This archive report was first published on 10 July 2019.
On November 6, Tunisians will head to the polls to elect their next President, and among the candidates is Mounir Baatour, a trailblazing openly gay politician seeking to make history as Africa's first openly gay head of state.
Baatour, the founder of Tunisia's leading LGBT+ rights group, Shams, is running on a Tunisian Liberal Party ticket and has pledged to repeal Article 230 of the country's penal code, which criminalizes homosexuality.
Homosexual acts are punishable by up to three years in jail in Tunisia, a country where only seven percent of Tunisians consider same-sex relationships acceptable, according to a recent survey by Arab Barometer for the BBC.
Baatour's candidacy has sparked debate, with some arguing that his sexual orientation should not define his campaign. However, Baatour insists that his candidacy is not solely about his sexual orientation, but about pushing for LGBT rights and opening a debate about the matter in Tunisia.
“I will open a debate about LGBT rights,” Baatour said. “I saw there is no progress on this matter in Tunisia: there is no politician who is endorsing these cases and in my opinion, I am the best person who can change the Tunisian society.”
Published on July 10, 2019, at 5:06 PM.
