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{{leftlegend|#CAF|Limited recognition (foreign residency rights)}}{{leftlegend|#cccccc|Homosexuality legal but no recognition}}{{leftlegend|#f9dc36|Prison but unenforced}}{{leftlegend|#ec8028|Punishable by prison}}{{leftlegend|#cc6633|Death penalty but unenforced}}{{leftlegend|#800000|Enforced death penalty}}| legal_status = Legal in 24 out of 54 countries; equal age of consent in 18 out of 54 countriesLegal, with an equal age of consent, in all 8 territories| gender_identity_expression = Legal in 4 out of 54 countries Legal in 7 out of 8 territories| recognition_of_relationships = Recognized in 2 out of 54 countriesRecognized in all 8 territories| recognition_of_relationships_restrictions = Same-sex marriage constitutionally banned in 9 out of 54 countries| adoption = Legal in 1 out of 54 countriesLegal in all 8 territories| military = Allowed to serve openly in 1 out of 54 countriesAllowed in all 8 territories| discrimination_protections = Protected in 8 out of 54 countries Protected in all 8 territories}}Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Africa are generally poor in comparison to the Americas, Western Europe and Oceania.{{efn|name=australia|text=As of 2024, South Africa, Namibia, Cape Verde, Mauritius, Seychelles, Angola, Botswana, and Mozambique have stronger protections for LGBT people.}}Out of the 54 states recognised by the United Nations or African Union or both, homosexuality is outlawed in 30 African countries as of May 2024. Human Rights Watch notes that another two countries, Benin and the Central African Republic, do not outlaw homosexuality, but have some laws which discriminate against homosexual individuals.WEB,weblink How many African states outlaw same-sex relations? (At least 34), Ferreira, Louise, 28 July 2015, 28 August 2015, 22 April 2019,weblink live, Many of the laws that criminalize homosexuality are colonial-era laws.NEWS, Han, Enze, O'Mahoney, Joseph, 15 May 2018, How Britain's colonial legacy still affects LGBT politics around the world,weblink 19 April 2023, The Conversation, en, Most states which have legalised homosexuality do not have legislation specifically protecting homosexuals from discrimination in areas of life such as employment.WEB,weblink Number of countries with protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment in Africa as of 2020, December 2020, Statista, May 13, 2024,weblink January 24, 2022, Homosexuality has never been criminalised in Benin, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Djibouti, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, and Rwanda, and has been decriminalised in Angola, Botswana, Cape Verde, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, the Seychelles and South Africa. However, in 6 of these countries (Benin, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Congo, Niger and Madagascar), the age of consent is higher for same-sex sexual relations than for opposite-sex ones. In November 2006, South Africa became the first country in Africa and the fifth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. In May 2023, the Supreme Court of Namibia ruled foreign same-sex marriages must be recognized equally to heterosexual marriages. LGBT anti-discrimination laws exist in eight African countries: Angola, Botswana, Cape Verde, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, and South Africa. In some of the countries with criminal punishments for homosexuality, governments have recently been enforcing the law more harshly, and many legislators have recently proposed stricter sentences for same-sex activity. Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023, which allows the death sentence for certain types of consensual same-sex activities, has attracted international attention.JOURNAL, Dreier, Sarah K., Long, James D., Winkler, Stephen J., African, Religious, and Tolerant? How Religious Diversity Shapes Attitudes Toward Sexual Minorities in Africa, Politics and Religion, June 2020, 13, 2, 273–303, 10.1017/S1755048319000348, Since 2011, some developed countries have been considering or implementing laws that limit or prohibit general budget support to countries that restrict the rights of LGBT people.WEB,weblink "Cameron threat to dock some UK aid to anti-gay nations", BBC News, 30 October 2011, BBC News, 10 October 2014, 18 June 2019,weblink live, In spite of this, many African countries have refused to consider increasing LGBT rights,WEB,weblink "Ghana refuses to grant gays' rights despite aid threat", BBC News, 2 November 2011, BBC News, 10 October 2014, 22 April 2019,weblink live, and in some cases have drafted laws to increase sanctions against LGBT people.WEB,weblink "Uganda fury at David Cameron aid threat over gay rights", BBC News, 31 October 2011, BBC News, 10 October 2014, 22 April 2019,weblink live, Past African leaders such as Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Uganda's Yoweri Museveni claimed that LGBT behaviour was brought into the continent from other parts of the world. Nevertheless, most scholarship and research demonstrates that homosexuality has long been a part of various African cultures.Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates, Encyclopedia of Africa, Volume 2 OUP, USA, 2010WEB,weblink South Africa: LGBT Groups Respond To Contralesa's Stance on Same Sex Marriage | OutRight Action International, Outrightinternational.org, 2006-10-26, 2015-09-29, 11 April 2019,weblink live, NEWS, Shaw, Angus, Angus Shaw (writer), Zimbabwe Rejects UN Appeal for Gay Rights, Denies Torture Claims,weblink 29 September 2015, The Huffington Post, Harare, 21 May 2012, 30 September 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150930182938weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink "Gambian President Says No to Aid Money Tied to Gay Rights", Voice of America, reported by Ricci Shryock, 22 April 2012, VOA, 10 October 2014, 18 October 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141018215420weblink">weblink live,

