Iran, Qatar, KSA, West Bank, Gaza among most dangerous for LGBTQ tourists

The travel website Asher & Lyric published a list of the most dangerous countries for LGBTQ tourists last week that included the Middle East nations of Iran, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Yemen in its top 10.The ranking could pose a challenge for Qatar’s Islamic regime, which earned the second spot for the most dangerous country for the LGBTQ community, because it is slated to host the next FIFA World Cup from November 21 to December 18, 2022. When asked by The Jerusalem Post in August if Qatar will allow LGBTQ people, Israelis and Egyptians to attend the World Cup, Qatar’s regime declined to respond to numerous media queries.The Doha regime punishes homosexual acts with one to three years in prison, flogging or execution under its Islamic Sharia law system.The denial of visas to LGBTQ people, Israelis and Egyptians would mean that Qatar is not in compliance with the international football federation’s ethical code.According to the Asher & Lyric report, the 10 most dangerous nations for LGBTQ tourists in order of security risk are: Nigeria, Qatar, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Iran, Sudan, Barbados, Malaysia and Malawi.Asher & Lyric said on its website, “Instead of relying on hearsay and anecdotes from other travelers, we took a deep look at LGBTQ+ rights, country by country. We’ve gathered data from a variety of trusted international sources to create a ‘LGBTQ+ Danger Index’ that will help you find the worst (and safest) countries for LGBTQ+ travel.”The metrics of the study to assess the dangers of each country included factors such as legalized same-sex marriage, LGBTQ worker protections, legal protections against anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, criminalization of hate-based violence, adoption recognition, illegal LGBTQ relationships and acts, and propaganda/morality laws.The study ranked the West Bank and Gaza as the 15th worst region for LGBTQ tourists. Egypt was classified in the 20th spot.Israel, which hosts the Middle East’s largest annual LGBTQ parade in Tel Aviv, was cited in terms of same-sex marriage. “Two countries — Bulgaria and Israel — do not allow marriage equality for their citizens but formally recognize marriages overseas,” wrote Asher & Lyric.The Jerusalem Post first reported in January on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s public execution of man based on an anti-gay charge. According to a 2008 British WikiLeaks cable, Iran’s mullah regime has executed 4,000-6,000 gays and lesbians since the regime Islamic revolution in 1979.