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The lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual population in Algeria face legal issues that heterosexual Algerians do not have to deal with.
In Algeria same-sex sexual acts are illegal for both males and females. Anyone who is found guilty of a same-sex act in Algeria can be punished with a prison sentence that can last anywhere from two months to two years.
Algeria is well know for its fundamentalist laws. An example of this is that Algeria bans Algerian people from converting their religion. Many people in Algeria believe homosexuality to be against the Islamic faith. Due to this there is little tolerance for homosexuality in Algeria.
There are many groups that fight for the rights of gay men and lesbians in Africa. These groups believe that the Algerian attitudes towards homosexuality can be violent. Gay people in Africa can become the targets for fundamentalists. They have also been the targets of honor killings by their family, friends and neighbors.
However many people in Algeria are becoming more accepting of homosexual people. The President of Algeria Abdelaziz Bouteflika stated at one point that if homosexual people behave well they will be given freedom and remain unharmed.
Many people in Algeria wish the constitution of Algeria to be revised in order to take out the segments that demonstrate inequality to both women and gay citizens of Algeria.
The currently laws of Algeria tend to favor the heterosexual male. Although there are many people who are lobbying for this to change it is unlikely to change in the near future. The Islamic faith plays a large part in the culture and laws of Algeria. It is the aim of the government to do its job without taking anything away from the religious customs, beliefs and traditions of the citizens of the north African country Algeria.
