The Origins of "Sodomy" Laws in British Colonialism

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.

__3__ 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