LGBT Rights in Tanzania - Living Conditions

Living Conditions

There are no gay bars, although there are places where gay men meet. Lesbians are less visible than gay men.

The WEZESHA organization is directed by James Wandera Ouma. Its mission is to promote, support, defend, and protect the interests and the general well-being of LGBT people in Tanzania. On 16 December 2011, Ouma reported that he had been detained by the police and was released several hours later on condition that he stop his activism.

The traditional view of homosexuality assumes one man, the msenge, will play the role of a female (for money or because he is impotent, not because he wants to), while the basha, the dominant partner, is assumed to have relations with women as well as men. The msenge is more heavily stigmatized than the basha by Tanzanian tradition.

Homophobia is very high. There are no hospitals where LGBT people can access treatment. The government has no programs to prevent HIV infection among the LGBT community.

In 2003, over 300 Tanzanians protested against the arrival of a gay tour group.

In 2004, several Islamic groups in Zanzibar began an effort to cleanse the nation of activities it considered sinful, including homosexuality, which resulted in changes in the law which imposed harsher penalties for homosexual sex acts.