Gay african

As of April , Namibia is the most recent country in Africa to decriminalise homosexuality. In November , South Africa became the first country in Africa and the fifth country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage.

Misinformation about a European Union partnership pact has whipped up hostility towards the gay community. All the latest content about LGBT rights in Africa from the BBC. In many African countries, homosexuality is still a taboo, with society holding conservative views on gender identities and roles. This translates into a considerably high intolerance towards. In , there were 22 gay-friendly African countries based on the most recent research conducted by International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (IGLA).

This post aims to help you decide on gay-friendly travel destinations in Africa. Only a handful of countries – such as Mauritius, Botswana, Mozambique, Seychelles and South Africa – have codified their laws to make sure that LGBTIQ+ people are protected against discrimination. In Ghana, in a speech calling for "all people be treated equally" she appeared to criticise a bill before the country's parliament which criminalises advocacy for gay rights and proposes jail terms for those that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

The country's Speaker Alban Bagbin later called her remarks "undemocratic" and urged lawmakers not to be "intimidated by any person". There are 64 countries that have laws that criminalise homosexuality , and nearly half of these are in Africa. Some countries, including several in Africa, have recently moved to decriminalise same-sex unions and improve rights for LGBTQ people.

In December , Singapore's parliament repealed a controversial law which banned sex between men. In the same month, the high court in Barbados struck out laws that criminalised gay sex. In July last year, the courts in Antigua and Barbuda declared a law criminalising same-sex acts between consenting adults unconstitutional. In February , Angola's Joao Lourenco signed into law a revised penal code to allow same-sex relationships and ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

In , Gabon reversed a law that had criminalised homosexuality and made gay sex punishable with six months in prison and a large fine. Botswana's High Court also ruled in favour of decriminalising homosexuality in Mozambique and the Seychelles have also scrapped anti-homosexuality laws in recent years. But there are countries where existing laws outlawing homosexuality have been tightened, including Nigeria and Uganda.

Uganda's parliament recently passed a law to crack down on homosexual activities , prompting widespread condemnation. In May , the high court in Kenya upheld laws criminalising homosexual acts. In February his year Kenya's highest court ruled that it was wrong for authorities to ban the gay community from registering a rights organisation. Many of the laws criminalising homosexual relations originate from colonial times.

And in many places, breaking these laws could be punishable by long prison sentences. Out of the 53 countries in the Commonwealth - a loose association of countries most of them former British colonies - 29 have laws that criminalise homosexuality. Although the original British laws applied only to men, countries that criminalise homosexuality today also have penalties for women who have sex with women.

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association Ilga monitors the progress of laws relating to homosexuality around the world. It says the death penalty is the legally prescribed punishment for same-sex sexual acts in Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and in some northern states of Nigeria.

In five countries - Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia, and the United Arab Emirates - there is no legal clarity and the death penalty could be applied. Sudan repealed the death penalty for consensual same-sex sexual acts in Some observers note that the risk of prosecution in some places is minimal. For example, a report on Jamaica by the UK Home Office said that Jamaica was regarded as a homophobic society, but that the "authorities do not actively seek to prosecute LGBT persons".

In many African countries, homosexuality is

Activist groups say the ability of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans LGBT organisations to carry out advocacy work is being restricted. So far, 33 countries in the world recognise same-sex marriages, and 34 others provide for some partnership recognition for same-sex couples, Ilga says. Read more from Reality Check.

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