The Communications and Media Commission in Iraq ordered all media outlets and social media companies operating in the country on Tuesday not to use the term "homosexuality" and to instead use the term "sexual deviancy." The commission decided to prohibit the use of the terms gender, gender identity, and homosexuality in all communications related to the commission due to the negative connotations these terms carry in Iraqi society.
It stated that all licensed companies providing mobile and internet services are banned from promoting these terms through their applications and programs. The commission explains that its goal is to "protect society and its authentic values from foreign terms that have come to have meanings contrary to public order and morals."
A government spokesman indicated that penalties for violating this decision have not yet been established, but they may involve fines. While Iraq does not explicitly criminalize homosexuality, it utilizes provisions related to morals, vaguely defined in the penal code, to target individuals in the LGBTQ+ community.
Over the past two months, major political parties in Iraq have intensified their criticism of LGBTQ+ rights, with angry Shiite factions organizing protests that included the burning of LGBTQ+ flags bearing rainbow colors in reaction to the burning of copies of the Quran in Sweden and Denmark.
