Published by Alvyn Ulrish Shad Savrimuthu
On 15 May 2026, the Collectif Arc-en-Ciel (CAEC) organised an evening of dialogue, reflection, and advocacy to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), officially commemorated on 17 May each year. Held under the theme “At the Heart of Democracy,” the event brought together lawmakers, activists, senior government officials, and diplomatic representatives for a frank and necessary conversation about the state of LGBTQIA+ rights in Mauritius. Present were the Honourable Rajen Narsinghen, Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, the High Commissioners of the British High Commission and the Australian High Commission, representatives of the European Union and the French Embassy, as well as national institutions engaged in human rights, social inclusion, and public health.
The date of 17 May holds particular significance. It marks the anniversary of the World Health Organisation’s decision in 1990 to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. For the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies, it is a moment to reflect on how far the world has come, and how far it still has to go.
A Country at a Crossroads
Mauritius occupies a notable position on the African continent. Since the decriminalisation of sodomy in 2023, it has been among the more progressive nations in the region when it comes to LGBTQIA+ rights. Yet the evening made clear that decriminalisation, while historic, is only a beginning. The legislative architecture remains incomplete, and the lived realities of many LGBTQIA+ Mauritians are still marked by discrimination, marginalisation, and the absence of formal legal protections.
Carolyn Desvaux de Marigny, President of the Equal Opportunities Commission, set the tone in her opening address. “The mandate of the Commission is to stand against all forms of discrimination, including those perpetrated against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” she said. “LGBTQIA+ people are fully part of the Mauritian landscape and Mauritian democracy, and it is important that public institutions also carry this message of inclusion and equality.”
Muriel Yvon, Vice-President of the CAEC, was equally direct. “A democracy worthy of the name has a duty to ensure the safety, respect and dignity of all its citizens, regardless of their social or ethnic background, their gender identity or their sexual orientation,” she said. “Despite historic progress in recent years, there remains much to improve in the country’s legislation to ensure better protection and integration of LGBTQIA+ people.”
The Gaps That Remain
The panel discussion, moderated by Annie Osawaru, Director of the CAEC, and bringing together Satyajit Boolell, former Director of Public Prosecutions and President of the National Human Rights Commission; Amar Mahadew, Associate Professor and specialist in international human rights law; Najeeb Fokeerbux, founding President of the Young Queer Alliance; and Caroline Fitz-Gibbon, Director and co-founder of RekonekT, identified a series of concrete legislative gaps that continue to leave LGBTQIA+ Mauritians without adequate protection.
Among the most significant: same-sex couples cannot marry or enter into a civil union. The rights of transgender and intersex people are not formally recognised. There are no hate crime laws covering the LGBTQIA+ community. And efforts to combat persistent social stigma and marginalisation remain limited and under-resourced.
Satyajit Boolell was unambiguous. “There are still discriminatory laws in our legal architecture, particularly regarding same-sex marriage and certain housing matters. Discriminatory attitudes also persist within society. We must be clear: we need to ask legislators to review the discriminatory laws that remain in our legal architecture. We have the means to do it.”
Amar Mahadew pointed to a fundamental gap at the constitutional level. “Protection against discrimination is one thing, but equality is another,” he said. “Unlike other constitutions, such as that of South Africa, our Constitution does not explicitly provide that every individual has the right to equality or must be treated equally. Sexual orientation is not explicitly listed among the grounds on which discrimination is prohibited. More than legal reforms, institutional reforms are necessary.”
Najeeb Fokeerbux brought the conversation back to the human scale, reminding the room that democracy is not only expressed through institutions and elections, but through the everyday realities people navigate. “What about the trans person who, every day, must simply fight to be themselves when they leave their room, take the bus, go to school, go to work?” he asked. “Many still live in constant fear of what others will say if they reveal who they are or express themselves openly, and wonder whether they will be treated equally and fairly. These questions are at the very heart of democracy.”
Caroline Fitz-Gibbon spoke to the frontline reality of community organisations like RekonekT, which provide safe spaces and psychosocial support to LGBTQIA+ individuals facing rejection, psychological distress, and discrimination. Her contribution underlined something the panel returned to repeatedly: the gap between what the law does not yet do and what community organisations are left to carry in its absence.
