LGBT rights in Rwanda
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Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people living in
Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. While neither
homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
nor
homosexual acts Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peo ...
are illegal, homosexuality is considered a
taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
topic, and there is no significant public discussion of this issue in any region of the country.Spartacus International Gay Guide, p. 1216. Bruno Gmunder Verlag, 2007. No special legislative protections are afforded to LGBT citizens, and
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
s are not recognized by the state, as the
Constitution of Rwanda The Constitution of Rwanda was adopted by referendum on May 26, 2003. It replaced the older Constitution of 1991. The Constitution provides for a presidential system of government, with separation of powers between the three branches. It condemns ...
provides that " ly civil monogamous marriage between a man and a woman is recognized". LGBT Rwandans have reported being harassed, blackmailed, and even arrested by the police under various laws dealing with public order and morality. Rwanda is a signatory of the United Nations joint statement condemning violence against LGBT people, being one of the only few countries in Africa to have sponsored the declaration, and stands in sharp contrast with neighbouring Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi. Rwanda is the only Southeast African country where homosexual acts are legal.


History


Kingdom of Rwanda

In the old
Kingdom of Rwanda The Kingdom of Rwanda was a kingdom in East Africa which grew to be ruled by a Tutsi monarchy. It was later annexed under German and Belgian colonial rule while retaining some of its autonomy. The Tutsi monarchy was abolished in 1961 after et ...
, male homosexual relations were common among young
Hutu The Hutu (), also known as the Abahutu, are a Bantu ethnic or social group which is native to the African Great Lakes region. They mainly live in Rwanda, Burundi and the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where they form one of the prin ...
s and
Tutsi The Tutsi (), or Abatutsi (), are an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region. They are a Bantu-speaking ethnic group and the second largest of three main ethnic groups in Rwanda and Burundi (the other two being the largest Bantu ethnic grou ...
s. In 1986, a 19-year-old Tutsi man was recorded as saying that "traditionally, in his tribe, there was an extended period during which boys lived apart from the rest of the village while they are training to be warriors, during which very emotional, and often sexual, relationships were struck up... Sometimes these relationships lasted beyond adolescence into adulthood. Watusi still have a reputation for bisexuality in the cities of East Africa." Tutsi boys training at court would often be made sexually available to guests. Homosexuals were referred to as or , which literally translate to "sodomite". Several terms exist for male homosexuality: , , , and . In addition, there were traditions of "cross-dressing priests", known as or , first described by the colonialists as "hermaphrodites", who would play the role of
shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...
s and healers. Sexual relations are believed to have included mutual masturbation,
intercrural sex Intercrural sex, which is also known as coitus interfemoris, thigh sex (or thighing) and interfemoral sex, is a type of non-penetrative sex in which the penis is placed between the receiving partner's thighs and friction is generated via thrust ...
and anal intercourse. Societal acceptance quickly disappeared after the arrival of the European colonialists and Christianity.


Republic of Rwanda

On 16 December 2009, the
Parliament of Rwanda The Parliament of Rwanda ( French: ''Parlement du Rwanda''; Kinyarwanda: ''Inteko Ishinga Amategeko y’u Rwanda'') has consisted of two chambers since 2003: *The Senate (French: ''Sénat''; Kinyarwanda: ''Sena'') (Upper Chamber) *The Chamber ...
debated whether to make homosexuality a criminal offense, with a punishment of 5–10 years imprisonment. This legislation was similar to the controversial anti-homosexuality bill in the neighboring country of
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
. Justice Minister
Tharcisse Karugarama Tharcisse Karugarama is a Rwandan lawyer and politician. A lawyer/attorney by profession, Karugarama was the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General in the Rwandan government for about 7 years. A member of the RPF, Karugarama has played a ro ...
, however, condemned and refuted reports that the government intended to criminalize homosexual acts, saying that sexual orientation is a private matter, not a state business.


Legality of same-sex sexual activity

Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Rwanda. The
age of consent The age of consent is the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. Consequently, an adult who engages in sexual activity with a person younger than the age of consent is unable to legally claim ...
is 18, regardless of sexual orientation or gender.


