LGBT rights in Burundi
Encyclopedia
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) persons in Burundi face legal issues not experienced by non-LGBT
citizens. The lower house of Burundi
's parliament passed legislation criminalizing homosexual acts in November 2008. The Senate of Burundi
later rejected the proposed amendment, but the assembly, which can override the senate, voted to restore the amendment which was then signed into law by President Pierre Nkurunziza
on 22 April 2009.
The November 2008 legislation passed by the National Assembly of Burundi
criminalizes homosexual acts.
based on sexual orientation
.
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. The lower house of Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
's parliament passed legislation criminalizing homosexual acts in November 2008. The Senate of Burundi
Senate of Burundi
The Senate is the upper chamber of Parliament in Burundi. It consists of no fewer than 37 and no more than 54 members who serve 5-year terms....
later rejected the proposed amendment, but the assembly, which can override the senate, voted to restore the amendment which was then signed into law by President Pierre Nkurunziza
Pierre Nkurunziza
Pierre Nkurunziza is a Burundian politician who has been President of Burundi since 2005. He is the Chairman of the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy , the ruling party in Burundi, and also the current Chairman of the East African...
on 22 April 2009.
Laws regarding same-sex sexual activity
Both female and male acts were previously legal in Burundi.The November 2008 legislation passed by the National Assembly of Burundi
National Assembly of Burundi
The National Assembly is the lower chamber of Parliament in Burundi. It consists of 100 directly elected members and between 18 to 21 co-opted members who serve five-year terms....
criminalizes homosexual acts.
Penalties
Under the law, homosexuality carries a penalty of three months to two years imprisonment and a fine of 50,000–100,000 Burundian Francs.Recognition of same-sex relationships
There is no legal recognition of same-sex couples. Constitution bans same-sex marriage.Discrimination protections
There is no protection from discriminationDiscrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
based on 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,...
.
Living conditions
The U.S. Department of State's 2010 Human Rights Report found that "although discrimination existed, it was not always overt or widespread. Families sometimes disowned children who refused to deny their homosexual identity, and gays and lesbians often entered opposite-sex marriages due to social pressure. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights organization Humure reported that 90 percent of the men they surveyed who engaged in male-to-male sex were married. Representatives of the LGBT community stated that after the 2009 passage of the revised penal code criminalizing same sex relations, they were subjected to more discrimination, but the number of cases remained small. The government took no steps to counter discrimination against gays and lesbians."See also
- Politics of BurundiPolitics of BurundiPolitics of Burundi takes place in a framework of a transitional presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Burundi is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government...
- Human rights in AfricaHuman rights in AfricaHuman rights as a legal concept is a relatively recent notion in Africa. The United Nations System, international law and the African Union have certainly all contributed to the establishment of a human rights system in Africa, which has positively and indispensably influenced the advancement of...
- 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
- Burundi: Mixed Response to New Penal Code, All Africa, 9 December 2008
- Burundi outlaws homosexuals, 24 November 2008
- Burundi abolishes death penalty, (AFP) The Times, 22 November 2008 — includes criminalization of homosexuality
- International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission — Burundi information
- Burundi rejects proposal to criminalise homosexual relations, 17 February 2009
- Burundi criminalized homosexuality, 28 April 2009