trust · Equaldex. Each milestone links to a reference source ↗.
Scene on the ground — 0/40 points
Detailed scene metrics (for researchers)
| Gay bars per million | — |
|---|---|
| Saunas per million | — |
| Events per million | 0 |
| Coverage grade | — |
| Scene score | 0/40 (raw scene index 0/100) |
Frequently asked questions
Is Iraq safe for gay travellers?
Iraq is rated High risk on the GayOut Gay Travel Index 2026: same-sex intimacy is criminalized or actively repressed. Its legal safety component is 10/60. On enforcement reality, arrests and prosecutions continue.
Is same-sex marriage legal in Iraq?
No. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Iraq. Overall legal status: Criminalized (2024 law).
Does Iraq have a gay scene?
GayOut currently lists no LGBTQ+ venues in Iraq, so any gay scene is limited, informal or not publicly documented.