On Friday, June 21, a Namibian high court ruled that two colonial-era statutes criminalizing same-sex acts between men were unconstitutional. This ruling represents a big triumph for Namibia’s LGBTQ community.
Namibian activist Friedel Dausab began the case, which received help from the UK-based Human Dignity Trust. Following the court’s judgment, Dausab voiced his excitement, saying, “It’s a fantastic day for Namibia. “Love will no longer be a crime.”
Rights advocates have emphasized that, while prosecutions under the “sodomy” and “unnatural sexual offences” statutes were rare, they created persistent prejudice against the LGBTQ population and instilled fear of arrest in gay men.
Namibia acquired the rules after gaining independence from South Africa in 1990, while same-sex actions between men were previously criminalized during colonial rule.
South Africa has since decriminalized same-sex sexual behavior, and it is the only African country that allows LGBTQ couples to adopt children, marry, and form civil unions.
Despite considerable Western condemnation, Uganda approved one of the world’s worst anti-LGBTQ laws last year, including the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality”.
In Ghana, for example, many people are speaking out against a deadly anti-lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) legislation.
Ghana’s parliament enacted a bill in February of this year that toughens criminal penalties for consensual same-sex relationships and criminalizes the acts of individuals and organizations who advocate for LGBT rights.