In a groundbreaking decision for gay rights advocates, Namibia has declared laws prohibiting same-sex acts between men unconstitutional.
Convictions for colonial-era offenses such as “sodomy” and “unnatural sexual offenses” were infrequent but contributed to discrimination against gay men, who lived in constant fear of arrest.
Namibia does not have laws explicitly banning sexual activity between women.
Marriage between individuals of the same sex remains illegal in the southern African nation.
However, if a same-sex couple marries abroad and one partner is not a Namibian citizen, their marriage is legally recognized.
Following the announcement of the judgment at a high court in the capital city of Windhoek on Friday, campaigners from the LGBTQ group Equal Namibia shared photos of people embracing in court.
“Welcome to a new Namibia. A born-free Namibia,” the group said on social media.
The term “born-free” gained prominence in neighboring South Africa to depict the inaugural generation of children coming of age in the early days of democracy following the abolition of white-minority rule in 1994