Lesbian , gay , bisexual , transgender , and queer LGBTQ people in Liberia face legal and social challenges which others in the country do not experience. LGBTQ people in Liberia encounter widespread discrimination, including harassment , death threats , and at times physical attacks. Same-sex sexual activity is criminalized in Liberia. Sections Under section A defendant convicted of a misdemeanor of the first degree may be sentenced as for a felony of the third degree if the court is satisfied that there is an exceptional need for rehabilitative or incapacitative measures for the protection of the public in view of the fact that this is the third conviction against the defendant within five years for misdemeanors of the first degree or more serious crimes.
Enforcement and prosecution of this law is uncommon. Gender-affirming hormone therapy and gender-affirmation surgery are not available in Liberia. A bill introduced by Representative Clarence Massaquoi proposed increasing the penalty for same-sex sexual activity, from a first-degree misdemeanor carrying a maximum sentence of one year in prison to a second-degree felony with a maximum prison sentence of five years.
President Charles Taylor attempted to vilify LGBTQ Liberians in order to unify the country under his leadership, and to lend himself a sense of attention to moral issues, after winning the presidency of Liberia in the aftermath of the First Liberian Civil War. Since-debunked reports emerged in the Liberian press in alleging that a nonexistent California-based organization had bribed lawmakers to legalize same-sex marriage.
In November , after the conclusion of an event in Monrovia introducing candidates for the Transgender Network of Liberia's Miss Trans Diva pageant, residents of the neighborhood in which the event took place attacked those who remained at the event and threatened to kill anyone present. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects.
Wikidata item. Legal status [ edit ]. Legislation considered in [ edit ]. Political support [ edit ]. Support [ edit ]. Opposition [ edit ]. Living conditions [ edit ]. Health [ edit ]. Summary Table [ edit ]. See also [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. The New Dawn. Retrieved 28 July Retrieved 10 June London: Zed Books Ltd. ISBN OCLC World Policy Journal. ISSN S2CID Public Religion and the Politics of Homosexuality in Africa.
