LGBTQ Health in Non-Western Contexts

Across the globe, individuals who either are perceived to be or identify as LGBTQ are often denied basic human rights, and, depending on cultural norms (e.g., gender role expectations), LGBTQ individuals may experience oppression and legalized discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. As of 2013, among the 190 member states of the United Nations, 76 countries continue to make sexual relations between same-sex adults illegal, and the consequences vary based on age and gender, among other factors. Indeed, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Mauritania, Sudan, Northern Nigeria, and Southern Somalia continue to enforce the death penalty for individuals convicted of homosexuality, and legalized discrimination against LGBTQ individuals is allowed, if not encouraged, throughout some parts of Asia and Africa. On the ...