According to rights group Human Rights Watch, Angola has decriminalized gay sex.
“Angola has finally shed the divisive ‘vices against nature’ provision in its law, widely interpreted to be a ban on homosexual conduct,” the group wrote.
Human Rights Watch said that the provision prohibiting same-sex relations was a holdover from its Portuguese colonizers. On January 23, Angola’s parliament adopted a new penal code and removed the provision.
Human Rights Watch said that it did not know of any prosecutions under the law.
“In casting aside this archaic and insidious relic of the colonial past, Angola has eschewed discrimination and embraced equality,” the group said.
The government also approved a law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in the areas of employment and public services. Violators face up to two years in prison.
Gay sex remains a crime in most African nations.
by Carlos Santoscoy
Source – On Top Magazine
