LGBT Rights in Mafeteng District

Mafeteng is governed by federal Lesotho law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✖ Unrecognized
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    Ambiguous
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✖ Restricted
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ Illegal in some contexts
    Employment Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Adoption
    ✖ Illegal
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    Unknown
    Military
    ✖ Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Mafeteng

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Homosexual activity in Mafeteng is legal.

Current status
Since Mar 9, 2012
Legal
The Penal Code Act of 2010 decriminalized homosexuality.
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1884–Mar 9, 2012
Male illegal, female legal
The Roman-Dutch law of the Cape Colony, including the sodomy offence, was applied to Basutoland (as Lesotho was then known) by a proclamation of the British High Commissioner in 1884 (exact date unknown).

Same-sex marriage in Mafeteng

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Same-sex marriage in Mafeteng is unrecognized.

Current status
Since Oct 4, 1966
Unrecognized
The common law definition of marriage is “a union of one man with one woman, to the exclusion, while it lasts, of all others”
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Mafeteng

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Mafeteng is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In Lesotho, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
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Right to change legal gender in Mafeteng

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Right to change legal gender in Mafeteng is ambiguous.

Current status
Ambiguous
May possibly change gender under the National Identity Cards Act 9 of 2011.

According to amendment of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, the Ministry of Home Affairs must amend the national register to provide for persons who have undergone “sex change operations” to change their “sex” identity marker on legal and identifying documents.

Gender-affirming care in Mafeteng

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Gender-affirming care in Mafeteng is restricted.

Current status
Since 1994
Restricted
In 1994, Lesotho legalized sterilization, which de facto meant legalizing sex reassignment surgery, however, medical records regarding transsexualism had to be obtained abroad.
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Mafeteng

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Mafeteng is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
Non-binary identities are not legally recognized in Lesotho.
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LGBT discrimination in Mafeteng

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LGBT discrimination in Mafeteng is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since 2011
Illegal in some contexts
Section 127(4) of the Children's Protection and Welfare Act 2011 states that "No child may be unfairly discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation in the selection of a diversion programme, process or option and all children shall have equal access to diversion options.

The Labor Code (2024) bans discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation. It bans violence, harassment and sexual harassment based on gender identity.

LGBT employment discrimination in Mafeteng

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LGBT employment discrimination in Mafeteng is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Apr 2, 2024
Sexual orientation and gender identity under federal Lesotho law
The Labor Code (2024) explicitly bans discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation. It also bans violence, harassment and sexual harassment based on gender identity.
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LGBT housing discrimination in Mafeteng

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LGBT housing discrimination in Mafeteng is no protections.

Current status
No protections
No protections
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Same-sex adoption in Mafeteng

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Same-sex adoption in Mafeteng is illegal.

Current status
Since Oct 4, 1966
Illegal
Single males and same-sex couples cannot adopt
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Intersex infant surgery in Mafeteng

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Intersex infant surgery in Mafeteng is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Serving openly in military in Mafeteng

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Serving openly in military in Mafeteng is lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.

Current status
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
Not a single country in Africa allows trans military service .
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Blood donations by MSMs in Mafeteng

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Blood donations by MSMs in Mafeteng is legal.

Current status
Legal
In all of Africa.
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Conversion therapy in Mafeteng

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Conversion therapy in Mafeteng is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
According to the ILGA World, there's no ban on conversion therapy in Lesotho.
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Equal age of consent in Mafeteng

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Equal age of consent in Mafeteng is equal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2012
Equal
when they decriminalized homosexuality.
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