A contentious section of the military justice code that had made homosexuality illegal in the armed forces has been overturned by Venezuela’s Supreme Court.
According to the court’s website, the provision was invalidated because it lacked “sufficient clarity and legal precision with regard to the conduct it intended to punish.” It had allowed for a punishment of up to three years in prison.
The statement claimed that the order had demanded punishment for military personnel who engaged in “sexual acts against nature,” but did not specify what that meant.
According to the court, the article was incompatible with both constitutional advancements and human rights advancements.
LGBTQ people in Venezuela, a conservative country, applauded the decision.
Leandro Viloria, an activist, told AFP, “After so many years of struggle we have achieved the nullity of the article of the military justice code.
According to an expelled military officer who spoke to AFP, the annulment of the article gives him the opportunity to ask for his reinstatement after the military found out he was gay.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he said, “Now it is a matter of evaluating if given that situation my reinstatement proceeds — at least with this the fear will disappear.
