A Young Person’s Future Changed Overnight Imagine being a university student with dreams of becoming a lawyer, doctor, teacher, or engineer. Now imagine those dreams disappearing—not because you failed your examinations or broke the law by harming someone, but because someone suspected you were gay. For many LGBTQ+ young people in Tanzania, this is not […]
As we mark Pride Month and 17 years of LGBT Voice Tanzania, we reflect on resilience, community, and the lived realities that continue to shape our work. As Pride Month comes to a close, we at LGBT Voice Tanzania find ourselves reflecting on a journey that began 17 years ago with a simple but unwavering
Every June, Pride Month offers an opportunity to celebrate the courage, resilience, and achievements of LGBTQ+ communities around the world. It is a time of visibility, solidarity, and hope. Yet for many LGBTQ+ people in Tanzania, Pride is about far more than celebration. It is about survival. Across the country, LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face
By James Wandera Ouma “Justice is not merely written in law—it is measured in how the law is applied.” In Tanzania today, a troubling contradiction persists. While public discourse often frames homosexuality as criminal, the legal reality is more nuanced. Yet, enforcement practices frequently operate as though identity itself is punishable. This disconnect between law
At LGBT Voice Tanzania, we have learned something important over the years: not all impact is loud. In many places, change is associated with big moments—marches, headlines, public statements. But in Tanzania, our reality is different. Here, being visible is not always safe. Speaking loudly is not always possible. And yet, change is still happening—every
Across Tanzania, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people continue to navigate structural barriers embedded in law, policy, and social norms. Criminalisation of same-sex intimacy, stigma reinforced by public rhetoric, and weak protection mechanisms create an environment where discrimination is systemic rather than incidental. In such a context, LGBT Voice Tanzania is not symbolic. It is
Every February, LGBTQ+ History Month invites the world to reflect on stories that were silenced, struggles that were ignored, and movements that refused to disappear. In Tanzania, this month is not only about history. It is about the present. It is about people living under laws that criminalize their existence, navigating daily uncertainty, and still
In Tanzania, people continue to lose their liberty — not for harming others, but for who they love. Under Sections 154–157 of the Penal Code, consensual same-sex relationships are criminalized, carrying punishments ranging from decades in prison to life imprisonment. These laws do not protect society; they institutionalize discrimination, perpetuate fear, and entrench structural injustice.
At moments when communities reflect on shared values, dignity, and collective responsibility, it is necessary to confront truths that continue to shape the lives of marginalized people. Across Tanzania and the African continent, fundamental freedoms remain constrained by laws that did not originate from African societies or traditions. These constraints are not accidental. They are
They tell us we are a “Western invention.” They tell us that being LGBTQ+ is “un-African” and that the harsh laws we face are a shield protecting Tanzanian culture. At LGBT Voice Tanzania, we know the truth. We see it in the courtrooms, we hear it in the stories of our community members, and we
