Namibian Court Ends Law Against Same-Sex Relationships
There was widespread celebration among the LGBTQ community after a top Namibian court on Friday, June 21, overturned colonial-era laws that criminalized same-sex relationships.
The high court in Windhoek, the capital, ruled that the laws against “sodomy” and “unnatural sexual offences” were “unconstitutional and invalid,” a decision applauded by LGBTQ rights organizations.
“In a democratic society like ours… it is not reasonably justifiable to criminalize an activity simply because a segment, perhaps a majority, of the population finds it unacceptable,” the judges stated.
The ruling nullifies laws from 1927, which Namibia inherited from the colonial period but kept in place after gaining independence from South Africa in 1990.
“This decision means I no longer feel like a criminal in my own country just because of who I am,” said Friedel Dausab, the activist who filed the case.
The London-based Human Dignity Trust described the ruling as “historic.”
“Namibian LGBTQ individuals can now look forward to a brighter future,” said its chief executive, Tea Braun.
The United Nations AIDS program, UNAIDS, celebrated the ruling as a “significant victory for equality and human rights
“This decision is a powerful step towards a more inclusive Namibia,” said Anne Githuku-Shongwe, UNAIDS regional director for East and Southern Africa.