Human Rights Watch, 17 December 2008
- This Alien Legacy - The Origins of "Sodomy" Laws in British Colonialism
- A Human Rights Watch Report, December 2008
This 66-page report describes how laws in over three dozen countries,
from India to Uganda and from Nigeria to Papua New Guinea, derive from
a single law on homosexual conduct that British colonial rulers
imposed on India in 1860. This year, the High Court in Delhi ended
hearings in a years-long case seeking to decriminalize homosexual
conduct there. A ruling in the landmark case is expected soon.
Table of Contents
This Alien Legacy
I. Introduction
II. "Sodomy," Colonialism, and Codification
III. Colonial Power on the Street and over the Body
IV. Interpreting Sodomy Laws: The Scope Expands
V. Conclusion: The Emancipatory Potential of Decriminalization
Recommendations
Acknowledgements