Caught Between Silence and Visibility: LGBTQ+ Experiences in Mozambique

• While Mozambique does not criminalize LGBTQ+ identities, trans people and LBQ (lesbian, bisexual, and queer) women face systematic discrimination, invisibility, and institutional neglect.
• Activists argue that current challenges stem from a cycle of educational, economic, and digital exclusion rather than just a lack of legal protection.
• Real inclusion requires addressing structural barriers in education, healthcare, and digital governance to ensure genuine citizenship and participation.

Education and Systematic Exclusion

• Schools are described as inherently heteronormative environments where LGBTQ+ students face bullying and high dropout rates.
• Officials have actively removed references to sexual orientation from school curricula.
• Teachers receive little to no training on diversity or human rights, limiting their ability to support diverse student bodies.

Economic and Healthcare Barriers

• Trans people and LBQ women encounter significant obstacles in accessing formal employment and professional training.
• Community-led initiatives, such as 'Por Ela' (By Her), struggle with limited funding, management training gaps, and reliance on external support.
• Healthcare systems often categorize trans people as 'key populations' for HIV/AIDS programs, a framing many activists reject as dehumanizing.
• LBQ women are frequently excluded from health policy debates; cases of violence against them are often miscategorized as general gender-based violence, ignoring the role of sexual orientation.

Digital Landscapes

• Digital platforms serve as vital spaces for organizing and raising awareness for queer communities in Mozambique.
• However, these same spaces expose activists and defenders to online harassment, surveillance, and state-backed disinformation campaigns.
• Activists urge that current government debates on digital governance and cybersecurity must incorporate protections for freedom of expression and privacy.