Here are the 6 shocking African Countries that Have legalized Gay And Lesbianism
Gay and Lesbianism have been a major point of discussion in so many African countries for soo many years. Now following the recent anti-LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) bill in parliament and its stiff opposition, many people have expressed their sentiments.
Recently the Church of Pentecost stormed parliament to register their displeasure that they don’t support gay and lesbian laws. Many Ghanaians seem to be against legalizing same-sex marriage.
Owing to this, we take a look at countries in Africa that have legalized same-sex marriage. In fact according to Wikipedia, out of the 54 African states, 22 of them have legalized homosexuality. Here are some of the countries in Africa that have legalized same-sex relationships in the last decade.
1. South Africa
In 2006, South Africa became the first and remains the only African country to legalize same-sex marriage, with a constitution that also protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation. A bill was also introduced in 2018, to criminalize hate crimes and hate speech.
2. Angola
Angola is the latest African country to decriminalize same-sex relationships, after passing a new law that came into effect in February 2021. The new law overturned a ban on same-sex relationships that dates back to when the country was a Portuguese colony and states that discrimination based on sexual orientation can be punishable by imprisonment of up to two years.
3. Botswana
Botswana’s High Court decriminalized both male and female same-sex relationships in 2019. It replaced a law that has been in place since 1965, when the country was under British rule, which outlaws “carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature” and was punishable by up to seven years in jail
4. Lesotho
Before the current Penal Code act, homosexuality was illegal for men, but in 2010 homosexuality was decriminalized in its entirety by the country.
5. Republic of Seychelles
Seychelles decriminalized “same-sex acts” in May 2016, after lawmakers voted to amend section 151 of the country’s Penal Code Act that referred to sodomy as a felony and made it punishable with up to 14 years in prison. The amendment came just three months after a national address by the nation’s President James Michel, saying that his government would introduce a bill to abolish Section 151.
6. Mozambique
In 2015, Mozambique dropped from its penal code a colonial-era clause outlawing same-sex relationships as “vices against nature”.
SEE THIS >>> Ghanaian man, German husband hitched in an exclusive gay marriage
Sources.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-lgbt-lawmaking-idUSKBN27C2XQ2.
https://www.out.com/news/2021/2/10/angola-just-decriminalized-same-sex-sexual-relationships3. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-botswana-lgbt-idUSKCN1TC1EP4.
