LGBTQ rights in Namibia
LGBTQ rights in Namibia | |
|---|---|
| Legal status | Legal since 2024 |
| Gender identity | Sex reassignment surgery is required to change legal gender |
| Military | No |
| Discrimination protections | Limited protection against hate speech based on sexual orientation/preference. |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | Same-sex marriages performed outside of Namibia recognized since 2023 |
| Adoption | Ambiguous |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in Namibia have expanded in the 21st century, although LGBTQ people still have limited legal protections. Namibia's colonial-era laws criminalising male homosexuality were historically unenforced, and were overturned by the country's High Court in 2024.
The climate for LGBTQ people in Namibia has eased in recent years. The country's leading LGBTQ advocacy group is OutRight Namibia, formed in March 2010 and officially registered in November 2010. It has organised Namibia's first pride parades and seeks to be "a voice for lesbian women, gay men, bisexuals and transgender and intersex people in Namibia". Other LGBTQ groups include MPower Community Trust, which provides awareness of sexual health for gay and bisexual men, the Namibian Gays and Lesbian Movement, which provides counselling and advice to LGBTQ people and organises educational programs to raise awareness of LGBTQ Namibians, Tulinam, an LGBTQ faith-based group, and Wings to Transcend Namibia, a transgender group.