Angola has decriminalized homosexuality — 133 years after the passage banning same-sex relations was included in the country's penal code when the southwest African nation was still a Portuguese colony. The so-called "vices against nature" provision in its law could send same-sex couples to prison.

Parliamentarians who voted to overhaul Angola's criminal statue books didn't just remove the passage. They also banned discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The reform has been hailed by human rights activists who have been pushing for equal rights for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community in Angola and other African countries.

Hate crimes still rampant

"Associacao Iris Angola," an organization advocating for LGBT rights which was founded in 2013, had already been given legal recognition in 2018. The organization's head Carlos Fernandes welcomed the move of abolishing the legislation which dates back to 1886. However, he added, much more is needed to protect homosexuals in Angola. Up to four members of the LGBT community were killed in the past three years, he said.

"I think there's now a legal framework to go after homophobic crimes," he told DW.

Even though Angola didn't prosecute homosexuals and lesbians in the past few decades, same-sex relationships were still largely considered taboo by Angola's conservative government, largely due to the powerful influence of the Catholic Church. That might have been part of the reason why the anti-homosexuality provision was not changed earlier.

Time for change

"Politicians probably noticed it was time to change the penal code and update it to reflect our times," Neela Ghoshal of the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) told DW.

She adds that there was no big debate within Angolan society in light of the change because an awareness of and tolerance towards same-sex relations already existed. The government's decision to also ban discrimination "demonstrates that it's not just a passive acceptance of LGBT rights, but really an active protection which is not something that we've seen in many other countries," she said. "It's quite unusual."

People who refuse to hire others because of their sexual orientation can now face up to two years in prison. Read more via DW