WanderSafe — LGBTQ+ Travel Safety

Tunis, Tunisia

Tunisia criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual conduct under Article 230 of the Penal Code, with penalties of up to 3 years imprisonment. Tunisia is notable -- and notorious -- for the documented use of forced anal examinations by police as purported 'evidence' of homosexuality, a practice condemned by the UN Committee Against Torture as constituting cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. While Tunisia's 2014 Constitution was considered progressive for the region, it did not extend protections to LGBTQ+ individuals. A small underground community emerged post-Arab Spring, with organizations like Shams (dissolved by court order in 2022) and Mawjoudin briefly operating semi-openly, but the space has contracted significantly since 2017 under political crackdowns. President Kais Saied's consolidation of power since 2021 has further deteriorated the climate for LGBTQ+ Tunisians.