LGBTQ Travelers Tanzania

LGBT community rights in Africa are very limited compared to LGBT rights in Europe or America. This is because many African countries have fewer progressive attitudes toward LGBT rights. Same-gender marriage is not recognized in many African countries and to make it worse it is not even legal.

Tribal culture and customs play a huge role, this is because African culture is conservative. Displays of affection between couples of the same sex are often considered unpleasant. On a side note, hand-holding between two male friends is quite common, so you will witness this throughout the safari in Africa.

If you will be aware of the laws and regulations regarding same-gender relationships before traveling and you are prepared to obey them, then you will not encounter any problems in Tanzania. So, as long as you are willing not to make public displays of affection for same-gender relationships then no problem!

LGBT Community In Africa;

Same-gender relationships and marriages are not legal in most African states. In many countries same sex is illegal but the laws are not strictly implemented. So, be aware that even if same-gender relationships are legal in a certain destination the local society can be intolerant.

Although anti-LGBT behavior is not likely to be directed at tourists, we provide a few pieces of information for LGBT travelers to Tanzania as follows.

·         No PDAs (public displays of affection).

We advise travelers to avoid open displays of affection outside of their hotels or lodges. Visitors to Tanzania are typically not disturbed or troubled-for example, none of our LGBT clients has encountered issues related to Homophobia. However, it is important to understand that same-gender relationships might not be appreciated by the locals when displayed openly.

Public displays of affection even between people of different sexes are not quite common in our Tanzanian culture. As a fact I can say, the majority of millennials are yet to witness their parents kissing.

Destinations With Strictly LGBT Restriction;

Uganda is the one country that requires a particular mention. This destination is notorious for having some of the harshest anti-LGBT laws. Being homosexual in Uganda is punishable by life in prison.

As a tourist, there’s no need to be overly worried, as visitors rarely encounter issues. However, as always, discretion is advised, and in certain lodgings and situations, we might even recommend twin-bed rooms as a precaution.