LGBT rights in Rwanda

LGBT rights in Rwanda
Rwanda
Status	Legal
Gender identity	No
Military	No
Discrimination protections	No
Family rights
Recognition of relationships	No recognition of same-sex relationships
Adoption	No

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Rwanda face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. While neither homosexuality nor homosexual acts are illegal, homosexuality is considered a taboo topic, and there is no significant public discussion of this issue in any region of the country and LGBT people still face stigmatization among the broader population.^[1] No anti-discrimination laws are afforded to LGBT citizens,^[1] and same-sex marriages are not recognized by the state, as the Constitution of Rwanda provides that "[o]nly civil monogamous marriage between a man and a woman is recognized".^[2] LGBT Rwandans have reported being harassed, blackmailed, and even arrested by the police under various laws dealing with public order and morality.^[3]

Rwanda is a signatory of the United Nations joint statement condemning violence against LGBT people and is one of only a few countries in Africa to have sponsored the declaration, and stands in sharp contrast with neighbouring Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi. Rwanda and Djibouti are the only East African countries where homosexual acts are legal.