Africa country gay rights

Botswana, Mauritius, and South Africa are the only countries in Africa in which discrimination against the LGBTQ community is constitutionally illegal. While these identities were likely not the norm, some of these individuals enjoyed significant visibility and tolerance in certain traditional communities, though others likely still encountered prejudice.

In other countries, there are limited discrimination protections. Most recently, in Maythe Supreme Court of Namibia ruled to recognize same-sex couples who marry abroad. Health Long-Term Care. Today, however, most African countries criminalize same-sex relationships, and most Africans surveyed have held generally negative attitudes on the question, although tolerance varies between and within countries.

For example, about half of the continent bans transgender and gender-nonconforming Africans from altering the gender markers on their legal identification, which is possible in dozens of non-African countries. Anti-gay legislation and human rights violations In recent years, the issue of anti-gay legislation in Africa has garnered significant international attention, highlighting severe human rights violations across the continent.

This article is republished from the Council on Foreign Relations. World May Monday, Oct The Latest. Additionally, fundamentalist Christianity and all major schools of Islamic law condemn homosexuality, and both religions have hundreds of millions of adherents in Africa.

Gay have specifically africa out U. Physical violence. Penalties for gay sex generally include fines and right time. Long prison sentences, death penalty laws, and in some cases state violence force many Africans to live in fear of their identity being exposed.

Travel advisories encourage gay and lesbian travelers to use discretion in much of the continent to ensure their safety. LGBTI rights Mapping anti-gay laws in Africa Click on the image to view a large version of the map Tightening laws and increasing punishments Legal rights are diminishing for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people across the African continent.

In this article, LGBTQ rights journalist Rob Salerno, an editor for RightsAfrica and Erasing 76 Crimes, surveys the status of same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights in Africa. Pride events are often raided by police and targeted for violence by the public.

Here are some that have legalized same-sex relationships in the last decade. Political blowback. The true extent of violence is difficult to ascertain, as experts believe most instances go unreported. Uganda It's already illegal to be gay in Uganda.

Nigeria permits flogging, and a handful of countries allow the death penalty, though it is unclear whether any actually impose it. Nearly half of countries worldwide where homosexuality is outlawed are in Africa. Support Provided By: Learn more.

World Agents for Change. Still, experts point to several related contributing factors, including the legacy of colonialism, the influence of Christian and Islamic faiths, and modern African electoral politics. Many African countries have enacted laws that criminalize same-sex relationships, often imposing harsh penalties, including imprisonment, fines, and even the death.

As in many parts of the world, legal recognition of transgender individuals is much more limited than that for people attracted to the country sex. At the same time, several countries have moved toward more inclusive policies, especially in the southern region.

Where African countries stand

Disinformation campaigns by politicians and other prominent figures perpetuate stigma, and low literacy rates across the continent make it harder for people to seek accurate information, she says. Ghana, for example, introduced a strict anti-gay bill in lateand this year countries in eastern Africasuch as Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, have introduced or passed more stringent legislation.

Historical evidence shows that people with diverse sexualities and gender expressions have always existed in African civilizations. Read the original article.