LGBT Rights in Northern Province

Northern is governed by federal Zambia law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ✖ Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
    Gay Marriage
    ✖ Banned
    Censorship
    ✖ Imprisonment as punishment
    Changing Gender
    Ambiguous
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✖ Banned
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Housing Discrimination
    Ambiguous
    Adoption
    ✖ Illegal
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    ✖ Don't Ask, Don't Tell
    Donating Blood
    N/A
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    N/A
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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Northern

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Homosexual activity in Northern is illegal (imprisonment as punishment).

Current status
Since Sep 10, 2018
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
Liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for a term not less than fifteen years and may be liable to imprisonment for 14-15 years to life. Decriminalization pending.
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Nov 1, 1931–Sep 10, 2018
Male illegal, female legal
7-14 years to life in prison under unnatural/indecent acts. Not enforced.

Same-sex marriage in Northern

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Same-sex marriage in Northern is banned.

Current status
Since Feb 18, 2010
Banned
SSM Pending.
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Northern

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Northern is imprisonment as punishment.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1930
Imprisonment as punishment
Section 178(g) of the Zambian Penal Code (1930) criminalizes any act of "solicitation for immoral purposes in a public place".

This provision was used as a legal basis to arrest and prosecute Paul Kasonkomona who, in 2013, appeared on a television show arguing that the rights of sexual minorities should be recognized so that the HIV epidemic could be dealt with effectively. He was arrested by the authorities after his statement and was acquitted two years later.

Furthermore, in 2019, the Minister of Religious Affairs ordered the cancellation of a television program for allegedly "promoting homosexuality".
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Right to change legal gender in Northern

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Right to change legal gender in Northern is ambiguous.

Current status
Ambiguous
Section 9(2) of the National Registration Act 19 of 1964 could possibly be used to change a person’s sex description.
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Gender-affirming care in Northern

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Gender-affirming care in Northern is banned.

Current status
Banned
In Zambia, gender-affirming care is prohibited.
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Northern

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Northern is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
As there is no protocol to change legal gender in Zambia, non-binary self-identification is defacto not recognized.
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LGBT discrimination in Northern

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LGBT discrimination in Northern is no protections.

Current status
Since Nov 1, 1931
No protections
As homosexuality is illegal, there are no protections for this population.
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LGBT employment discrimination in Northern

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LGBT employment discrimination in Northern is no protections.

Current status
No protections
There are no explicit legal protections in place.
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LGBT housing discrimination in Northern

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LGBT housing discrimination in Northern is ambiguous.

Current status
Since Nov 1, 1931
Ambiguous
Unknown.
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Same-sex adoption in Northern

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Same-sex adoption in Northern is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
Homosexuality is currently illegal.
Sources:
(See sources listed for homosexual activity.)
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Intersex infant surgery in Northern

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Intersex infant surgery in Northern is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Not criminalized in Zambia.
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Serving openly in military in Northern

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Serving openly in military in Northern is don't ask, don't tell.

Current status
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Homosexuality is illegal, but long as you don't mention that you are gay you are fine.
Sources:
(See sources listed for homosexual activity.)
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Blood donations by MSMs in Northern

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Blood donations by MSMs in Northern is n/a.

Current status
N/A
Unknown regulations
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Conversion therapy in Northern

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Conversion therapy in Northern is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is not banned.
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Equal age of consent in Northern

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Equal age of consent in Northern is n/a.

Current status
Since Sep 28, 2005
N/A
16 for heterosexual males/females. No established age of consent for homosexual males/females, but they can be charged with engaging in consensual activity starting at age 12.
Sources:
Zambian Penal Code (Amendment) Act of 2003. parliament.gov.zm/downloads…
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