Overview

In a 2011 UN General Assembly declaration for LGBT rights, state parties were given a chance to express their support, opposition or abstention on the topic. Only Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, and South Africa expressed their support. A majority of African countries expressed their opposition. State parties that expressed abstention were Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Republic of the Congo, and Zambia.In southern Somalia, Somaliland, Mauritania, northern Nigeria, and Uganda, homosexuality results in death penalty.WEB, State Sponsored Homophobia 2016: A world survey of sexual orientation laws: criminalisation, protection and recognition,weblink International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, 19 May 2016, 17 May 2016, 2 September 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170902183618weblink">weblink live, WEB, Boni, di Federico, Sudan, cancellata la pena di morte per le persone omosessuali,weblink 2021-01-26, Gay.It!, it-IT, 16 July 2020,weblink In Sudan, Gambia, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone, offenders can receive life imprisonment for homosexual acts, although the law is not enforced in Sierra Leone. In addition to criminalizing homosexuality, Nigeria has enacted legislation that would make it illegal for heterosexual family members, allies and friends of LGBT people to be supportive. According to Nigerian law, a heterosexual ally "who administers, witnesses, abets or aids" any form of gender non-conforming and homosexual activity could receive a 10-year jail sentence.WEB,weblink African Anti-Gay Laws, Laprogressive.com, 2014-02-20, 2015-02-24, 5 November 2018,weblink live, The Republic of South Africa has the most liberal attitudes toward gays and lesbians, as the country has legalized same-sex marriage and its Constitution guarantees gay and lesbian rights and protections. South Africa is the only country in Africa where any form of discrimination against the LGBT community is constitutionally forbidden. In 2006, South Africa became the first country in Africa and the fifth in the world to enact same-sex marriage. Discrimination is, however, far rarer in bigger cities, and there are large LGBT communities in cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein, Nelspruit, Pietermaritzburg, Kimberley and George. South Africa's three largest cities, Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, are considered fairly accepting of the LGBT community and are promoted as tourist destinations for LGBT people. However, despite legal recognition, social discrimination against South African LGBT people does still occur, particularly in rural areas, where it is fueled by a number of religious figures and traditions. Spanish, Portuguese, British and French territories legalised same-sex marriages.WEB,weblink Una boda homosexual en el centro de inmigrantes de Melilla para "acabar con el miedo", eldiario.es, 10 May 2016, 2016-05-31, 19 July 2018,weblink live, WEB,weblink Mayotte: First gay wedding soon celebrated on the island of perfumes, Badrudin, Assani, Indian Ocean Times – only positive news on indian ocean, 2016-05-31,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170429011105weblink">weblink 29 April 2017, dead, Travel advisories encourage gay and lesbian travelers to use discretion whilst in Africa to ensure their personal safety, including by avoiding public displays of affection (advice which applies to both homosexual and heterosexual couples).WEB,weblink Gay and Lesbian travel in Africa – Lonely Planet, Lonely, Planet, 13 July 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160807075710weblink">weblink 7 August 2016, dead, South Africa is generally considered to be the most gay-friendly African country in respect of the legal status of LGBT rights, although Cape Verde is also frequently regarded as being very socially accepting of LGBT rights.WEB,weblink Africa's most and least homophobic countries, Afrobarometer, 2017-01-02, 22 July 2019,weblink live,

