Jun 11, 2019

Botswana's top court votes to decriminalize homosexuality

Gay pride flag. Photo: RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP/Getty Images

Gay pride flag. Photo: Rajesh Jantilal/AFP/Getty Images

In a landmark ruling, Botswana's High Court rejected a 54-year-old colonial law that could imprison those in same-sex relationships for up to 7 years, BBC reports.

The big picture: Across Africa, many countries still criminalize homosexuality and same-sex relationships — for example, last month, Kenya's top court upheld a similar set of laws. However, some African nations have moved to on a path toward decriminalizing homosexuality in recent years, like Angola, Mozambique and the Seychelles.

Go deeper: Homosexuality still criminalized in much of the world

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