What's life like for LGBTQ people in Angola?
Let's take a look at some of the key equality indicators.
What's life like for LGBTQ people in Angola? Let's take a look at some of the key equality indicators.
Is homosexuality legal?
Yes. Homosexuality was decriminalised in 2020.
Are there any anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people?
Yes. There are protections against employment discrimination based on sexuality.
Is there Marriage Equality in Angola?
No. There is no legal recognition of same-sex relationships.
What's life like for LGBTQ people in Angola?
Angola is a socially conservative country. While strongly influenced by conservative Christian churches, public opinion appears to be becoming more accepting of LGBTQ people.
What’s the history of Angola?
This part of the world was ruled by the Kingdom of the Kongo, until the Portuguese arrived 1484 and established a colony. Portugal effectively held what we now know as Angola for centuries, but their level of control was minimal. A full-scale revolution against Portugal’s colonial rule finally broke out in 1961, and by 1975 the Soviet-backed Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) had effectively taken control.
Anti-LGBTQ laws
Criminalisation of homosexuality was imported from Portugal with the colonial-era penal system.
The adoption of a new penal code in 2020 effectively decriminalised homosexuality by not including the colonial-era prohibitions that were contained in the penal code that was replaced.
An era of political change
In 2017 – after 38 years of rule – President dos Santos stepped down from MPLA leadership. The MPLA selected General João Lourenço to lead the party. Lourenço won the subsequent election and became President of Angola.
Lourenço has taken steps to minimise the extensive influence of the dos Santos family, and consolidate his own hold on power.