History of male homosexuality in Africa

{{Further|LGBT history#Africa|History of homosexuality#Africa}}

Ancient history

Egypt

It remains unclear what view the ancient Egyptians fostered about homosexuality. Any document and literature that actually contains sexually oriented stories never names the nature of the sexual deeds but instead uses stilted and flowery paraphrases. Ancient Egyptian documents never clearly say that same-sex relationships were seen as reprehensible or despicable. No ancient Egyptian document mentions that homosexual acts were set under penalty. Thus, a straight evaluation remains problematic.Emma Brunner-Traut: Altägyptische Märchen. Mythen und andere volkstümliche Erzählungen. 10th Edition. Diederichs, Munich 1991, {{ISBN|3-424-01011-1}}, pp. 178–179.(File:Mastaba of Niankhkhum and Khnumhotep embrace.jpg|thumb|Nyankh-khnum and Khnum-hotep kissing)The best-known case of possible homosexuality in ancient Egypt is that of the two high officials Nyankh-Khnum and Khnum-hotep. Both men lived and served under pharaoh Niuserre during the 5th Dynasty (c. 2494–2345 BC).JOURNAL, Parkinson, R. B., 'Homosexual' Desire and Middle Kingdom Literature, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, 1995, 81, 1, 57–76, 10.1177/030751339508100111, 192073466, Nyankh-Khnum and Khnum-hotep each had families of their own with children and wives, but when they died their families apparently decided to bury them together in one and the same mastaba tomb. In this mastaba, several paintings depict both men embracing each other and touching their faces nose-on-nose. These depictions leave plenty of room for speculation, because in ancient Egypt the nose-on-nose touching normally represented a kiss.Egyptologists and historians disagree about how to interpret the paintings of Nyankh-khnum and Khnum-hotep. Some scholars believe that the paintings reflect an example of homosexuality between two married men and prove that the ancient Egyptians accepted same-sex relationships.WEB, 2010-10-20, Archaeological Sites,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101020071548weblink">weblink 20 October 2010, 2015-09-29, Other scholars disagree and interpret the scenes as an evidence that Nyankh-khnum and Khnum-hotep were twins, even possibly conjoined twins. No matter what interpretation is correct, the paintings show at the very least that Nyankh-khnum and Khnum-hotep must have been very close to each other in life as in death.The Roman Emperor Constantine in the 4th century AD is said to have exterminated a large number of "effeminate priests" based in Alexandria.

Modern history

North Africa

North Africa contained some of the most visible and well-documented traditions of homosexuality in the world – particularly during the period of Mamluk rule. Arabic poetry emerging from cosmopolitan and literate societies frequently described the pleasures of pederastic relationships. There are accounts of Christian boys being sent from Europe to become sex workers in Egypt. In Cairo, cross-dressing men called "khawal" would entertain audiences with song and dance (potentially of pre-Islamic origin).The Siwa Oasis in Egypt was described by several early twentieth century travellers as a place where same-sex sexual relationships were quite common. A group of warriors in this area were known for paying reverse dowries to younger men; a practice that was outlawed in the 1940s.Siegfried Frederick Nadel wrote about the Nuba tribes in Sudan the late 1930s.WEB,weblink The Nuba; an anthropological study of the hill tribes in Kordofan, S. F., Nadel, Internet Archive, He noted that among the Otoro, a special transvestitic role existed whereby men dressed and lived as women. Transvestitic homosexuality also existed amongst the Moru, Nyima, and Tira people, and reported marriages of Korongo londo and Mesakin tubele for the bride price of one goat. In the Korongo and Mesakin tribes, Nadel reported a common reluctance among men to abandon the pleasure of all-male camp life for the fetters of permanent settlement.