Recognition of same-sex relationships

Rwanda does not recognize same-sex marriages, civil unions or similar unions. Most gay people who have been interviewed stated that they are not open about their sexuality to their family for fear of being rejected. The
Constitution of Rwanda The Constitution of Rwanda was adopted by referendum on May 26, 2003. It replaced the older Constitution of 1991. The Constitution provides for a presidential system of government, with separation of powers between the three branches. It condemns ...
, adopted in May 2003, defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Article 26 states: "Only civil monogamous marriage between a man and a woman is recognized."


Government and politics


Political parties

Under Rwandan electoral laws, most of the political parties are aligned with, if not an extension of, the ruling party. The four Rwandan political parties that are not a part of the ruling coalition, the
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...
, the
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
, the
Social Party Imberakuri The Social Party Imberakuri ( rw, Ishyaka ry’Imberakuri Riharanira Imibereho Myiza; french: Parti Social Imberakuri, PS-Imberakuri), is a political party in Rwanda. "Imberakuri" in the name of the party translates as "supporter of truth". The p ...
and the
Democratic Green Party of Rwanda The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR; french: Parti vert démocratique du Rwanda, PVDR; rw, Ishyaka Riharanira Demokarasi no Kurengera Ibidukikije, IRDKI) is a green political party in Rwanda, established in 2009. The party was registered ...
, have not taken an official position on LGBT rights. In September 2016, speaking in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, President
Paul Kagame Paul Kagame (; born 23 October 1957) is a Rwandan politician and former military officer who is the 4th and current president of Rwanda since 2000. He previously served as a commander of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Uganda-based rebel ...
said that "it (homosexuality) hasn't been our problem. And we don't intend to make it our problem".


Human rights

Since 2005, the Horizons Community Association of Rwanda has been doing some public advocacy on behalf of LGBT rights, although its members have often been harassed by the government.


Society and culture

The
U.S. Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...
's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016 stated that:
Acts of Violence, Discrimination, and Other Abuses Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
There are no laws that criminalize sexual orientation or consensual same-sex sexual conduct, and cabinet-level government officials expressed support for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons. LGBTI persons reported societal discrimination and abuse, and LGBTI rights groups reported occasional harassment by neighbors and police. There were no known reports of physical attacks against LGBTI persons, nor were there any reports of LGBTI persons fleeing the country due to harassment or attack.
In 2007, the
Anglican Church of Rwanda The Anglican Church of Rwanda (French: ''Église anglicane du Rwanda'') is a province of the Anglican Communion, covering 11 dioceses in Rwanda. The primate of the province is Laurent Mbanda, consecrated on 10 June 2018. Official names The Provinc ...
condemned "the non-biblical behaviors" of the European and American churches and insisted that they would not support the ordination of LGBT clergy. In September 2019,
Albert Nabonibo Albert Nabonibo (born ) is a gospel singer and accountant from Gicumbi in the suburbs of Kigali, Rwanda. ''Thomson Reuters Foundation News'' describes Nabonibo as well-known and popular singer, and reports he has released eight gospel songs sinc ...
, a well-known gospel singer, came out as gay in an interview with a Christian YouTube channel. The
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
reported that his coming out had caused "shock" in a country "where such a public assertion of homosexuality is unheard of". Despite "horrible" reactions from family and friends, Olivier Nduhungirehe, the Minister of State for East African Community Affairs, expressed support for Nabonibo, saying, "All Rwandans are born and remain equal in rights and freedoms." Nabonibo himself stated that "there is no going back, because I have to live my real life."


Transgender rights

Transgender Rwandans face legal challenges. Rwandan law forbids changing legal gender. While crossdressing is not ''de jure'' illegal in Rwanda, transgender people are often charged with unrelated offenses and can face violent detention.


Summary table


See also

*
Human rights in Rwanda Human rights in Rwanda have been violated on a grand scale. The greatest violation is the Rwandan genocide of Tutsi in 1994. The post-genocide government is also responsible for grave violations of human rights. Before the genocide As decoloni ...
*
LGBT rights in Africa With the exception of South Africa and Cape Verde, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Africa are limited in comparison to the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Out of the 55 states recognised ...


Notes


References

{{Africa topic, LGBT rights in LGBT in Rwanda
Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
Politics of Rwanda
Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...
Law of Rwanda Human rights in Rwanda