By Muhammed Akinyemi
LAGOS, Dec 12 (Openly) – Across Africa, while court verdicts ensured rights for LGBTQ+ people in Kenya and Namibia, countries such as Uganda and Ghana doubled down on anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
The year began with 32 of 54 African countries criminalising LGBTQ+ people, according to rights group Human Dignity Trust. Going into 2024, that number is down to 31.
Here are the significant updates from 2023.
Mauritius: The island country’s highest court decriminalised same-sex relations, striking down a colonial-era law dating back to 1898.
Kenya: The east African country’s Supreme Court in February affirmed the right of LGBTQ+ advocacy groups to register as NGOs.
Following the ruling, opposition member of parliament Peter Kaluma presented a bill to parliament in May that would effectively undo the Supreme Court’s decision by limiting LGBTQ+ people’s rights of assembly, expression and demonstration. The bill is still in parliament and has not yet been passed.
Namibia: The Supreme Court recognised same-sex marriages conducted outside the southern African country. In October, arguments were heard by Namibia’s Supreme Court in a case challenging the constitutionality of laws banning sodomy and related offences. The court will deliver a judgment in May 2024.
GAY TIMES and Openly/Thomson Reuters Foundation are working together to deliver leading LGBTQIA+ news to a global audience.
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