Gabon Lawmakers Vote to Decriminalize Homosexuality

Gabon’s National Assembly has voted in favour of decriminalising homosexuality on Tuesday by an overwhelming majority.

Passed 48 votes to 24 with 25 members of parliament abstaining from the vote, the announcement comes as a triumph for gay rights activist groups in sub-Saharan Africa.

Officially, the National Assembly voted to reverse the law criminalising homosexuality which had been introduced in 2019, naming homosexuality “an offense against morality”.

The previous law carried the punishment of up to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of 5 million CFA francs.

 Prime Minister Julien Nkoghe Bekale welcomed the reform, stating that he was against “the stigmatisation of homosexuals” despite his religious beliefs.

Gabon is a nation of strong religious convictions from both Christian and Islamic faiths, and last week’s amendment has attracted criticism from both religions leaders, suggesting that it is a pander to Western governments.

In sub-Saharan Africa, 28 out of 49 countries have still laws criminalising homosexuality, and across the region it is still widely stigmatised.

Photo: Getty Images.