LGBT rights in Namibia

LGBTQ rights in Namibia
Namibia
StatusLegal since 2024[1][2][3]
Gender identitySex reassignment surgery is required to change legal gender
MilitaryNo
Discrimination protectionsSexual orientation protections
Family rights
Recognition of relationshipsSame-sex marriages performed outside of Namibia recognized since 2023
AdoptionAmbiguous

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Namibia have expanded in the 21st century, although LGBT people still have limited legal protections.[4][5] Namibia's colonial-era laws criminalising male homosexuality were historically unenforced, and were overturned by the country's High Court in 2024.[1]

The climate for LGBT people in Namibia has eased in recent years. The country's leading LGBT advocacy group is OutRight Namibia,[citation needed] formed in March 2010 and officially registered in November 2010. It has organised Namibia's first pride parades and seeks to be "a voice for lesbian women, gay men, bisexuals and transgender and intersex people in Namibia".[6] Other LGBT groups include MPower Community Trust, which provides awareness of sexual health for gay and bisexual men, the Namibian Gays and Lesbian Movement, which provides counselling and advice to LGBT people and organises educational programs to raise awareness of LGBT Namibians, Tulinam, an LGBT faith-based group, and Wings to Transcend Namibia, a transgender group.[7]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Guardian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Routh, Roland (November 2023). "Ruling on sodomy law reserved for May 2024". New Era. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  3. ^ "LGBTQ+ Namibians await landmark court ruling on gay sex law | Context".
  4. ^ "Namibia". Human Dignity Trust. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  5. ^ Petersen, Shelleygan (October 2023). "Gay community ready to take legal action over Ekandjo's bills". The Namibian. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  6. ^ "OutRight Namibia". Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  7. ^ "Namibia's Compliance with the U.N. Convention Against Torture: LGBTI Rights" (PDF). The Advocates for Human Rights. 2016.