A Regional Context That Cannot Be Ignored
The evening also situated Mauritius within a deeply troubling continental picture. Homosexuality remains criminalised in more than 30 African countries, where LGBTQIA+ people face repressive legislation, institutional discrimination, and severe social stigma. Uganda introduced the death penalty for cases of so-called “aggravated homosexuality” in 2023. Nigeria, Mauritania, Tanzania, Cameroon, Ghana, and Zimbabwe all maintain laws ranging from lengthy prison sentences to the death penalty for same-sex relations or LGBTQIA+ expression.
In this context, Mauritius holds a rare and consequential position. “This trend towards criminalisation in Africa is deeply worrying, and shows that the fight for equality and respect is very far from being won,” said Muriel Yvon. “In this increasingly tense context, it is essential that Mauritius strengthens its progressive position and ensures the full integration and protection of the LGBTQIA+ community. In these dark times, the country has the potential to lead by example and to establish itself as a beacon in the region and beyond. LGBTQIA+ rights must absolutely form an integral part of human rights. It is a fundamental necessity.”
Platform Africa Interview: Muriel Yvon, Vice-President of the Collectif Arc-en-Ciel
Speaking to Platform Africa on the sidelines of the event, Muriel Yvon reflected on the significance of the evening and what it represents for the community. “The 17th of May marks the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, celebrated worldwide,” she said. “It is an important celebration because we are all together and we all remember the fight that we are in. It is just human rights, basic human rights. The right to love. That is all my message for our community and for the world.”
She also announced that the CAEC’s annual Pride event will take place on 13 June in Rosehill, and she was unequivocal about why showing up matters. “It is so important to be visible today,” she said. “We are part of this country, we are human beings. We are not asking for more rights, just the same equal rights, for equality. It is not rights that we are asking for that are extraordinary. Absolutely not. It is just equal rights for everyone.”
Platform Africa Interview: Kate Chamley, Australian High Commissioner to Mauritius
Kate Chamley, the Australian High Commissioner, spoke to Platform Africa about why she chose to attend. “Australia is proud to support efforts that ensure everyone is valued regardless of their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their gender expression or their sex characteristics,” she said. “That is built into how we are as a country. It is built into how we deliver our foreign policy overseas, and so I thought it was very important to come tonight.”
She described the evening’s panel as a rich and substantive discussion, and expressed her anticipation for the Pride March in June. “It is another important event on the calendar,” she said, “and it is important for the diplomatic corps to show our support to the community here.” Her presence, alongside those of other diplomatic missions, sent a signal that international partners are watching, and that Mauritius’ choices on LGBTQIA+ rights carry weight beyond its own borders.
The Work of the Collectif Arc-en-Ciel
Founded in 2005, the CAEC has spent two decades building the infrastructure of support, visibility, and advocacy that the LGBTQIA+ community in Mauritius depends on. Its impact is concrete and measurable. Between April 2025 and March 2026, 49 individuals were supported through its case management programme, receiving personalised follow-up in situations of discrimination, harassment, or social vulnerability. More than 200 support sessions were conducted, covering psychological accompaniment, legal assistance, referrals to specialist services, and administrative support. Through its community health initiative Samedi Santé, 71 people accessed free medical consultations and HIV and STI testing in a safe and inclusive environment. Free self-testing kits have also been made available since December 2025, extending access to sexual health screening within the community.
The CAEC has also called on funders, media, and the private sector to step up. On funding, the collective needs greater support to expand its advocacy work into additional priority areas. On media, the call was clear: LGBTQIA+ issues must be covered responsibly and constructively, in a way that does not further stigmatise the community but instead supports the long-term work of activists and NGOs.
A Call to Show Up
The Pride March on 13 June in Rosehill is more than a celebration. It is a statement. It is an act of visibility by a community that has too often been told to remain invisible, and an invitation to allies, individuals, institutions, and diplomatic missions alike to stand alongside them in public. In a regional context where the rights of LGBTQIA+ people are being rolled back, sometimes violently, the act of showing up carries meaning that extends well beyond the march itself.
The Collectif Arc-en-Ciel has been doing this work for twenty years. The least the rest of us can do is show up for one afternoon in June.
