Travelling As A Trans Person In Africa

BY PRINCESS ILONZE

Despite the worldwide clamour for equal rights and freedom of sexual expression, there are numerous reports of members of the LGBTQ+ community and especially members of the trans community being mistreated and rough-handled in airports all over the world.

The truth remains that despite the covering that international laws provide, there are still about 80 countries - a large portion of which are in Africa- where merely being suspected of being gay or trans is a criminal offence.The penalties range from 2 years imprisonment to whipping and even death. Needless say, as a trans man or woman, you would have to take the utmost care when it comes to domestic or international travel within the African continent.

 Also, considering that being openly gay, crossdressing, transgender or transexual is illegal in most parts of Africa, there are no provisions made to cater for the sensitive attention that a trans person might need at the airport. If you are trans and intend to take a trip to certain parts of Africa, you will need to take some precautions to avoid unnecessary complications at the airport or during your trip.

  

Planning your Trip

 Before booking your flight or making concrete plans, it’s of the highest importance that you ascertain the safety of your proposed destination. Research can’t possibly be overemphasized when it comes to travelling in Africa while trans. It’s important to learn about the laws of the land, find out about local organisations and groups that are trans friendly. At the end of this post, you will find a list of African countries and their stance on LGBTQ+ rights as this is often a mirror of the domestic stance on trans people.

 Apart from what is written in the laws, there are also unwritten norms which govern how you will be received in the place you will be visiting. This is equally, if not as important as what is written in the constitution because it determines the reception you will get once you arrive at your destination.

 In case it might be a turn off, you should be aware that most, if not all African countries, have yet to consciously provide gender neutral bathrooms. Also, possession of sex toys is mostly frowned upon in African airports and might attract undue attention. It might also be regarded as evidence of sex work, which may result in detainment.

 Before you book your ticket, you will definitely look into where to stay. Regardless of what country you choose to visit, it is most advisable to visit bigger cities for several reasons. Compared to rural dwellers, those in the urban areas are more likely to be accepting of people’s differences. Also, your country’s embassy is likely to be located in the capital city of the country you choose to visit. If you choose to visit Nigeria for instance, then you might want to consider a budget hotel in Victoria Island or  the cheap hotels in ikeja both suburbs are located in the country’s commercial capital. At hotels.ng, you can get pretty good deals on hotels. I’ve heard Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island is particularly good.

Travel Documents

 Acquiring a VISA from an African country will be the first hurdle where travel documents are concerned. In countries with liberal law where LGBT rights are recognised, it should be easier for you to attain a visa. South Africa visas as well as Rwanda visas should not prove to be too much of a hassle. Otherwise, it would be advisable to speak with a staff of your embassy in the country you intend to visit. There you can get direct information about how best to proceed.

 In most countries, the law requires that the gender marker and name on your boarding pass must match the one on the government-issued photo ID and that all passengers over the age of 18 must provide proof of identity both at check-in and at security. In this case Africa is no different and this makes being a trans traveller rather tricky.

 As of today, no African country recognises non-binary or third gender classifications. This means it would be best to use the information -name and gender specifically- that appears on your passport or your photo ID when booking your ticket. That is, granted you haven’t updated your travel documents and ID. If your appearance no longer matches your ID, make sure you take a note from a verifiable medical practice explaining the change in your appearance.

Packing and Security Checks

If you wish to travel with needles, syringes, or hormones, you need to take proof that they are prescribed. Keep all your medical supplies in one bag so they can be easily screened. If your hormones need to be refrigerated, ask flight crew to store them for you. In case that isn’t possible, carry a thermos with you. You may also want to  consider checking these with your luggage unless you’ll need them in the air.

Most airport security checks do not require that you take of any non-metal clothing items you are wearing. This also applies to prosthetics. However, due to the African norms, to avoid undue attention it may be best to keep your prosthetics in your carry-on bag and request for private screening. 

