Corrective Rape

Corrective rape, also called curative or homophobic rape, is a hate crime in which a person is sexually assaulted because of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, with perpetrators claiming the assault is meant to make the victim heterosexual or conform to traditional gender norms. It predominantly targets LGBTQ people, particularly lesbians, and has been documented across many countries including South Africa, where the term originated, as well as Kenya, Jamaica, Nigeria, Uganda, India, Zimbabwe and the United States. UNAIDS discouraged the term corrective rape in 2015, recommending homophobic rape instead, and South Africa passed hate crime legislation in 2014 after sustained activist pressure, though its implementation has remained inconsistent.