Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in São Tomé and Príncipe face legal challenges not experienced by non-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...

 residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal in São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...

. While homosexuality is currently illegal in the country, the nation was one of the 66 signatories of the UN declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity

UN declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity

Since its founding in 1945, the United Nations has not touched on the issue of sexual orientation or gender identity until December of 2008, when a Dutch/French-initiated, European Union-backed statement was presented to the United Nations General Assembly. The statement, originally intended to be...

, which failed to pass.

Laws regarding same-sex sexual activity

Both male and female same-sex sexual acts are illegal in São Tomé and Príncipe, under law inherited from colonial rule

Portuguese Empire

The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...

. Habitual offenders may be sent to labor camps. On January 31, 2011, Representatives at São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is a Portuguese-speaking island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial coast of Central Africa. It consists of two islands: São Tomé and Príncipe, located about apart and about , respectively, off...

's United Nations Universal Periodic Review announced that upcoming revisions to its Criminal Code will decriminalize same-sex sexual activity in the country. The new code would come into effect in 4 months time.

Recognition of same-sex relationships

São Tomé and Príncipe does not recognize same-sex marriages, civil unions, or domestic partnerships.

Discrimination protections

There is no legal protection against discrimination 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,...

 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...

.

See also

• LGBT rights in Africa
  LGBT rights in Africa
  Lesbian, 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...
  
  
• Human rights in Africa
  Human rights in Africa
  Human 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...