Gay Guide Jordan

Homosexuality is officially legal in Jordan, but gay men can still be victims of honour killings. Also, queer people who publicly show affection can be prosecuted for disturbing public morals. Discrimination and intolerance are also widespread problems that heterosexuals do not have to face. Compared to other countries in the Middle East, however, the situation of the queer community in Jordan is relatively progressive - it is not forced underground. The age of consent of 16 years is the same for hetero- and homosexual acts, transgender people can have their gender entry modified. There are always public events like the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, in which politicians and ambassadors also take part. However, according to a survey by the Arabic Barometer in 2019, only 7% of respondents gave a yes to the question of whether society should accept homosexuality. The Jordanian homosexual scene, unlike in neighbouring Israel or Lebanon, is very scattered, sometimes in secret, and now often uses the internet to establish contacts. Since the technical standards are quite high, it is quite possible to make contact with middle-class gays via contact exchanges and apps. The majority of the lower classes, as well as the numerous immigrant Iraqis, can mostly be found at cruising points. The etiquette here is as always: eye contact and discreet appearance. All of the meeting points mentioned are not purely gay, although it will immediately become clear why all these men are sitting there waiting, just by coincidence. Jordan is a modern, western-oriented, yet friendly country with great contradictions. While in large parts of the rather young city of Amman you have a feeling of being in Europe, the Orient and an often very traditional population are just around the next corner.