Syria — Gay Travel Index 2026

Name: Syria — Gay Travel Index 2026
Creator: GayOut
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

11/100

High risk #176 of 207

Score = Legal 11/60 + Scene 0/40 = 11/100 · thin scene coverage — legal-weighted provisional score

Updated 7 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

⚠ Criminalized

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 — 11/60 points

Criminalization	Criminalized
Partnership	● No not recognised
Anti-discrimination	● No
Gender recognition	Restricted — heavy barriers (surgery, courts) or rarely granted
Enforcement reality	Severe — systematic state persecution

Research note: historic post-op rulings (est); 2025 arrest campaign — 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.

1949Article 520 of the Penal Code criminalized "carnal relations against the order of nature" with up to three years' imprisonment. ↗
2010Police arrested more than 25 men in a crackdown on charges including homosexual acts. ↗
2021Syrian activists launched the Guardians of Equality Movement to document abuses and support LGBTQ Syrians. ↗
2025After the fall of the Assad government, the legal position of LGBTQ people under the transitional authorities remained uncertain. ↗
TodaySame-sex activity remained criminalized under Article 520 and LGBTQ people faced serious danger; extreme discretion was essential. ↗

Sources: ILGA World · Human Dignity Trust · Equaldex. Each milestone links to a reference source ↗.

Scene on the ground — 0/40 points

LGBTQ+ venues listed

Dedicated gay bars

Gay saunas

Cities with a scene

Pride parades

Queer film festivals

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 Syria safe for gay travellers?

Syria is rated High risk on the GayOut Gay Travel Index 2026: same-sex intimacy is criminalized or actively repressed. Its legal safety component is 11/60. On enforcement reality, systematic state persecution is documented.

Is same-sex marriage legal in Syria?

No. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Syria. Overall legal status: Criminalized.

Does Syria have a gay scene?

GayOut currently lists no LGBTQ+ venues in Syria, so any gay scene is limited, informal or not publicly documented.