Angola law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation takes effect

Angola’s revised penal code went into effect Wednesday, not only decriminalizing same-sex relationships, but also banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

The penal code was approved by the Angolan parliament in 2019, but was not signed by the president into law until November 2020, to take effect in February of this year. It was the first revision of the penal code since Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975. The original penal code contained holdovers from the colonial era, including banning “vices against nature,” widely understood to mean homosexuality. That provision has been removed in the revised code.

The new code lists sexual orientation as a protected class. Angolans cannot be fired because of their sexual orientation, nor can they be refused goods, services, or any other economic activity because of their sexual orientation. Violators of the prohibition could be subject to up to two years in prison. The code also adds penalties for those who defame or otherwise insult the honor of a person because of their sexual orientation.

The news of the penal code taking effect was met with celebrations online. French politician and noted LGBTQ activist Jean-Luc Romero-Michel called it a “great step forward for human rights which should inspire others.”

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