Analysing African Advances Against Homophobia in Mozambique: How Decriminalisation and Anti-Discrimination Reforms Proceed Without LGBT Identities

Mozambique experienced a ground-breaking decriminalisation of same-sex sexual acts in 2015, importance across Africa, and this article provides the first critical analysis to situate that event colonial wider socio-political contexts. The struggles peoples outside heterosexual sexuality gender norms "Global South" generally occur tension between transnational discourses orientation identity or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Trans (LGBT) human rights, renewal pre-colonial forms gender. In sub-Saharan state homophobia has increased many countries, but often been analysed former British French colonies, making rare significant case Lusophone context shaped by Portuguese colonialism. Drawing on new data, investigates apparently contradictory contestations, where legislation favourable LGBT populations (including an anti-discriminatory Labour Law) coexists with State’s refusal legally recognise only association: Lambda. distinctively reveals both repression, partly explained history relatively loose regulation authorities, Christian renewals moderated Maoist Marxist-Leninism ideological heritage Frelimo party, favouring social equality without discreet political identities. This yielded government strategy discursive silence accompanied quiet reforms avoid explicit recognition study demonstrates insights can be drawn from concerning attending specific colonialities African societies.