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Gay Sex Is No Longer A Crime In Namibia

Sex between men had been a crime in Namibia due to two colonial era laws from 1927.

Kassy Cho

Jun 24, 2024 — 3 min read

Gay sex is no longer a crime in Namibia.

namibia gay pride rainbow — Dozens of people cheer and dance as they take part in the Namibian Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual (LGBT) community pride Parade in the streets of the Namibian Capitol on July 29, 2017 in Windhoek. (Photo credit should read HILDEGARD TITUS/AFP via Getty Images)

Sex between men had been a crime in the country due to two colonial era laws from 1927.

namibia pride lgbt — Participants of the Swakopmund Gay Pride greet passers on the main street of the city, June 4, 2016, Namibia. People from all over the country met for the first time for pride march in Namibia for supporting LGBT community. (Photo by Oleksandr Rupeta/NurPhoto)

In 2022, Friedel Dausab, a gay Namibian man, filed a case against the laws.

friedel dausab namibia gay sex ruling sodomy — Photo courtesy of Equal Namibia

And on Friday June 21, the country’s high court struck down the laws, finding them unconstitutional.

namibia lgbtq same sex pride kiss — Dozens of people cheer and dance as they take part in the Namibian Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual (LGBT) community pride Parade in the streets of the Namibian Capitol. (Photo credit should read HILDEGARD TITUS/AFP via Getty Images)

The judges said in their verdict that the laws constituted unfair discrimination as consensual sex between a man and woman is not a crime.

equal namibia sodomy ruling overturned — Photo courtesy of Equal Namibia

Namibia had inherited the law when it gained independence from South Africa in 1990.

namibia pride march rainbow — Dozens of people cheer and dance as they take part in the Namibian Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual (LGBT) community pride Parade in the streets of the Namibian Capitol. (Photo credit should read HILDEGARD TITUS/AFP via Getty Images)

namibia gay sex ban overturned — Photo courtesy of Equal Namibia

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