Iris Angola, one of the few associations in Africa for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities and the only one in Angola, has had its registration accepted by the country’s Ministry of Justice after a five-year wait.
The registration was announced on Iris Angola’s Facebook page on June 12, 2018, during the same month that the association celebrates its five-year anniversary. In some western countries, June also marks Pride Month for people of diverse sexualities and gender identities.
In Angola, where the law is silent regarding homosexual activity, the LGBT community lives anonymously and faces discrimination when it comes to access to healthcare and education.
The executive director of Iris Angola, Carlos Fernandes, considers this to be a historic moment for the country:
”This is a historic moment and it signifies turning a page to a new chapter for all homosexual citizens, who now have a state-recognized entity, which lends even greater legitimacy to this organization and their working framework to develop interventions to defend and promote LGBT rights.”
The news was also applauded by the executive director of Human Rights Watch, Ian Levine.
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