LGBT rights in Angola
Encyclopedia
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Angola face legal issues not experienced by non-LGBT
citizens. Both male and female homosexual
acts are illegal in Angola
. In 2010, the Angolan government refused to receive openly gay Isi Yanouka as the new Israel
i ambassador, due to his sexuality.
colonial rule and have remained after independence. The law stipulates that repeat offenders can be sentenced to labor camps http://www.ilga.org/
or the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola had for LGBT
citizens. Democratization efforts began to develop in the 1990s, alongside the peace treaty, which provided an opportunity for the first social organization for LGBT Angolans. Yet, the, Australian based Mokalu Foundation was unable to get an organization established in Luanda http://www.asylumlaw.org/docs/sexualminorities/Angola%201%20%281993-1998%29%28SO%29.pdf.
In 2008, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) won a majority of legislative seats. While it is a member of the Socialist International
, which supports LGBT-rights, the ruling party has avoided LGBT-rights issues
Likewise, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNIT) and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA) have avoided the subject of LGBT-rights.
As of 2010, no laws exist to prohibit discrimination or harassment on the basis of sexual orientation
or gender identity
. No political party or candidate has expressed support for LGBT rights.
Most Angolan citizens affiliate with a traditionalist Protestant or Catholic sect that supports traditional gender roles and views homosexuality and cross-dressing as immoral. The second largest religion would be indigenous religious beliefs, whose views on LGBT people are unknown, and the third largest religion in Angola is Islam, which traditionally condemns homosexuality and cross-dressing.
Angolan LGBT citizens have no protection from discrimination and often report being verbally and physical harassmed by people who believe that they are immoral http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18287.
As of 2010, no legal recognition exists for same-sex couples. In 2005, the unofficial commitment ceremony of a gay couple, was treated as, "shameless" and "abonimable" in the national news magazines. http://www.globalgayz.com/country/Angola/view/AGO/angola-news-and-reports
people. The high level of poverty means that many people who are infected find it difficult to access medical care and other necessities of life. Employment protection for people living with the disease exists since 2003.
Efforts to develop educational program specifically for LGBT
people have struggled to receive funding from NGO's. The first association, Acção Humana (Human Action), was launched in 2006 but has been unable to receive funding. In 2007, a study on AIDS-HIV estimated that roughly five percent of HIV infections are from men who have sex with other men http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18287.
National legislation to criminalize people who intentionally infect another person with AIDS-HIV has been debated in 2004 and 2007, but failed to pass.
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
citizens. Both male and female homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
acts are illegal in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. In 2010, the Angolan government refused to receive openly gay Isi Yanouka as the new Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i ambassador, due to his sexuality.
Constitutional Rights
LGBT citizens are not expressly mentioned in the Constitution, ratified in 1992, but several provisions may impact the legal right of LGBT Angolians http://confinder.richmond.edu/confinder.html.- Article 08 – Separation between Church and State
- Article 20 – Right to the, "free development of his or her personality..."
- Article 29 – Protection of marriage and family by the State.
- Article 32(3) – Prohibits free expression that is contrary to the law.
- Article 35 – Freedom of the press.
- Article 47 – Right to health care.
Criminal laws
Articles 70 and 71 prohibit private, adult and consensual homosexual acts as, "an offense against public morality". Criminal laws against homosexuality were first introduced during Portuguesecolonial rule and have remained after independence. The law stipulates that repeat offenders can be sentenced to labor camps http://www.ilga.org/
Discrimination & Harassment
It is unknown what specific policies or proposals the National Front for the Liberation of Angola, Popular Movement for the Liberation of AngolaPopular Movement for the Liberation of Angola
The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Labour Party is a political party that has ruled Angola since the country's independence from Portugal in 1975...
or the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola had for LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
citizens. Democratization efforts began to develop in the 1990s, alongside the peace treaty, which provided an opportunity for the first social organization for LGBT Angolans. Yet, the, Australian based Mokalu Foundation was unable to get an organization established in Luanda http://www.asylumlaw.org/docs/sexualminorities/Angola%201%20%281993-1998%29%28SO%29.pdf.
In 2008, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) won a majority of legislative seats. While it is a member of the Socialist International
Socialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
, which supports LGBT-rights, the ruling party has avoided LGBT-rights issues
Likewise, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNIT) and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA) have avoided the subject of LGBT-rights.
As of 2010, no laws exist to prohibit discrimination or harassment on the basis of sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
or gender identity
Gender identity
A gender identity is the way in which an individual self-identifies with a gender category, for example, as being either a man or a woman, or in some cases being neither, which can be distinct from biological sex. Basic gender identity is usually formed by age three and is extremely difficult to...
. No political party or candidate has expressed support for LGBT rights.
Society
In the 1920s, a German Anthropologist named Kurt Falk published his research African tribes, which included some acceptance of bisexuality http://www.asylumlaw.org/docs/sexualminorities/Angola%20CU%20%28SO%29.pdf. Yet, this is not the norm within contemporary Angola, where attitudes about sexual orientation and gender identity are heavily influenced by religious teachings.Most Angolan citizens affiliate with a traditionalist Protestant or Catholic sect that supports traditional gender roles and views homosexuality and cross-dressing as immoral. The second largest religion would be indigenous religious beliefs, whose views on LGBT people are unknown, and the third largest religion in Angola is Islam, which traditionally condemns homosexuality and cross-dressing.
Angolan LGBT citizens have no protection from discrimination and often report being verbally and physical harassmed by people who believe that they are immoral http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18287.
Family
The religious values of some Angolans are not consistent with the support of same-sex marriage or LGBT adopting or having custody of children. In general, significant social pressure is put on people to marry a suitable partner of the opposite sex and have children http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18287.As of 2010, no legal recognition exists for same-sex couples. In 2005, the unofficial commitment ceremony of a gay couple, was treated as, "shameless" and "abonimable" in the national news magazines. http://www.globalgayz.com/country/Angola/view/AGO/angola-news-and-reports
HIV/AIDS
The criminal laws and social stigma make it difficult to target AIDS-HIV education programs for LGBTLGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
people. The high level of poverty means that many people who are infected find it difficult to access medical care and other necessities of life. Employment protection for people living with the disease exists since 2003.
Efforts to develop educational program specifically for LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
people have struggled to receive funding from NGO's. The first association, Acção Humana (Human Action), was launched in 2006 but has been unable to receive funding. In 2007, a study on AIDS-HIV estimated that roughly five percent of HIV infections are from men who have sex with other men http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=18287.
National legislation to criminalize people who intentionally infect another person with AIDS-HIV has been debated in 2004 and 2007, but failed to pass.
See also
- Human rights in AngolaHuman rights in AngolaHuman rights in Angola are poor with widespread documentation of arbitrary arrest and detention and torture.- Constitutional Rights :The national Constitution, ratified in 1992, does guarantee most of the legal, social and political rights that are outlined in many other developed democratic...
- Politics of AngolaPolitics of AngolaSince the adoption of a new constitution, early in 2010, the politics of Angola takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of Angola is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government...
- LGBT rights in AfricaLGBT rights in AfricaLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender rights in Africa are limited in comparison to other areas of the world, with the BBC estimating that homosexuality is outlawed in 38 African countries...
External links
- Asylumlaw.org: Sexual Minorities & HIV Status (Angola) — various information packets used for asylum purposes
- Angola travel advice: Local laws and customs — UK government