LGBT Rights in Jordan - Living Conditions

Living Conditions

While homosexuality and cross-dressing are not de jure illegal in Jordan, prevailing social attitudes are shaped by traditional Islamic morality, which views homosexuality and cross-dressing as signs of decadence and immorality.

Recent reports suggest, that although a large number LGBT are in the closet, and who often have to lead double lives, a new wave of younger LGBT are beginning to come out of the closet and are becoming more visible in the country, this resulted in establishing a vibrant LGBT community of filmmakers, journalists, writers, artists and other young professionals. with only a few young Jordanians of the upper class able to remain single.

Today, there are many gay people who chose to be out, yet a big part of the gay community is always striving and looking for peers who are gay but adopting the " straight life style " such person is often referred to as being " straight acting " . According to Sara Al-Bast, a well known psycho analysts, such preference within the gay community ( preferring straight acting gays over gay people who are out of the closet ) is due to the shame most Jordanian gay individuals feel, they also often feel like they are doing something that is wrong, and often disgusting

In June 2006, the Government published the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in the Official Gazette, which suggests that the Covenant has legal applicability in Jordan. The document could be used to advance LGBT rights.

In 2007, gay patrons of at the Marmara hotel in Amman were reportedly threatened by two bouncers and told to leave and never return, or else they would be beaten. .