East Africa

Gender-nonconforming and homosexuality has been reported in a number of East African societies. In pre-colonial East Africa there have been examples of male priests in traditional religions dressing as women. British social anthropologist Rodney Needham has described such a religious leadership role called "mugawe" among the Meru people and of Kenya, which included wearing women's clothes and hairstyle.Rodney Needham, Right and Left: Essays on Dual Symbol Classification, University of Chicago Press, 1973. Mugawe are frequently homosexual, and sometimes are formally married to a man.Such men were known as "ikihindu" among the Hutu and Tutsi peoples of Burundi and Rwanda. A similar role is played by some men within the Swahili-speaking Mashoga—who often take on women's names and cook and clean for their husbands.

Ethiopia

In Ethiopian history, the recognition of same-sex activity is generally obscure, which means no rare evidence left to scholarly research. However, The Life and Struggles of Our Mother Wälättä P̣eṭros (1672) is the first reference of homosexuality between nuns in Ethiopian literature.WEB, UNPO: Ethiopia: Sexual Minorities Under Threat,weblink 2021-05-09, unpo.org, 9 May 2021,weblink live, JOURNAL, Belcher, Wendy Laura, 2016, Same-Sex Intimacies in the Early African Text Gädlä Wälättä P̣eṭros (1672): Queer Reading an Ethiopian Woman Saint,weblink Research in African Literatures, 47, 2, 20–45, 10.2979/reseafrilite.47.2.03, 10.2979/reseafrilite.47.2.03, 148427759, 0034-5210, Homosexuality, meanwhile, was faded out through much of its history until in Meles Zenawi administration in 2008, followed by rapid growth of communal upheaval in the country into suppression. However, with negative public attitude and legal codification in Constitution's Article 629, same-sex activity is criminalized up to 15 years life imprisonment.WEB,weblink State Sponsored Homophobia: A world survey of laws criminalising same-sex sexual acts between consenting adults, The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, Lucas Paoli, Itaborahy, May 2012, 9 May 2021,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121017205059weblink">weblink 17 October 2012, According to 2007 Pew Research Center, 97% of Ethiopians said that homosexuality is a way of life that society should not accept, becoming the highest level of rejection after Mali. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church plays a significant role in maintaining society against homosexuality, and some members form anti-gay movements. One of them is "Zim Anlem" founded by Dereje Negash, who strongly affiliated with the Church.Among the Maale people of southern Ethiopia, historian Donald Donham documented "a small minority [of men] crossed over to feminine roles. Called "ashtime", these (biological) males dressed like women, performed female tasks, cared for their own houses, and apparently had sexual relations with men". They were also protected by the king.

Uganda

In Uganda, religious roles for cross-dressing men (homosexual priests) were historically found among the Bunyoro people. Similarly, the kingdom of Buganda (part of modern-day Uganda) institutionalized certain forms of same-sex relations. Young men served in the royal courts and provided sexual services for visitors and elites. King Mwanga II of Buganda had several such men executed when they converted to Christianity and refused to carry out their assigned duties (the "Uganda Martyrs")."Long-Distance Trade and Foreign Contact". Uganda. Library of Congress Country Studies. December 1990. Retrieved 6 June 2009. The Teso people of Uganda also have a category of men who dress as women.

Kenya

Swedish anthropologist Felix Bryk reported active (i.e., insertive), and also mentioned "homo-erotic bachelors" among the pastoralist Nandi and Maragoli (Wanga). The Nandi as well as the Maasai would sometimes cross-dress as women during initiation ceremonies.