If you are a transman who packs, ensure your packing piece doesn’t have any metal parts. Also, be aware that a heavily bounded chest may cause unwarranted attention because it may appear that the passenger is hiding something underneath the wrap. When it comes to a body search, the best route is to ask to be screened privately.

  

African Countries and Their LGBT Laws

Country	LGBT Rights
Algeria	Illegal since 1966 Penalty: Fine and up to 2 years imprisonment.
Canary Islands	Legal
Ceuta	Legal
Egypt	Male de facto illegal since 2000, Female uncertain Penalty: Up to 17 years imprisonment with or without hard labour and with or without fines under broadly-written morality laws
Libya	Illegal since 1953
Madeira	Legal
Melilla	Legal
Morocco	Illegal since 1962 Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic	Illegal since 1944 Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment
South Sudan	Illegal since 1899 Penalty: Up to 10 years imprisonment
Sudan	Illegal since 1899 Penalty: Death penalty on third offense for men and on fourth offense for women
Tunisia	Illegal since 1913 Penalty: 3 years imprisonment.
Benin	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country)
Burkina Faso	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country)
Cape Verde	Legal
Côte d'Ivoire	Legal
Gambia	Illegal since 1888 Penalty: Life imprisonment
Ghana	Male illegal since 1860s Penalty: 10 years imprisonment or more Female always legal.
Guinea	Illegal since 1988 Penalty: 6 months to 3 years imprisonment.
Guinea-Bissau	Legal
Liberia	Illegal since 1976 Penalty: 1 year imprisonment
Mali	Legal
Mauritania	Illegal since 1983 Penalty: Death penalty
Niger	Legal
Nigeria	Illegal under federal law since 1901 Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment Illegal in the states of Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara Penalty: Death penalty for men. Whipping and/or imprisonment for women.
Senegal	Illegal since 1966 Penalty: 1 to 5 years imprisonment
Sierra Leone	Male illegal since 1861 Penalty: Up to life imprisonment (Not enforced) Female always legal
Togo	Illegal since 1884 Penalty: Fine and 3 years imprisonment
Cameroon	Illegal since 1972 Penalty: Fines to 5 years imprisonment.
Central African Republic	Legal
Chad	Illegal since 2016.
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Legal
Equatorial Guinea	Legal
Gabon	Legal
Republic of the Congo	Legal
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha	Legal
São Tomé and Príncipe	Legal
Burundi	Illegal since 2009 Penalty: 3 months to 2 years imprisonment.
Kenya	Illegal since 1897 Penalty: up to 14 years imprisonment
Rwanda	Legal since 1980
Uganda	Male illegal since 1894 Penalty: Up to life in prison or vigilante execution
Tanzania	Illegal Penalty: Up to life imprisonment.
Djibouti	Legal
Eritrea	Illegal Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment
Ethiopia	Illegal Penalty: 10 years imprisonment or more
Somalia	Illegal Penalty: Up to death
Somaliland	Illegal Penalty: Up to death
British Indian Ocean Territory	Legal
Comoros	Illegal since 1982 Penalty: 5 years imprisonment & fines
French Southern and Antarctic Lands	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed)
Madagascar	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country).
Mauritius	Male: Illegal  Penalty: Up to 5 years imprisonment Female: Legal
Mayotte	Legal
Réunion	Legal
Seychelles	Legal since 2016
Angola	De facto illegal Penalty: Fines, restrictions or penal labor (Not enforced)
Botswana	Illegal Penalty: Fine to up to 7 years imprisonment (Not enforced)
Lesotho	Legal
Malawi	Illegal Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment & whippings (Law suspended from usage since 2012)
Mozambique	Legal since 2015
Namibia	Male: illegal (not enforced) Female: always legal
South Africa	Legal
Swaziland	Male: illegal Female always legal
Zambia	Illegal Penalty: up to 14 years imprisonment
Zimbabwe	Male: illegal Female legal