LGBTQ rights in Rwanda | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status | Legal |
| Gender identity | No |
| Military | No |
| Discrimination protections | Ambiguous |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No recognition of same-sex relationships |
| Adoption | No |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Rwanda face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. While neither homosexuality nor homosexual acts are illegal, homosexuality is considered a taboo topic, and there is no significant public discussion of this issue in any region of the country and LGBTQ people still face stigmatization among the broader population.[1] No anti-discrimination laws are afforded to LGBTQ citizens,[1] and same-sex marriages are not recognized by the state, as the Constitution of Rwanda provides that "[o]nly civil monogamous marriage between a man and a woman is recognized".[2] LGBTQ Rwandans have reported being harassed, blackmailed, and even arrested by the police under various laws dealing with public order and morality.[3]
Rwanda is a signatory of the United Nations joint statement condemning violence against LGBTQ people and is one of only a few countries in Africa to have sponsored the declaration, and stands in sharp contrast with neighbouring Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi. Rwanda and Djibouti are the only East African countries where homosexual acts are legal.
- ^ a b Spartacus International Gay Guide, p. 1216. Bruno Gmunder Verlag, 2007.
- ^ "Article 26 of the Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda" (PDF).
- ^ "Gay Rwanda 2008". 1 January 2009. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.