Namibia High Court Had To Say No To Same-Sex Marriages
The High Court has ruled against recognizing same-sex marriage in Namibia.
The situation in Africa continues to be a struggle for LGBTQ+ people. Though there have been some victories, like the ones in Botswana two weeks ago, it doesn't look like Namibia will improve soon.
Namibia's high court was blocked by precedent
Two bi-national couples had filed a complaint with the High Court of Namibia seeking recognition for their same-sex unions performed abroad. But, even if the court ruled against the recognition of their marriages, the judges were in favor of marriage equality. They were actually blocked by a previous ruling that states that same-sex marriages should be illegal decades ago.
Chairperson of the Immigration Selection Board vs. Frank
Let's take a quick look back to understand.
Erna Elizabeth Frank was born in Germany and moved to Namibia in 1990, where she met the woman who would become her wife, Elizabeth Khaxas. The two women later got married in Germany, but live daily in Namibia.
Erna's problems began when she was refused a renewal of her residence permit in 1997.
The couple realized that this was discrimination based on sexual orientation because the letter from their immigration department clearly mentioned they were in a relationship.
When Erna and her wife filed a complaint, they ended up in front of the Supreme Court. The court ruled that same-sex relationships are illegal throughout Namibia, and their case has set a precedent against same-sex couples seeking recognition, which is unfortunate.
Two same-sex couples vs. the immigration department
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