Zimbabwe refuses to buckle under pressure from the lesbian, gay, bisexual community

ZIMBABWE has refused to buckle under pressure from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community to accept their predisposition.

The local delegation led by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi is attending the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva.

Responding to enquiries by the LGBTI, Ziyambi said the country's Constitution was clear about the practice and the government will not drift from what the people voted for in the 2015 referendum.

"On sexual diversity, the Constitution of Zimbabwe guides our laws on this subject. Sexual diversity is, therefore, outlawed in Zimbabwe. The Constitution was voted for by 98% of the Zimbabwean population," Ziyambi said.

The International Lesbians Association (ILA), in conjunction with the TransResearch Education and Advocacy, Intersex Community of Zimbabwe and Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe maintain that while they concurred with the government's support to protect intersex minors from non-consensual intersex surgeries, it is their right to be included in the Zimbabwean community without discrimination.

An ILA representative said the government must reconsider its position on the issue of intersex.

"LGBTI persons continue to experience sexual exclusion, discrimination and stigmatisation. We, therefore, urge the Government of Zimbabwe to decriminalise the same acts between consenting adults.

"We urge Zimbabwe to reconsider its position and take all its effort to repeal discriminatory laws that discriminate based on gender and identity," ILA said.

Section 73 of the Criminal (Codification and Reform) Act stipulates that any male person who, with the consent of another male person, knowingly performs with that other person anal sexual intercourse, or any act involving physical contact other than anal sexual intercourse shall be guilty of sodomy.