Homosexuality in Tunisia: The Dialectic Between Desired Inclusion and Lived Exclusion
Abstract
This article explores the complex relationship between the desire for inclusion and the experience of exclusion faced by homosexual individuals in Tunisia, within a context of cultural, religious, and political tensions. It examines how the current legal framework, conservative religious interpretations, and strong social pressures contribute to the persistent marginalization of this community. These restrictive dynamics significantly limit access to essential opportunities in areas such as family life, education, employment, and the healthcare system. Furthermore, the crucial role of Tunisian organizations like Shams will be highlighted, as they tirelessly work in the defense of human rights and the promotion of equality. These organizations not only provide direct support to those affected but also play a fundamental role in raising social awareness and advocating for legal reforms aimed at ensuring greater inclusion and protection of the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community in Tunisia.Downloads
References
Borillo, D. (2000). Homofobia. Bellaterra.
Buelga, S., Cava, M.-J., y Musitu, G. (2010). Cyberbullying: victimización entre adolescentes a través del teléfono móvil y de Internet. Psicothema, 22(4), 784–789.
República de Túnez. (2014). Constitución Tunecina. https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Tunisia_2014?lang=es
República de Túnez. (2012 [1913]). Código Penal de Túnez. Publicaciones de la Imprenta Oficial de la República de Túnez. https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELECTRONIC/61250/60936/F1198127290/TUN-61250.pdf.
El Sagrado Corán (J. Cortés, Trad.). (s.f.).http://www.jzb.com.es/resources/el_sagrado_coran.pdf.
Generelo Lanaspa, J. (2004). Cómo superar la homofobia: Manual de supervivencia en un medio hostil. Gay Saber.
Herdt, G., y Koff, B. (2000). Gestión familiar de la homosexualidad. Ediciones Bellaterra.
Human Dignity Trust. (2025). Country Profile: Tunisia. https://www.humandignitytrust.org/country-profile/tunisia/#:~:text=Same%2Dsex%20sexual%20activity%20is,are%20criminalised%20under%20this%20law.
ILGA. (2017). State -Sponsored Homophobia. https://ilga.org/downloads/2017/ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2017_WEB.pdf
Jeune Afrique. (2017, diciembre 19). Tunisie: Shams Rad, la première radio gay du monde arabe. Jeune Afrique. https://www.jeuneafrique.com/503420/societe/tunisie-shams-rad-la-premiere-radio-gay-du-monde-arabe/.
Khouili, R., y Levine-Spound, D. (2019, Marzo). Article 230. Une histoire de la criminalisation de l’Homosexualité en Tunisie. Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung; Law and Society in the Muslim World – Harvard Law School; European Endowment For Democracy.
Larousse. (s.f.). Homophobie. En Larousse. https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/homophobie/40296
Llopart, A. (2000). Salir del armario. Temas de hoy.
Mezziane, M. (2008). Sodomie et masculinité chez les juristes musulmans du IXe au XIe siècle. Arabica, 55(2), 276–306.
Oxford University Press. (2023). Homophobia. En Oxford English Dictionary https://www.oed.com/search/dictionary/?scope=Entries&q=homophobia
Real Academia Española. (s.f.). Homofobia. En Diccionario de la lengua española. https://dle.rae.es/homofobia?m=form
Rojas Marcos, L. (2003). La pareja rota: Familia, crisis y superación. Espasa.
Salinas Hernández, H. M. (2010). Políticas de disidencia sexual en América Latina: Sujetos sociales, Gobierno y mercado en México, Bogotá y Buenos Aires. Ediciones Eón.
The Guardian. (2018, noviembre 14). Rights groups condemn 'brutal and humiliating' tests on gay men in Tunisia. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/nov/14/rights-groups-condemn-brutal-and-humiliating-tests-on-gay-men-in-tunisia.
U.S. Department of State. (2017). Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2017. https://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2017&dlid=277267#wrapper.
Valocchi, S. (1999). The class-inflected nature of gay identity. Social Problems, 46(2), 207–224.
World Data info. (s.f.). Asylum applications and refugees from Tunisia. https://www.worlddata.info/africa/tunisia/asylum.php.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this journal accept the following conditions:
Fuentes Humanísticas is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication, with the work licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, which allows third parties to:
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material.
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contribution under the same license as the original.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Authors may enter into other independent and additional agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the published version of the article in this journal (e.g., placing it in an institutional repository) as long as they clearly indicate that the work was first published in this journal.
