LGBT rights in Asia
LGBT rights in Asia | |
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![]() Asia | |
Same-sex sexual activity legal? |
Legal in 27 out of 48 states Legal in all 3 territories Legal in 6 out of 7 states with limted recognition |
Gender identity/expression |
Legal in 19 out of 48 states Legal in 1 out of 3 territories Legal in 2 out of 7 states with limited recognition |
Military service |
Legal in 9 out of 48 states Legal in 1 out of 3 territories Legal in 1 out of 7 states with limited recognition |
Discrimination protections |
Legal in 6 out of 48 states Legal in all 3 territories Legal in 2 out of 7 states with limited recognition |
Family rights | |
Recognition of relationships |
Legal in 1 out of 48 states Legal in 0 out of 3 territories Legal in 0 out of 7 states with limted recognition |
Restrictions: | Same-sex marriage constitutionally banned in 1 out of 48 states |
Adoption |
Legal in 1 out of 48 states Legal in 0 out of 3 territories Legal in 0 out of 7 states with limited recognition |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Asia are limited in comparison to many other areas of the world. Same-sex sexual activity is outlawed in at least twenty Asian countries. While at least nine countries allow same-sex people to serve in the military, only Israel provides a wider range of LGBT rights - including same-sex relationship recognition.
In Brunei, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen homosexual activity is punished with the death penalty.[1] The legal punishment for sodomy has varied among juristic schools: some prescribe capital punishment; while other prescribe a milder discretionary punishment such as imprisonment. In some relatively secular Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia,[2] Jordan and Turkey this is not the case.
As of May 2016. same-sex sexual acts are illegal in 23 countries.[1]
Egalitarian relationships modeled on the Western pattern have become more frequent, though they remain rare. Same-sex intercourse officially carries the death penalty in several Muslim nations: Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Iran, and Yemen.[3][4]
Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Nepal, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Cyprus (excluding Northern Cyprus) are the most open to the LGBT community in Asia. Japan, Israel, Taiwan and Nepal are the major players in legislation.
In a UN General Assemby declaration for LGBT rights and/or sponsored the Human Rights Council's 2011 resolution on LGBT rights, state parties were given a chance to express their support or opposition on the topic. Only Armenia, Georgia, Cyprus, Israel, South Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Nepal, Thailand, and East Timor have expressed their support. State parties who expressed opposition are Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Maldives, North Korea, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Syria, Afghanistan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. Other Asian parties did not show support or opposition.
The first and only LGBT political party in the world, Ladlad, was established in the Philippines in 2003.
In 2016, during an African-led coalition to dislodge the recently established UN expert on LGBT issues, the majority of Asian nations backed to retain the role of the UN LGBT expert, with only Muslim nations, with the addition of China and Singapore, declaring their opposition.

Same-sex sexual activity legal
Legislation by country or territory
Central Asia
LGBT rights in: | Same-sex sexual activity | Recognition of same-sex unions | Same-sex marriage | Adoption by same-sex couples | LGB allowed to serve openly in military? | Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation | Laws concerning gender identity/expression |
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Eurasia
LGBT rights in: | Same-sex sexual activity | Recognition of same-sex unions | Same-sex marriage | Adoption by same-sex couples | LGB allowed to serve openly in military? | Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation | Laws concerning gender identity/expression |
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![]() Female always legal[14][1] |
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Western Asia
LGBT rights in: | Same-sex sexual activity | Recognition of same-sex unions | Same-sex marriage | Adoption by same-sex couples | LGB allowed to serve openly in military? | Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation | Laws concerning gender identity/expression |
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![]() Penalty: For men 74 lashes for immature men and death penalty for mature men of sound mind and is consenting. For women 50 lashes for women of mature sound mind and is consenting. Death penalty offense after fourth conviction.[1] |
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![]() Joint adoption since 2008.[21][22] |
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![]() Penalty: Fines or up to 6-year prison sentence ![]() |
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![]() Penalty: Fines and prison sentence up to 3 years (Only enforced when dealing with "public scandal")[1] |
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![]() Penalty: Fines, prison sentence up to 7 years.[1] |
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![]() Penalty: Prison sentences of several months to life, fines and/or whipping/flogging, castration, torture or death can be sentenced on first conviction. A second conviction merits execution.[1] |
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![]() Penalty: Prison sentence up to 3 years (Law in de-facto suspended)[33][1] |
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![]() Penalty: deportation, fines or prison time Illegal in the emirate of Dubai Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment Illegal in the emirate of Abu Dhabi Penalty: Up to 10 years imprisonment[1] |
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![]() Penalty: Unmarried men punished with 100 lashes of the whip or a maximum of one year of imprisonment, married men with death by stoning. Women punished up to three years of imprisonment; where the offense has been committed under duress, the punishment is up to seven years detention.[1] |
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Southern Asia
LGBT rights in: | Same-sex sexual activity | Recognition of same-sex unions | Same-sex marriage | Adoption by same-sex couples | LGB allowed to serve openly in military? | Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation | Laws concerning gender identity/expression |
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![]() Penalty: Long imprisonment or death penalty (No known cases of death sentences have been handed out for same-sex sexual activity after the end of Taliban rule)[1] |
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![]() Penalty: 10 years to life imprisonment[1] |
