LGBTQ: Zimbabwe

Homosexuality acts are outlawed in more than three dozen countries in Africa, with Zimbabwe no exception. The country’s head of state Robert Mugabe is even on record comparing gays to animals as recently as 2015 and violence against the LGBTQ community is not unheard of.

While there have been instances of clandestine parties and drag shows throughout the country, there are far more reports of locals and tourists beaten for trying to express themselves. Because of this we can’t recommend Zimbabwe as a great tourist destination for the LGBTQ community.
If you’re okay with immersing yourself in the closet for a bit, the country still has plenty of fascinating places to explore. The capital city of Harare is a bustling metropolis full of people from all walks of life and a great place to discover local culture. If you manage to avoid holding hands in public you should be just fine.

Hotels are generally private areas and most of them have no qualms about same-sex visitors rooming together, but be sure to stay at places filled with other tourists.

While we hope the situation for LGBTQ rights gets better in the near future, we can’t promote visiting the country and letting your pride fly at this time.