Zambia gay policy

Zambia’s existing laws prohibit same-sex sexual conduct, terming it as “against the order of nature,” and carry punishments of up to life imprisonment. This legal framework poses a critical barrier to the right to change legal gender and the future progress of LGBTQI+ rights in the country. According to a report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Committee by Global Rights and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, the criminalization of consensual homosexual sex in Zambia "has a devastating impact on same-sex practicing people in Zambia".

LGBT Rights in Zambia: homosexuality, gay marriage, gay adoption, serving in the military, sexual orientation discrimination protection, changing legal gender, donating blood, age of consent, and more. Homosexuality is illegal in Zambia, with laws that stem from colonial-era penal codes. These laws criminalize same-sex relations under the guise of “unnatural offenses.” Engaging in consensual same-sex relations can result in imprisonment for up to 14 years.

In June , Zambia reiterated its position of not recognising LGBTI rights that allegedly run counter to the country’s culture and are an affront to the Consti-tution, which acknowledges Zambia as a Christian nation. The organization's representatives declined to comment because of ongoing legal proceedings. The US Department of State report noted that societal violence against LGBT people occurred, as did harassment and discrimination in employment, housing, education, and healthcare, and the government made no attempt to address this discrimination.

After President Hakainde Hichilema won a landslide victory in the August elections, Zambian progressives and human rights advocates pinned their hopes on the liberal politician to repeal the law that criminalizes homosexuality. In some public spaces, insults and threats are part of everyday life, added Mary. While you're here: Every weekday, we host AfricaLink, a podcast packed with news, politics, culture and more.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The report by the NGO Panos Institute Southern Africa showed how their sexual behavior had a wider impact on society, providing evidence that men who have sex with men also have sex with women. It is unbiblical and un-Christian. They were beaten, yet refused to press charges out of for fear of being charged themselves.

The US Department of State report for stated that the government enforced laws against same-sex sexual activity during the year, but rather than submit cases for trial, police on several occasions arrested suspected LGBT persons on bogus charges, forcing them to spend at least one night in jail. The men spent 14 months in remand prison before their acquittal.

Anti gay laws in africa

I will not compromise human nature because of money. Their sentencing was met with strong criticism from the US ambassador to Zambia, Daniel Foote, who implored the Zambian Government to review the case. The issue is that in our country that is illegal. Under the Lungu administration, Zambia was seen to be a Chinese enclave.

Following international pressure, the men received a presidential pardon in Latest See all. Hichilema maintained that the constitution was clear on the issue and that Zambia was a Christian nation that would not go against Christianity. He was detained on charges of promoting homosexuality. View our Privacy Statement for more details. You can listen and follow AfricaLink wherever you get your podcasts.

In it may have contributed to the inclusion of a representative from the LGBTQ community on the board of the National AIDS Council — one of the country's most powerful health authorities — said a source who preferred to remain anonymous. Religious leaders spread vitriol and dehumanize queer individuals, according to Kaoma, which leaves many LGBTQ people with only one option: leaving.

Zambia, the most dangerous country to be gay in. In March, Zambia backed the U. I agree to the privacy policy. Criminal Provisions.