LGBT rights in Angola
| LGBT rights in Angola | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Same-sex sexual activity legal? | Illegal |
| Discrimination protections | Yes, for sexual orientation (employment only) |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships |
No |
LGBT rights in Angola have seen some improvement in the early half of the twenty-first century. Angola no longer prohibits private, non-commercial homosexual conduct between consenting adults. Some NGOs in Angola, that are working on AIDS-HIV education, are beginning to work with the LGBT community, and there are no reports of LGBT people being specifically targeted for harassment in Angola by police or vigilante groups.
LGBT citizens were not expressly mentioned in the previous Constitution, ratified in 1992. The new Constitution of 2010 does make some general provisions concerning human rights, freedom, equality and tolerance that may apply to all citizens, irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity. For example, the Constitution stipulates that the government will work to secure equal rights and opportunities for all citizens, irrespective of, among other things, "any other form of discrimination".
The age of consent in Angola is 12. However, while rarely prosecuted, sexual relations with a child between the ages of 12 and 15 can sometimes be considered sexual abuse which is punishable with up to 8 years in prison.
Articles 70 and 71 of the national penal code contained a vaguely worded prohibition against public immorality, which may have be used to punish LGBT people for their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The penal code was revised in 2011, to remove these laws, but the older edition of the penal code is still sometimed used by judges. (See U.S. Library of Congress "Laws On Homosexuality In African nations." 2015)
The three major political parties have not formally addressed LGBT in their respective party platforms. On the rare occasion that politicians and other government officials have dealt with LGBT people or rights, their policies have reflected prevailing attitudes.
In 2010, the Angolan government refused to receive openly gay Isi Yanouka as the new Israeli ambassador, allegedly due to his sexual orientation.
The government does allow for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to exist in Angola, and some charities have begun to work with members of the LGBT community with regards to AIDS-HIV education.
The General Labour Law (7/15) which came into effect on 15 September 2015, prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, among other categories.
In the 1920s, a German anthropologist named Kurt Falk published his research on African tribes, which included some acceptance of bisexuality. Yet, this is not the norm within contemporary Angola.
Prevailing social attitudes about sexual orientatiation tend to reflect traditional Catholic and Protestant values concerning human sexuality and gender roles. These values and mores do shape public policy.
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