LIBERIA: HUMAN RIGHTS AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION

UNCLAS MONROVIA 000001 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/FO AND AF/RSA - LMAZEL, LGRIESMER, LDEES E.O.12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV LI SUBJECT: LIBERIA: HUMAN RIGHTS AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION REF: STATE 130765 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In Liberia, homosexuality remains illegal and widely condemned, although it is acknowledged to occur quietly, particularly in Monrovia. The gay community remains small and discrete, and there is no gay rights movement in Liberia. No one has been convicted under Liberia's anti-gay legislation in years. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) There are legal provisions in the criminal laws of Liberia that prohibit or criminalize homosexuality. In sections 14.72, 14.73 and 14.74 of the New Penal Law, "voluntary sodomy" is a third-degree misdemeanor with a penalty of up to one year imprisonment. ¶3. (SBU) Homosexuality is considered both traditionally and culturally unacceptable. The gay community in Liberia is growing gradually and includes individuals of all ages and from all socio-economic groups. However, homosexuality is not openly practiced, due to legal restrictions and widespread public intolerance. Whispers and rumors are heard about people involved in homosexual behavior, but no well-known Liberians publicly avow their homosexuality. In 2007, when a radio talk show conducted a survey of views on homosexuality, 100% of respondents condemned the practice. ¶4. (SBU) No one has been convicted under Liberia's anti-gay legislation in recent years. However, the Women and Children Unit of the Liberia National Police in November 2009 reported four cases of sodomy. Three of these cases are pending, and the one that has gone to court involved children. Fear of reprisal or discrimination is one factor that continues to keep the practice of homosexuality under cover. ¶5. (SBU) Various religious groups, including churches and mosques, openly condemn same-sex relationships on spiritual and moral grounds. Human rights and civil society organizations seem to avoid the issue of homosexuality, neither condemning the practice nor raising the issue of discrimination or abuse. THOMAS-GREENFIELD