The territory of Comoros is archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean The country has a claim on a fourth major island, southeastern-most Mayotte (Maore) which continues to be administered by France. Gay life in Comoros is mostly underground and secretive due to Muslim prejudice. Many LGBT people marry in the traditional manner to avoid detection. Only on Mayotte is there any slight relief for gays since it is technically French territory but this is tenuous. There are virtually no known cases of same-sex activity having ever come before the courts. Comoros does not have an active gay sex worker community that Madagascar has. Societal pressure in this heavily Muslim country is such that homosexuals do not openly discuss their sexual orientation, and thus no public debate on the issue has been held.
The Union of the Comoros form an archipelago of volcanic islands situated off the south-east coat of Africa, to the east of Tanzania and north-west of Madagascar. The Comoros is a sovereign nation formed by the three islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli. They are divided into an independent nation, the Union of the Comoros, and the island of Mayotte, a de facto French Overseas Community. According to different sources, the islet of Banc du Geyser and the Glorioso Islands may or may not form a part of this archipelago.
According to the International Lesbian and Gay Association’s May 2008 report, “impudent acts against nature” are illegal in Comoros according to article 318 of the Penal Code. Such acts were punished with up to five years imprisonment and a fine of 50,000 to 1,000,000 francs.