West Africa

The Dagaaba people, who lived in Burkina Faso, believed that homosexual men were able to mediate between the spirit and human worlds.BOOK, Williams, James S., Ethics and Aesthetics in Contemporary African Cinema: The Politics of Beauty, Bloomsbury Academic, 21 March 2019, 9781784533359, {{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=June 2021}} They also believed that gender was based on the energy of a person rather than that of anatomy.WEB,weblink The British Empire and the Criminalisation of Homosexuality, Ahmed, Hannah, 29 July 2020, New Histories, 6 July 2021, 27 February 2021,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20210227214528weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink African Sexuality and the Legacy of Imported Homophobia, Buckle, Leah, 1 October 2020, Stonewall, 6 July 2021, 9 June 2021,weblink live,

Southern Africa

Writing in the 19th century about the area of today's southwestern Zimbabwe, David Livingstone asserted that the monopolization of women by elderly chiefs was essentially responsible for the "immorality" practised by younger men.David Livingstone, The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, From 1865 to His Death, 1866–1873 Continued by a Narrative of His Last Moments and Sufferings Edwin W. Smith and A. Murray Dale mention one Ila-speaking man who dressed as a woman, did women's work, lived and slept among, but not with, women. The Ila label "mwaami" they translated as "prophet". They also mentioned that pederasty was not rare, "but was considered dangerous because of the risk that the boy will become pregnant".Will Roscoe and Stephen O. Murray(Author, Editor, Boy-wives and Female Husbands: Studies of African Homosexualities, 2001 Marc Epprecht's review of 250 court cases from 1892 to 1923 found cases from the beginnings of the records. The five 1892 cases all involved black Africans. A defense offered was that "sodomy" was part of local "custom". In one case a chief was summoned to testify about customary penalties and reported that the penalty was a fine of one cow, which was less than the penalty for adultery. Over the entire period, Epprecht found the balance of black and white defendants proportional to that in the population. He notes, however, only what came to the attention of the courts—most consensual relations in private did not necessarily provoke notice. Some cases were brought by partners who had been dropped or who had not received promised compensation from their former sexual partner. And although the norm was for the younger male to lie supine and not show any enjoyment, let alone expect any sexual mutuality, Epprecht found a case in which a pair of black males had stopped their sexual relationship out of fear of pregnancy, but one wanted to resume taking turns penetrating each other.

Malawi

Demone talks about how Malawi culture does not value homosexuality as something acceptable in their culture. British Colonial rule included laws against homosexuality, which influenced later government policies. Although Malawi gained its independence from Britain in 1964, Malawi officials kept their anti-homosexuality laws enforced. JOURNAL, Demone, Bradley, October 2016, LGBT Rights in Malawi: One Step Back, Two Steps Forward? The Case of R v Steven Monjeza Soko and Tiwonge Chimbalanga Kachepa,weblink Journal of African Law, en, 60, 3, 365–387, 10.1017/S0021855316000127, 0021-8553, free, In 2010, there was a case in Malawi about a man named Steven Monjeza Soko and a transgender woman, named Tiwonge Chimbalanga Kachepa who had an engagement ceremony, were caught by the Malawi Police and charged. The court denied bail and sentenced both Soko and Kachepa to prison. The court did not have evidence of sexual activity and based the sentence on the grounds that Soko and Kachepa had the ceremony.JOURNAL, Demone, Bradley, October 2016, LGBT Rights in Malawi: One Step Back, Two Steps Forward? The Case of R v Steven Monjeza Soko and Tiwonge Chimbalanga Kachepa,weblink Journal of African Law, en, 60, 3, 365–387, 10.1017/S0021855316000127, 0021-8553, free, In Malawi prisons, there is documented homosexual behavior but don't{{Who|date=May 2024}} allow the general public to know about these occurrences. JOURNAL, Currier, Ashley, February 2021, Prison same-sex sexualities in the context of politicized homophobia in Malawi,weblink Sexualities, en, 24, 1-2, 29–45, 10.1177/1363460720914602, 1363-4607,   During 1980s and early 1990s, President Hasting Kamuzu Banda's ignored the massive rise in of HIV/AIDS. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, The Malawian became increasingly educated on HIV/AIDS, but they associated it with homoesexual behavior.

