Iraq's official media regulator has ordered all media and social-media companies operating in the country not to use the term "homosexuality" and to say "sexual deviance" instead, NBC News reported.
The Iraqi Communications and Media Commission (CMC) document said that using "gender" was also prohibited. A government official later said that the decision still required final approval.
A government spokesperson said a penalty for violating the rule had not yet been set, but could include a fine.
Iraq does not explicitly criminalize same-sex actions. However, certain morality clauses in its penal code have been used to target members of the LGBTQ+ community. More than 60 countries still criminalize gay sex.
Andrew Davis