LGBT rights in Somalia
LGBTQ rights in Somalia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status | Illegal[1] |
| Penalty | Up to 3 years imprisonment[1] |
| Gender identity | n/a |
| Military | n/a |
| Discrimination protections | None |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No recognition of same-sex relationships |
| Adoption | n/a |
LGBT rights in Somalia fall under the scope of Somalia's federal laws. As such, homosexuality is illegal in the country and is punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment.[1]
Legislation
Homosexuality was criminalised in the territory of present-day Somalia in 1888.[2] Under Article 409 of the Somali Penal Code introduced in 1973, sexual intercourse with a person of the same sex is punishable by imprisonment from three months to three years. An "act of lust" other than sexual intercourse is punishable by a prison term of two months to two years. Under Article 410 of the Somali Penal Code, an additional security measure may accompany sentences for homosexual acts, usually coming in the form of police surveillance to prevent "re-offending".[3]
HIV/AIDS Prevention
Family planning services are hard to access, as is fact-based information on human sexuality. Humanitarian workers have stated that Islamic social mores often make it difficult to publicly talk about how the virus can be spread.[4] Since 1999, much of the AIDS/HIV education and care has come from international organizations such as the United Nations.[4]
Despite this, Somalia has one of the lowest HIV infection rates on the continent. This is attributed to the Muslim nature of Somali society and adherence of Somalis to Islamic morals.[5] While the estimated HIV prevalence rate in Somalia in 1987 (the first case report year) was 1% of adults,[5] a more recent estimate from 2007 now places it at only 0.5% of the nation's adult population.[6]
LGBT organizations
As of 2004, one group reportedly existed for LGBT people in Somalia.[7]
Living conditions
The U.S. Department of State's 2010 Human Rights Report found that “sexual orientation was considered a taboo topic, and there was no public discussion of this issue in any region of the country," and that "there were no reports of societal violence or discrimination based on sexual orientation."[8]
Summary table
| Same-sex sexual activity legal |  (Illegal: Up to 3 years imprisonment)
|
| Equal age of consent |
|
| Anti-discrimination laws in employment only |
|
| Anti-discrimination laws in the provision of goods and services |
|
| Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas (Incl. indirect discrimination, hate speech) |
|
| Same-sex marriages |
|
| Recognition of same-sex couples |
|
| Step-child adoption by same-sex couples |
|
| Joint adoption by same-sex couples |
|
| Gays and lesbians allowed to serve openly in the military |
|
| Right to change legal gender |
|
| Access to IVF for lesbians |
|
| Commercial surrogacy for gay male couples |
|
| MSMs allowed to donate blood |
|
See also
References
- ^ a b c The Politics of Homosexuality in Africa
- ^ "Where is it illegal to be gay?". BBC News. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
- ^ Somalia Country Assessment – April 2002
- ^ a b http://data.unaids.org/pub/Report/2008/somalia_2008_country_progress_report_en.pdf
- ^ a b "Religious and cultural traits in HIV/AIDS epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa" (PDF). Retrieved 27 June 2010.
- ^ "Somalia". World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2009.
- ^ http://www.sodomylaws.org/world/somalia/sonews007.htm
- ^ http://paei.state.gov/documents/organization/160144.pdf
External links
- "Soulmates: The Price of Being Gay in Somalia" Afrol News
- Ali, Noor. "Gay Somali refugees face death threats." (Archive) Al Jazeera. 7 July 2013.
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