Gay Guide Tanzania

In Tanzania, sexual acts between men are considered criminal offences punishable by life imprisonment. Oral and anal sex is also prohibited for heterosexual couples. Sexual acts between women are not mentioned in the laws of the country, but in the semi-autonomous state of Zanzibar all same-sex acts are prohibited for both sexes. Article 157 of the Criminal Code states: "Male persons who commit gross indecent acts with other men or incite other male persons to commit gross indecent acts with them or attempt to incite another man to commit gross indecent acts with them are guilty of a criminal offence and may be punished with five years imprisonment.“ In Zanzibar, an autonomous island that is part of Tanzania, the legal regulations concerning same-sex acts were tightened in 2004. Anal sex and "unnatural acts" were already illegal before, but the new law now imposes a 25-year prison sentence for all sexual acts between men. Homosexual acts with minors are punished with life imprisonment. Before colonisation and the advent of Islam and Christianity, homosexuality and transsexuality were accepted and taken for granted in many of the indigenous peoples. Today the hostility against queer people in this African country is constantly increasing. The government is increasingly resorting to homophobic rhetoric (quote: "Homosexuality is un-African"), in 2018 a hunt for homosexuals was called for, which ended in painful and humiliating investigations and torture. Various AIDS aid groups were banned by the government in 2017 on the charge of promoting homosexuality. There are no rights for same-sex couples and no laws that protect the queer community from discrimination. There is also a lack of queer infrastructure - although there are said to be bars where mainly gay men meet, these are under the radar for everyone's safety. Tourists should be very discreet.