2. Sana’a, Yemen
Being gay in Sana’a, the capital city of Yemen, is a very dangerous thing. Being openly gay in Sana’a, well that’s just madness, especially if you are a married man. Yemen is one of the ten countries in the world where homosexuality is punishable by death.
In this Arab country, a married man who was caught in a homosexual act or whose active homosexuality has been proven, may be sentenced to death by stoning. Unmarried homosexual men may be sentenced to whipping or prison time up to one year, while gay women have it much worse – they may face seven years in prison.
LGBT people in Yemen face difficulties in almost every aspect of their lives. Homophobia is extremely high and homosexuality is by no means acceptable, not socially, not legally. LGBT web sites are blocked and there is no space where gay people may gather. The refusal of Yemeni officials to recognize LGBT rights can best be seen in the fact that the official number of gay people in the country is zero.
