Liberia

The Penal Law of 1976 prohibits same-sex sexual activity and criminalizes acts of “voluntary sodomy” under Section 14.47 and “deviant sexual intercourse” under Section 14.79. Section 50.8(a) provides a maximum penalty of one year of imprisonment. It is worth noting that Liberia’s Penal Law is of domestic origin, as Liberia is one of the few African countries that was never formally colonized. Despite criminalization, the Decent Work Act of 2015 provides protections in the work environment, stating that “all persons who work or who seek to work in Liberia are entitled to enjoy and to exercise the rights and protections conferred by the Act irrespective of…sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.”

Members of parliament have introduced anti-LGBTIQ legislation on multiple occasions, with notable efforts in 2012, 2018, and most recently in 2024. On July 18, 2024, Representative Johnson S. N. Williams, a newly elected member of the opposition party Coalition of Democratic Change (CDC) representing River Gee County District #3, introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Law of Liberia 2024 in the House of Representatives, which referred it to a joint committee on Gender, Health, and Judiciary for review. The bill sought to add a new penal provision, Section 14.80, which would strengthen the criminalization of consensual same-sex intimacy by reclassifying it from a misdemeanor to a felony, significantly expanding the legal regulation of sexual diversity. It was referred to a committee and had not advanced as of writing.

Reports from recent years highlight a pattern of violence, discrimination, and stigma affecting LGBTIQ individuals in Liberia, including evictions, threats, and violence by organized gangs. The U.S. State Department’s 2023 country report on Liberia affirmed that LGBTIQ individuals have reported cases of harassment, discrimination, arrests, and violence. Additionally, the 2024 annual human rights report by the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) documents ongoing stigma and discrimination faced by LGBTIQ individuals in accessing treatment and health care services. In 2025, a video depicting a naked teenage boy suspected of being gay circulated widely online, with minimal reported intervention by law enforcement authorities. The Liberian Council of Churches publicly condemned an alleged same-sex marriage, characterizing it as contrary to biblical teachings, the constitution, and the country’s moral values. Freedom of association is limited for LGBTIQ organizations, as they are not allowed to register openly.