Legalizing LGBTQ in Mauritius

We at Grindr applaud the decision handed down by the Supreme Court last week that decriminalizes consensual sex between men in the country of Mauritius. We are grateful to the Mauritian activists and lawyers who have worked so hard to achieve this powerful victory.

The stakes of decriminalization are high, because authoritarian laws that reject our right to exist push gay people into the shadows, force us to live in fear, and prevent us from making full contributions to the world. This is true regardless of whether the government actively enforces laws that criminalize consensual sex between men and makes arrests, or not. 

The threat of turning our community members over to the police can keep us from achieving our full potential in life, even when that threat could be empty. It gives the people around us something they can use against us if we’re ever in serious competition with them or if we disagree. Merely having a law on the books that says we are illegal–simply because of who we are and who we love–sends the message to our young people that they are sick, their futures will not be bright, and they should not value their own lives.

For these reasons, overturning laws that criminalize being LGBTQ in the sixty-five countries that make it illegal is a key priority for Grindr for Equality (G4E). 

This past summer, Grindr for Equality team members visited Mauritius to participate in the Pan-Africa ILGA conference. We had the opportunity to experience the country and get to know the Mauritian activists who have made this momentous change possible. The time we spent there only increases our excitement at the news and invigorates the congratulations we send to the entire country. 

We at Grindr will continue to support activists around the world in their efforts to achieve similarly positive outcomes, even in the places where it can feel impossible. Our community has shown itself to be powerful. We will make it happen, and we at Grindr are so proud to be one of many institutions pushing us in that direction.