The stage is set for Sri Lanka to repeal its anti-homosexuality law
Newly elected president wants that law to be repealed.
Sri Lanka is one of the world’s 64 nations with anti-homosexuality laws, but that could soon change.
The country’s newly elected president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, known as AKD, wants that law to be repealed.
“The LGBTQ community is discriminated due to some conservative mind sets of society,” he wrote on X/Twitter five years ago. “Colonial Laws that criminalize same-sex sexual acts make this situation worse. We are dedicated to amend these Laws & create a society where everyone is treated equally.”
LGBTQ rights activist Fabrice Houdart hailed AKD’s election on Sept. 22 as “ushering in a new chapter for marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals. His party, the National People’s Power (NPP), has committed to addressing LGBTQ+ rights, advocating for the repeal of colonial-era laws that criminalize homosexuality, and pushing for comprehensive protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
But some skepticism is justifiable.
AKD, as he is known, has focused recently on other pressing issues, such as the economy and political corruption.
And past coverage of Sri Lanka provides many examples of optimistic predictions that have yet to be realized:
- Sri Lanka moves closer to repeal of its anti-gay law (February 2023)
- President of Sri Lanka won’t oppose repeal of anti-gay law — maybe (September 2022)
- Sri Lanka discusses LGBTQ rights ‘over and over’, but clings to the past (August 2021)
Fabric Houdart is executive director of the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors. He publishes a weekly newsletter on LGBTQ+ Equality.
