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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Mashonaland Central

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Homosexual activity in Mashonaland Central is male illegal, female legal.

Current status
Since Jun 10, 1891
Male illegal, female legal
In 1891, the British colonial administration ruled that a law criminalising homosexuality in the Cape of Good Hope applied in Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe). This law only applies to men who face a fine and up to ten years in prison.
Details
Sources:
www.buzzfeed.com/saeedjones…
zimlii.org/akn/zw/doc/paper…
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Same-sex marriage in Mashonaland Central

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Same-sex marriage in Mashonaland Central is banned.

Current status
Since Mar 19, 2013
Banned
Article 78 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe explicitly prohibits same-sex marriage.
Details
Sources:
www.dpcorp.co.zw/assets/con…
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-af…
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Until 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:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-af…
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Mashonaland Central

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Mashonaland Central is imprisonment as punishment.

Current status
Since Dec 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:
zimlii.org/akn/zw/act/1967/…
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Right to change legal gender in Mashonaland Central

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Right to change legal gender in Mashonaland Central is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
Gender marker change is not allowed. 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”.

As a result of this, trans Zimbabweans face the risk of arrest for fraud if their gender expression does not match their identity cards.
Details
Sources:
www.southernafricalitigatio…
www.weekendpost.co.zw/artic…
lawhubzim.org/zimbabwean-la…
www.state.gov/reports/2023-…
ilga.org/wp-content/uploads…
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Gender-affirming care in Mashonaland Central

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Gender-affirming care in Mashonaland Central is restricted.

Current status
Restricted
Gender-affirming healthcare is not provided in the Zimbabwean public healthcare system. Most requests are rejected and the few that are accepted are often very expensive.
Details
Sources:
www.southernafricalitigatio…
africanarguments.org/2022/0…
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Mashonaland Central

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Mashonaland Central 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 Mashonaland Central

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LGBT discrimination in Mashonaland Central is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since Jul 1, 2020
Illegal in some contexts
The Freedom of Information Act (2020) and the Cyber and Data Protection Act (2022) offer explicit protection based on sexual orientation regarding personal information.

Details
Sources:
commons.laws.africa/akn/zw/…
commons.laws.africa/akn/zw/…
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LGBT employment discrimination in Mashonaland Central

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LGBT employment discrimination in Mashonaland Central is no protections.

Current status
No protections
The Labour Act does not offer protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Details
Sources:
www.fao.org/faolex/results/…
zimlii.org/akn/zw/act/1985/…
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LGBT housing discrimination in Mashonaland Central

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LGBT housing discrimination in Mashonaland Central is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Same-sex adoption in Mashonaland Central

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Same-sex adoption in Mashonaland Central is single only.

Current status
Single only
Zimbabwe only permits adoption for married couples and single women. Single men can only adopt a prior family member. Same-sex couples are forbidden from adopting.
Details
Sources:
travel.state.gov/content/tr…
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Intersex infant surgery in Mashonaland Central

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Intersex infant surgery in Mashonaland Central is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Surgery on intersex infants is legal and widespread in Zimbabwe. Even adult intersex individuals receive surgery under coercion.
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2023-…
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Serving openly in military in Mashonaland Central

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Serving openly in military in Mashonaland Central 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. Serving in the military as gay is illegal because gay relations are illegal, ergo only lesbians can serve.
Details
Sources:
www.cbc.ca/news/world/count…
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Blood donations by MSMs in Mashonaland Central

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Blood donations by MSMs in Mashonaland Central is legal.

Current status
Legal
No explicit restrictions for LGBT people according to the National Blood Policy of Zimbabwe and the Standards for Blood Donation, Processing & Clinical Transfusion in Zimbabwe. However, sexual activity between men is illegal.
Details
Sources:
nbsz.co.zw/wp-content/uploa…
nbsz.co.zw/wp-content/uploa…
nbsz.co.zw/why-donate-blood-2/
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Conversion therapy in Mashonaland Central

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Conversion therapy in Mashonaland Central is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is not banned in Zimbabwe and is widespread.
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2023-…
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Equal age of consent in Mashonaland Central

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

Current status
Since Jun 10, 1891
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…
zimlii.org/akn/zw/doc/paper…
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Equality Index ?
14 / 100
Legal Rights
18 / 100
This region's Equality Index is based on legal rights alone. Please submit survey results that show the public opinion of LGBTQ+ issues in Mashonaland Central to help improve its accuracy.
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Common queries:
  • Is it illegal to be gay in Mashonaland Central?
  • Is homosexuality legal in Mashonaland Central?
  • Is gay marriage legal in Mashonaland Central?

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