Morocco

Nicholas Hersh reports how in Morocco, LGBTQ asylum-seekers and refugees fear for their lives due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. {{Citation |last=Hersh |first=Nicholas |title=Enhancing UNHCR Protection for LGBTI Asylum-Seekers and Refugees in Morocco: Reflection and Strategies |date=2019 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91905-8_15 |work=LGBTI Asylum Seekers and Refugees from a Legal and Political Perspective: Persecution, Asylum and Integration |pages=299–321 |editor-last=Güler |editor-first=Arzu |access-date=2023-10-18 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-91905-8_15 |isbn=978-3-319-91905-8 |editor2-last=Shevtsova |editor2-first=Maryna |editor3-last=Venturi |editor3-first=Denise|doi-access=free }}  Queer Moroccan Refugees experience social discrimination, violence including rape and imprisonment. Queer Moroccan Refugees who have been outed in their communities may experience poverty and may resort to sex in exchange for housing. {{Citation |last=Hersh |first=Nicholas |title=Enhancing UNHCR Protection for LGBTI Asylum-Seekers and Refugees in Morocco: Reflection and Strategies |date=2019 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91905-8_15 |work=LGBTI Asylum Seekers and Refugees from a Legal and Political Perspective: Persecution, Asylum and Integration |pages=299–321 |editor-last=Güler |editor-first=Arzu |access-date=2023-10-18 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-91905-8_15 |isbn=978-3-319-91905-8 |editor2-last=Shevtsova |editor2-first=Maryna |editor3-last=Venturi |editor3-first=Denise|doi-access=free }}

Legislation by country or territory{| class"collapsible collapsed" style"background-color: transparent; text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"

! style="background-color: #; font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | List of countries or territories by LGBT rights in Africa{{LGBT rights table Africa}}

