Homosexuality in Mozambique

Geographical location of Mozambique

Homosexuality is hardly taboo in society in Mozambique , but it is not a major public issue.

Legal situation

There is no criminal law in Mozambique that explicitly criminalizes homosexual acts . Until 2015, however, the penal code contained a criminal provision that penalized acts against nature with prison sentences. According to the organization ILGA , this criminal provision has also been extended to include sexual acts between same-sex people in criminal application. In fact, there are few to no reports from Mozambique where this law has been enforced against homosexual people in recent years. Mozambique's Justice Minister Benvinda Lev declared in 2011 that homosexual acts were not a criminal offense in her country. On June 29, 2015, the new penal code came into force, with which actions against nature are no longer punishable.

Anti-discrimination laws

In Mozambique there has been legal protection based on sexual orientation in employment since 2007 .

Recognition of same-sex couples

State recognition of same-sex couples does not exist in the form of same-sex marriage or in a registered partnership .

Social situation

Compared to neighboring East African and South African countries (positive exception South Africa ), Mozambique is considered to be a more tolerant country towards LGBT people. A small LGBT community, which cannot be compared with the standards in western industrialized countries, is primarily found in the capital Maputo .

See also

• Laws on homosexuality
• Equality (homosexuals)

Web links

• Afrol News: Mozambique discovers its gay minority

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Salane Muchanga: Mozambique discovers its gay minority , at www.afrol.com, accessed on December 22, 2009 (English).
2. ↑ Globalgayz: Gay Mozambique News & Reports
3. ↑ ^{a b} ILGA: State-sponsored Homophobia: A world survey of laws prohibiting same sex activity between consenting adults ( Memento of the original from March 6, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English, PDF document; 392 kB) 
4. ^ Mary Fitzpatrick : Mozambique , (Lonely Planet), p. 174
5. ↑ AllAfrica: Praise for Recognition That Gay Sex Not Illegal
6. ↑ [1]
7. ↑ Africa: Outspoken activists defend continent's sexual diversity ( Memento of the original from June 15, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.