Homosexuality
    ⚢
    ✖ Male illegal, female legal
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✖ Banned
    Censorship
    ✖ Imprisonment as punishment
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Legal, but requires surgery
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✖ Legal, but restricted for minors
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Employment Discrimination
    Ambiguous
    Housing Discrimination
    Ambiguous
    Adoption
    ✖ Single only
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    ✖ Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    Female equal, male N/A
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Public Opinion

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According to recent survey data, there appears to be strong opposition to LGBTQ+ rights in Zimbabwe.

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History

Homosexual activity in Zimbabwe

?

Homosexual activity in Zimbabwe is male illegal, female legal.

Current status
Since 2006
Male illegal, female legal
Fine and up to 10 years in prison (decriminalization pending)
Details
Sources:
buzzfeed.com/saeedjones/76-…
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Same-sex marriage in Zimbabwe

?

Same-sex marriage in Zimbabwe is banned.

Current status
Since Mar 19, 2013
Banned
Article 78 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe explicitly prohibits same-sex marriage.
Details
Sources:
dpcorp.co.zw/assets/constit…
bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa…
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Jan 1, 1964–Mar 18, 2013
Unrecognized
There were not originally any laws in place regarding same-sex unions, until Zimbabwe updated its constitution in 2013.
Details
Sources:
bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa…
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Zimbabwe

?

Censorship of LGBT issues in Zimbabwe is imprisonment as punishment.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1967
Imprisonment as punishment
According to Article 13 of the Censorship and Entertainment Control Law (Law No. 37) (1967), "undesirable" publications - defined as those considered "indecent", "obscene", "offensive" or "harmful to public morals" - are subject to punishment with a fine or imprisonment of up to two years.

More than that, there is the possibility of serious violations of freedom of association in the country due to the approval of a Bill to Amend the Private Voluntary Organizations Act (2023) which has caused concern from various international organizations and UN experts due to the possibility of serious violations of freedom of association in the country with the signing of the Bill by the president.
Details
Sources:
database.ilga.org/zimbabwe-lgbti
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Right to change legal gender in Zimbabwe

?

Right to change legal gender in Zimbabwe is legal, but requires surgery.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1986
Legal, but requires surgery
Section 18(2) of the the Births and Deaths Registration Act 11 of 1986 allows a person to change their forename. Section 18(3) provides for the change of a surname, but the Registrar-General must be satisfied that it is for a “lawful purpose”.
Details
Sources:
weekendpost.co.zw/articles/…
lawhubzim.org/zimbabwean-la…
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Gender-affirming care in Zimbabwe

?

Gender-affirming care in Zimbabwe is legal, but restricted for minors.

Current status
Since 1990
Legal, but restricted for minors
In 1990, Zimbabwe adopted the ICD-9 classification, which included codes allowing for the diagnosis of transsexualism in adults.
Details
Sources:
ourworldindata.org/grapher/…
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Zimbabwe

?

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

Current status
Not legally recognized
As there are no protocols around legal gender changes, non-binary self-identification is defacto not recognized in Zimbabwe.
Details
Sources:
lawhubzim.org/zimbabwean-la…
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LGBT discrimination in Zimbabwe

?

LGBT discrimination in Zimbabwe is no protections.

Current status
Since Apr 18, 1980
No protections
Although Zimbabwean constitution does state "All citizens are equal", sexual orientations and gender identities are not protected.
Details
Sources:
parlzim.gov.zw/attachments/…
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LGBT employment discrimination in Zimbabwe

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Zimbabwe is ambiguous.

Current status
Since Apr 18, 2017
Ambiguous
Sexual orientation discrimination protections under human rights institute. Homosexuality is illegal.
Details
Sources:
ilga.org/downloads/2017/ILG…
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LGBT housing discrimination in Zimbabwe

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Zimbabwe is ambiguous.

Current status
Since Apr 18, 1980
Ambiguous
Unknown.
Details
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Same-sex adoption in Zimbabwe

?

Same-sex adoption in Zimbabwe is single only.

Current status
Single only
Homosexuality is currently illegal. As well no laws in place for same sex couples.
Details
Sources:
travel.state.gov/content/ad…
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Intersex infant surgery in Zimbabwe

?

Intersex infant surgery in Zimbabwe is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
No laws banning it in Zimbabwe.
Details
Sources:
database.ilga.org/zimbabwe-lgbti
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Serving openly in military in Zimbabwe

?

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

Current status
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
Not a single country in Africa allows trans military service
Details
Sources:
cbc.ca/news/world/countries…
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Blood donations by MSMs in Zimbabwe

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Zimbabwe is legal.

Current status
Legal
Some restrictions. Nothing involving lgbt people.
Details
Sources:
nbsz.co.zw/donating-blood
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Conversion therapy in Zimbabwe

?

Conversion therapy in Zimbabwe is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Not criminalized.
Details
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Equal age of consent in Zimbabwe

?

Equal age of consent in Zimbabwe is female equal, male n/a.

Current status
Female equal, male N/A
Age of consent for heterosexual couples and female homosexual couples is 16. Male homosexual couples age of consent is N/A because it is illegal.
Details
Sources:
wwwvoazimbabwe.com/a/zimbab…
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LGBT Rights by Province

View the LGBT laws in each individual province of Zimbabwe.

    Equality Index ?
    16 / 100
    Legal Rights
    21 / 100
    Public Opinion
    10 / 100

    Equality Rank

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    #109
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