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LGBT Rights in Gauteng Province

Gauteng is governed by federal South Africa law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✔ Legal
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✔ Legal, surgery not required
    Non-binary gender recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✔ Illegal
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ Sexual orientation only
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ Sexual orientation only
    Adoption
    ✔ Legal
    Military
    ✖ Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal

Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Gauteng

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Homosexual activity in Gauteng is legal.

Current status
Since Oct 9, 1998
Legal
While it remained illegal until the court gave its ruling on 9 October 1998, the 1998 ruling was ordered to be retroactively applied to 27 April 1994.
Added by brennen  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Apr 12, 1957–Aug 27, 1998
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
The prescribed penalty was a fine of up to R4000 or imprisonment for up to two years, or both.
Added by brennen  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex marriage in Gauteng

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Same-sex marriage in Gauteng is legal.

Current status
Since Nov 30, 2006
Legal
Added by brennen  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Gauteng

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Censorship of LGBT Issues in Gauteng is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In South Africa, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Added by equaldex  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Right to change legal gender in Gauteng

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Right to change legal gender in Gauteng is legal, surgery not required.

Current status
Since Mar 15, 2004
Legal, surgery not required
The Alteration of Sex Description and Sex Status Act allows people to apply to have their sex status altered in the population registry, and consequently to receive identity documents and passports indicating their gender identity. The law states that transgender persons must undergo gender reassignment. This includes medical interventions but is not limited to surgery alone. Hormone therapy is considered to be gender reassignment, therefore surgery per se is not required.
Added by brennen  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 1, 1974–Mar 15, 2004
Legal, but requires surgery
The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 51 of 1974 provided the legal foundation for—ostensibly white—South Africans who had “undergone a change of sex” to alter their “sex description” in the country’s birth register.
Added by JuliaB  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Gauteng

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

Current status
Since 2021
Recognized
The South African government therefore proposes to add, on birth certificates and identity papers, a «third sex», neutral or indeterminate.
Sources:
www.liberation.fr
Added by l_hrz  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log
Current status
Not legally recognized
While the South African government had brought up offering non-binary identification in 2021, it hasn't been realized as of yet.
Added by DuffdeNecker  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in Gauteng

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LGBT discrimination in Gauteng is illegal.

Current status
Since May 8, 1996
Illegal
Prohibition of "sexual orientation" discrimination was first included at Section 8 of the Interim Constitution that came into force in April 1994, and was carried through Section 9(3) of the Constitution of South Africa (1996).
Added by brennen  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in Gauteng

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LGBT employment discrimination in Gauteng is sexual orientation only.

Current status
Since 1996
Sexual orientation only
Section 187(1)(f) of the Labour Relations Act (1995) establishes that a dismissal is “automatically unfair” when it is based on the employee’s "sexual orientation".
Moreover, Section 6(1) of the Employment Equity Act (1998) prohibits direct and indirect discrimination of an employee on the basis of "sexual orientation".
Additionally, Section 1(xxii)(a) of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (Act No. 4) (2000) includes "sexual orientation" as one of the prohibited grounds of discrimination. Section 6 of the Act establishes a “general prohibition of unfair discrimination”, according to which “neither the State nor any person may unfairly discriminate against any person”. Moreover, Section 29 includes employment among the areas covered by this Act.
In March 2022 a new Code of Good Practice on the Prevention and Elimination on Harassment in the workplace (2022) was published in the State Gazette which expands upon and clarifies the definitions of harassment and explicitly bans harassment on the basis of "sexual orientation" and bullying in the form of "LGBTQIA+ phobic language". Gender identity is not explicity mentioned.
Sources:
database.ilga.org/south-afr…
old.ilga.org/Statehomophobi…
info.gov.za/view/DownloadFi…
www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=70714
www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=68207
Added by murrayhawthorne  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in Gauteng

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LGBT housing discrimination in Gauteng is sexual orientation only.

Current status
Since 1999
Sexual orientation only
Section 4(1) of the Rental Housing Act (1999) prohibits a landowner from discriminating against tenants on the basis of "sexual orientation".
Additionally, Section 1(xxii)(a) of the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (Act No. 4) (2000) includes "sexual orientation" as one of the prohibited grounds of discrimination. Section 6 of the Act No. 4 establishes a “general prohibition of unfair discrimination”, according to which “neither the State nor any person may unfairly discriminate against any person”. Moreover, Section 29 includes housing among the areas covered by this Act. Gender identity is not explicity mentioned.

Same-sex adoption in Gauteng

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Same-sex adoption in Gauteng is legal.

Current status
Since Apr 1, 2010
Legal
Made officially legal through the Consolidated Children's Act of 2010
Added by brennen  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Sep 10, 2002–Apr 1, 2010
Legal
Legal under the case of Du Toit v Minister of Welfare and Population Development, later made official through the Consolidated Children's Act of 2010
Added by brennen  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in Gauteng

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Serving openly in military in Gauteng is lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.

Current status
Since May 8, 1996
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
Not a single country in Africa including South Africa doesn’t allow trans military service
Added by brennen  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 1, 1971–Jan 1, 1989
Ambiguous
Between these time frames, the military often sent homosexual soldiers to psychiatric hospitals for shock therapy and, in some cases, sexual reassignment surgeries. Between 1967 and 1991, all white males over the age of 16 were conscripted in South Africa
Added by brennen  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Blood donations by MSMs in Gauteng

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Blood donations by MSMs in Gauteng is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 2014
Legal
Newer law has been passed. As of 20/05/2014 South African National Blood Service (SANBS) will accept donations from anyone as long as they have been in a monogamous relationship for the prior six months, or celibate - regardless of sexual orientation. Donors will be asked about sexual history rather than sexual orientation. Six month deferral instead applies to everyone with new sexual partners.
Added by imullin01  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Nov 1, 2007–May 2014
Banned (6-month deferral)
Added by brennen  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in Gauteng

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Conversion therapy in Gauteng is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
There's no evidence that conversation therapy is practiced in South Africa, despite this, conversion therapy is believed to be performed.
Added by Ro_Guy  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in Gauteng

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Equal age of consent in Gauteng is equal.

Current status
Since Dec 14, 2007
Equal
Added by brennen  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Apr 27, 1994–Dec 16, 2007
Ambiguous
Section 14 of the Sexual Offences Act 23 of 1957, as inserted by the Immorality Amendment Act 2 of 1988, set the age of consent for gay and lesbian sex at 19, as opposed to 16 for straight sex. However, in the case of Geldenhuys v National Director of Public Prosecutions and Others the Constitutional Court found this discrimination to be unconstitutional, and set 16 as the uniform age of consent retroactively to 27 April 1994.
Added by ctnguy  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Mar 4, 1988–Apr 27, 1994
Unequal
Section 14 of the Sexual Offences Act 23 of 1957, as inserted by the Immorality Amendment Act 2 of 1988, set the age of consent for gay and lesbian sex at 19, as opposed to 16 for straight sex. Gay male sex was in any case illegal for all ages.
Added by ctnguy  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

May 21, 1969–Mar 4, 1988
Unequal
Even though gay male sex was illegal for all ages, section 14 of the Immorality Act 23 of 1957, as inserted by the Immorality Amendment Act 57 of 1969, set the age of consent for gay male sex at 19, as opposed to 16 for straight sex. There was no age of consent for lesbian sex.
Added by ctnguy  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log