By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WINDHOEK (Worthy News) – Namibia’s high court has overturned a law that critics said criminalized gay sex in a ruling that the United Nations hopes will encourage broader testing for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
In what LGBTQ+ campaigners said was “a victory” after several “setbacks” in African countries, three high court judges agreed that current legislation is unfair towards gay people.
Namibia inherited a law banning “sodomy” and “unnatural offenses” when it gained independence from South Africa in 1990.
While the ban was rarely enforced, activists said it contributed to discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, including police violence.
Friedel Dausab, the Namibian LGBTQ+ activist who brought the case, said: “I feel elated. I’m so happy. This really is a landmark judgment, not just for me, but for our democracy.”
He added: “I’m sitting next to my mum, and we’re hoping that this message filters through to all families so that kids are no longer estranged.”
The judgment said the laws amounted to “unfair” discrimination under Namibia’s constitution, noting that the same consensual sexual conduct was not criminalized if it was between a man and a woman.
“What threat does a gay man pose to society, and who must be protected against him?” the judgment said. “We are of the firm view that the enforcement of private moral views of a section of a community (even if they form the majority of that community), which are based to a large extent on nothing more than prejudice, cannot qualify as such a legitimate purpose.”
UNAIDS, the U.N agency that advocates for global action on HIV and AIDS, said the law had fuelled discrimination against LGBTQ+ Namibians in healthcare facilities and that the ruling would encourage more people to come forward for HIV testing and treatment.
It was unclear Friday if Namibia’s government would appeal against the ruling.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
President Donald Trump signed the temporary peace deal with Iran ahead of schedule Wednesday at the Palace of Versailles in France, kicking off negotiations over a final nuclear deal.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s statement following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the United States is being viewed by analysts not as an embrace of peace, but as a carefully crafted declaration that preserves Tehran’s revolutionary posture while allowing the regime to regroup.
The United States imposed new sanctions Thursday on individuals and entities linked to Hezbollah, accusing them of using political and financial influence to obstruct Lebanon’s peace process and delay the Iran-backed group’s disarmament.
Ukraine launched one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow since the war began, hitting a key oil refinery and other targets around the Russian capital, leaving at least one person dead and numerous others injured, Russian officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Southeast Asian leaders in Kazan this week as Moscow moved to deepen ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and promote its vision of a “multipolar world order” aimed at countering U.S. global dominance.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli troops will not withdraw from southern Lebanon and will maintain a security zone there for as long as Israel’s defense needs require, placing Jerusalem at odds with both Tehran and the terms of a U.S.-Iran memorandum that calls for an end to hostilities in Lebanon.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told NATO leaders Thursday that the Pentagon is launching a six-month review of U.S. force posture and basing in Europe, signaling a major push by the Trump administration to ensure European allies assume primary responsibility for defending the continent.