Public opinion

Views of African leaders on homosexuality

File:Cologne Germany Cologne-Gay-Pride-2015 Parade-17a.jpg|thumb|LGBT activists at Cologne Pride carrying a banner with the flags of the then-72 countries where homosexuality was illegal at the time. Some of the African countries shown are Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Algeria, Sudan, Mauritania (uses the pre-2017 flag)]]The former president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, was uncompromising in his opposition to LGBT rights in Zimbabwe. In September 1995, Zimbabwe's parliament introduced legislation banning homosexual acts.WEB,weblink Hungochani: The History of a Dissident Sexuality in Southern Africa, Epprecht, Marc, 180, May 13, 2024,weblink 26 November 2016, In 1997, a court found Canaan Banana, Mugabe's predecessor and the first President of Zimbabwe, guilty of 11 counts of sodomy and indecent assault.WEB,weblink Body, Sexuality, and Gender v. 1, Veit-Wild, Flora, Naguschewski, Dirk, 2005, Literary Criticism, 93, May 13, 2024,weblink 26 November 2016, Mugabe has previously referred to LGBT people as being "worse than dogs and pigs".NEWS,weblink Police raid headquarters of LGBT rights group,weblink 12 June 2019, Brocklebank, Christopher, 14 August 2012, PinkNews, 14 August 2012, In the Gambia, former President Yahya Jammeh led the call for legislation that would set laws against homosexuals that would be "stricter than those in Iran", and that he would "cut off the head" of any gay or lesbian person discovered in the country. News reports indicated his government intended to execute all homosexuals in the country. In the speech given in Tallinding, Jammeh gave a "final ultimatum" to any gays or lesbians in the Gambia to leave the country.WEB,weblink President Jammeh Gives Ultimatum for Homosexuals to Leave, May 19, 2008, Gambia News, May 13, 2024,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120315181156weblink">weblink 15 March 2012, In a speech to the United Nations on 27 September 2013, Jammeh said that "[h]omosexuality in all its forms and manifestations which, though very evil, antihuman as well as anti-Allah, is being promoted as a human right by some powers", and that those who do so "want to put an end to human existence".WEB,weblink Gambian president says gays a threat to human existence-20130928, Nichols, Michelle, September 28, 2013, Reuters, May 13, 2024,weblink 5 November 2018, In 2014, Jammeh called homosexuals "vermins" by saying that "We will fight these vermins called homosexuals or gays the same way we are fighting malaria-causing mosquitoes, if not more aggressively". He also went on to disparage LGBT people by saying that "As far as I am concerned, LGBT can only stand for Leprosy, Gonorrhoea, Bacteria and Tuberculosis; all of which are detrimental to human existence".NEWS,weblink Gambia's Jammeh calls gays 'vermin', says to fight like mosquitoes, Reuters, 18 February 2014, 2014-02-20, 25 May 2021,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20210525091129weblink">weblink live, NEWS,weblink The Economist, Tainting love, 11 October 2014, 17 October 2014, 26 August 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180826132432weblink">weblink live, In 2015, in defiance of western criticism Jammeh intensified his anti-gay rhetoric, telling a crowd during an agricultural tour: "If you do it [in the Gambia] I will slit your throat—if you are a man and want to marry another man in this country and we catch you, no one will ever set eyes on you again, and no white person can do anything about it."WEB,weblink Gambian President Says He Will Slit Gay Men's Throats in Public Speech – VICE News, 13 July 2016, 9 September 2018,weblink live, In Uganda there were recent efforts to institute the death penalty for homosexuality until March 22, 2023, where gay sex is punishable by the death penalty or life imprisonment.WEB,weblink Harper lobbies Uganda on anti-gay bill, Chase, Steven, November 29, 2009, The Globe and Mail, May 13, 2024,weblink December 1, 2009, WEB,weblink British PM against anti-gay legislation, Gyezaho, Emmanuel, November 29, 2009, Sunday Monitor, May 13, 2024,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20091202052328weblink">weblink 2 December 2009, British newspaper The Guardian reported that President Yoweri Museveni "appeared to add his backing" to the legislative effort by, among other things, claiming "European homosexuals are recruiting in Africa", and saying gay relationships were against God's will.WEB,weblink Uganda considers death sentence for gay sex in bill before parliament, Rice, Xan, November 29, 2009, The Guardian, May 13, 2024,weblink 31 July 2019, In a 2014 interview with CNN, Museveni described homosexuals as "disgusting", saying that their acts are "unnatural" and that he would be able to ignore them if it was proven that "[he] is born that way". He also said that he had appointed a group of scientists in Uganda to determine if homosexuality was a learned orientation. This led to widespread criticism from the scientific community, with an academic of the National Institutes of Health calling on his Ugandan counterparts to reconsider their findings.NEWS, Landau, Elizabeth, Verjee, Zain, Mortensen, Antonia, Uganda president: Homosexuals are 'disgusting',weblink 10 September 2021, CNN, 25 February 2014, And as of March 22, 2023, Uganda passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2023 to make it illegal to identify as LGBT and made it punishable with life imprisonment, and imposes the death penalty for aggravated gay sex.WEB, Nicholls, Larry Madowo,Catherine, 2023-03-21, Uganda parliament passes bill criminalizing identifying as LGBTQ, imposes death penalty for some offenses,weblink 2023-03-22, CNN, en, NEWS, Atuhaire, Patience, 2023-03-21, Uganda Anti-Homosexuality bill: Life in prison for saying you're gay, en-GB, BBC News,weblink 2023-03-22, Abune Paulos, the late Patriarch of the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which has a very strong influence in Christian Ethiopia, stated homosexuality is an animal-like behavior that must be punished.WEB,weblink Gay gathering sparks row between Ethiopia church and state, November 29, 2011, Reuters, May 13, 2024, WEB,weblink Guns, knives and rape: the plight of a gay Ethiopian refugee in Kenya, Kushner, Jacob, June 29, 2015, The Groundtruth project, May 13, 2024,weblink April 15, 2016, Chad in 2017 passed a law criminalizing sodomy. Previously, the country never had any laws against consensual same-sex activity. Conversely, some African states like Lesotho, São Tomé and Príncipe, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Angola, and Botswana have abolished sodomy laws in the 21st century. Legalization is proposed in some African states like Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Gabon passed a law criminalizing sodomy in 2019 and reversed its decision by once again decriminalizing homosexuality a year later in 2020.WEB,weblink UNAIDS welcomes decision by Gabon to decriminalize same-sex sexual relations, July 7, 2020, UNAIDS, May 13, 2024,weblink July 8, 2020, WEB,weblink Homosexuality: the countries where it is illegal to be gay, March 31, 2023, BBC, May 13, 2024,weblink May 14, 2023,

