The Supreme Court in Belize will debate the Central American country’s criminal code which outlaws same-sex sexual activity, next month.

Under the code, gay citizens face a penalty of up to ten years’ imprisonment.

Section 53 states: “Every person who has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any person or animal shall be liable to imprisonment for ten years.”

The United Belize Advocacy Movement, UNIBAM, is part of a constitutional challenge to overturn the ban on same-sex sexual activity.

UNIBAM Executive President Caleb Orosco spoke to PinkNews about the case in July 2012.

He said the country’s Anglican and Catholic Church, along with its government, had been “spewing out standard homophobic arguments, misrepresenting the facts of our case and using side issues as a strategy to confuse the general public.”

The court hearing is set to last from 7 – 10 May.

Belize’s lack of legal protections for its LGBT citizens was criticised by the US State Department in a 2011 human rights report.