This alien legacy : the origins of "sodomy" laws in British colonialism / [report written by Alok Gupta] ; Human Rights Watch.

This alien legacy : the origins of "sodomy" laws in British colonialism / [report written by Alok Gupta] ; Human Rights Watch.

New York : Human Rights Watch, [2008]

©2008

66 pages ; 27 cm

"More than 80 countries around the world still make consensual homosexual sex between adults a crime. More than half have these laws because they used to be British colonies. This report describes the strange afterlife of a colonial legacy. In 1860, British colonizers introduced a new criminal code to occupied India. Section 377 of the code prohibited 'carnal intercourse against the order of nature.' Versions of this Victorian law spread across the British empire. They were imposed to control the colonies, put in place because imperial masters believed that 'native' morals needed 'reform.' They are still in force from Botswana to Bangladesh, from Nigeria to Papua New Guinea, even though the United Nations and international law condemns them. These laws invade privacy and create inequality. They condemn people to outlaw status because of how they look or whom they love. They are used to discredit enemies and destroy careers. They can incite violence and excuse murder. They hand police and others the power to arrest, blackmail and abuse. Today, as a court case in India tries to elimate the original Section 377's repressive force, this report documents their dangerous effects. These holdouts of the British Empire have outlived their time" -- p. [4] of cover.

"December 2008."

Includes bibliographical references.

Also available via the Internet on the Human Rights Watch web site.

STA

K3242.3 .G87 2008

English

1564324192
9781564324191