Marriage

{{Same-sex marriage opinion polls Africa}}

Adoption

{{Same-sex adoption opinion polls Africa}}

Homosexuals as neighbours{| class"wikitable sortable"

! colspan="3" | Acceptance of homosexuals as neighbours! Country! Would tolerate (%)! Would not tolerate (%)Cape Verde}}80%}}| 20%South Africa}}70%}}| 28%Mauritius}}56%}}| 39%Namibia}}54%}}| 44%Mozambique}}48%}}| 43%São Tomé and Príncipe}}| 40%59%}}Botswana}}| 36%57%}}Tunisia}}| 19%63%}}Lesotho}}| 22%77%}}Benin}}| 22%77%}}Gabon}}| 20%79%}}Ivory Coast}}| 19%79%}}Morocco}}| 15%78%}}Eswatini}}| 18%81%}}Sudan}}| 14%82%}}Tanzania}}| 10%85%}}Togo}}| 10%86%}}Kenya}}| 9%86%}}Madagascar}}| 11%89%}}Mali}}| 11%89%}}Zimbabwe}}| 8%90%}}Cameroon}}| 8%91%}}Nigeria}}| 8%91%}}Niger}}| 9%92%}}Burkina Faso}}| 8%91%}}Sierra Leone}}| 7%91%}}Ghana}}| 7%93%}}Guinea}}| 7%93%}}Malawi}}| 5%94%}}Senegal}}| 4%94%}}Liberia}}| 5%95%}}Zambia}}| 4%95%}}Uganda}}| 3%96%}}Gambia}}| 3%96%}}! colspan="3" | Source: Afrobarometer (2016-2018)

See also

• Recognition of same-sex unions in Africa
• Human rights in Africa
• Coalition of African Lesbians
• LGBT rights by country or territory
• LGBT rights in Europe
• LGBT rights in the Americas
• LGBT rights in Asia
• LGBT rights in Oceania

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

• JOURNAL, Nyoni, Zanele, The Struggle for Equality: LGBT Rights Activism in Sub-Saharan Africa, Human Rights Law Review, 2020, 20, 3, 582–601, 10.1093/hrlr/ngaa019,
• BOOK, Gloppen, Siri, Rakner, Lise, Research Handbook on Gender, Sexuality and the Law, 2020, 9781788111157,weblink LGBT rights in Africa,

External links

{{Commons category|LGBT in Africa}}

• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110724225438weblink">African Veil – African LGBT site with news articles
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110616142813weblink">Africans and Arabs come out online, Reuters via Television New Zealand

Signare Bi Sukugn Afroqueer Reporter

• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100730223926weblink">Behind the Mask, LGBT Magazine in Africa
• Coalition of African Lesbians
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110722222055weblink">Pink & Black magazine
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090129080020weblink">LGBT Stories from Afrol
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110601021922weblink">Morality of Homosexuality – Acceptance rate per country

{{Africa in topic|LGBT rights in}}{{LGBT rights footer}}