Is Lebanon on the path to decriminalizing homosexuality?
Education and awareness seem to be the solutions to creating a society and legal system that are more tolerant toward the LGBT community in Lebanon.
On Jan. 26, Lebanese judge Rabih Maalouf issued a court order stating that “homosexuality is a personal choice, and not a punishable offense.” Maalouf is the fourth judge since 2009 to go against Article 534 of the Lebanese penal code, which states sexual acts that “contradict the laws of nature” are punishable by up to a year in prison.
In 2013, the Lebanese Psychiatric Society stated that homosexuality is not a mental disorder and does not need to be treated. In 2015, the society updated the statement, calling for the abolition of Article 534.