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![]() Penalty: Prison sentence up to 1 year (Not enforced)[1] |
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![]() Penalty: Up to 10 years imprisonment (sporadically enforced)[39][38][1] Supreme Court to consider legalization. [40] |
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![]() Penalty: For men the punishment is banishment for nine months to one year or a whipping of 10 to 30 strokes. For women is house arrest for nine months to one year.[1] |
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![]() Constitution bans all discrimination.[44] |
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![]() Penalty: 2 years to life sentence[1] |
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![]() Penalty: Fine and up to 10 years imprisonment (Not enforced)[1] |
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Eastern Asia
LGBT rights in: | Same-sex sexual activity | Recognition of relationships | Same-sex marriage | Adoption by same-sex couples | LGB allowed to serve openly in military? | Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation | Laws concerning gender identity/expression |
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![]() The People's Republic of China is in charge of Hong Kong's defence affairs. Regardless of sexual orientation, military personnel are not recruited from Hong Kong. |
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![]() (No laws against same-sex sexual activity has ever existed in the region)[46] |
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![]() The People's Republic of China is in charge of Macau's defence affairs. Regardless of sexual orientation, military personnel are not recruited from Macau. |
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![]() (No laws against same-sex sexual activity has ever existed in the country)[1] |
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![]() (No laws against same-sex sexual activity has ever existed in the country) + UN decl. sign.[1] |
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Southeast Asia
LGBT rights in | Same-sex sexual activity | Recognition of relationships | Same-sex marriage | Adoption by same-sex couples | LGB allowed to serve openly in military? | Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation | Laws concerning gender identity/expression |
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![]() Penalty: Fines and imprisonment up to 10 years or death by stoning[1] |
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![]() Penalty: Up to life sentence (Not enforced) [1] |
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![]() (No laws against same-sex sexual activity has ever existed in the country)[1] |
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![]() (No laws against same-sex sexual activity has ever existed in the country)[1] |
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![]() Penalty: fines, prison sentence (2-20 years), or whippings
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![]() Penalty: up to 2 years prison sentence (Not enforced since 1999) ![]() |
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![]() (No laws against same-sex sexual activity has ever existed in the country)[1] + UN decl. sign.[1] |
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Partially recognized or unrecognized states
LGBT rights in: | Same-sex sexual activity | Recognition of same-sex unions | Same-sex marriage | Adoption by same-sex couples | LGB allowed to serve openly in military? | Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation | Laws concerning gender identity/expression |
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West Bank:![]() Gaza: ![]() Penalty: Up to 10 years imprisonment ![]() |
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See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 "State Sponsored Homophobia 2016: A world survey of sexual orientation laws: criminalisation, protection and recognition" (PDF). International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
- ↑ Rough Guide to South East Asia: Third Edition. Rough Guides Ltd. August 2005. p. 74. ISBN 1-84353-437-1.
- ↑ "7 countries still put people to death for same-sex acts". ILGA. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
- ↑ "Kazakhstan Says No to Gays in Military". Eurasianet. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- 1 2 3 Masci, David (February 11, 2014). "Gay rights in Russia and the former Soviet republics". Pew Research Center. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
- ↑ Employment (Equality) Ordinance 2013
- ↑ Referendum in Armenia brings constitutional reforms
- ↑ Armenia Central Electoral Commission announces constitutional referendum final results
- ↑ "Armenia: Gays live with threats of violence, abuse". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 30 March 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
- 1 2 3 "Map shows how Europe forces trans people to be sterilized". Gay Star News.
- ↑ Rainbow Europe Country Index
- ↑ LAW OF GEORGIA ON THE ELIMINATION OF All FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION
- ↑ Russian Gay History
- ↑ http://www.kaosgl.com/page.php?id=18860
- ↑ http://www.kaosgl.com/page.php?id=18860
- ↑ "CBC News - Film - Iran's gay plan". Cbc.ca. 26 August 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ↑ Iraq: Sexual Orientation, Human Rights and the Law
- ↑ Erez Levon (January 2008). National Discord: Language, Sexuality and the Politics of Belonging in Israel. p. 45-46.
This amendment to the penal code entailed a de jure decriminalization of sodomy since, in 1963, the Israeli Supreme Court had already issued a de facto decriminalization, ruling that the anti-sodomy law (which dated back to the British Mandate of Palestine; Mandatory Criminal Ordinance of 1936) could not be prosecuted (Yosef Ben-Ami vs. The Attorney General of Israel, 224/63).
- ↑ LGBTQ Timeline
- ↑ Attorney General rules same sex couples eligible to adopt, ynet, February 10, 2008.
- ↑ "Adoption in Israel". Intercountry Adoption. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ↑ "Law prohibiting discrimination in products, services, and entry to businesses" (in Hebrew). Israeli Economy Ministry. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
- ↑ "El Al vs. Yonatan Danilovich" (in Hebrew). Supreme Court of Israel. Retrieved 2013-05-09.
- ↑ HOMOSEXUALITY, HUMAN DIGNITY & HALAKHAH: A COMBINED RESPONSUM FOR THE COMMITTEE ON JEWISH LAW AND STANDARDS by RABBIS ELLIOT N. DORFF, DANIEL S. NEVINS & AVRAM I. REISNER
- ↑ "Israel recognizes sex changes without operation". Supreme Court of Israel. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
- 1 2 Aeyal Gross, Human rights are part of the fight for gay rights, Haaretz (via Aguda website), December 17, 2013
- ↑ Hila Weissberg, Homophobia in the workplace? Fear of transgender people is even worse, Haaretz, August 29, 2014
- ↑ Aeyal Gross, Israel should drop binary view of gender, Haaretz, 16.09.13
- ↑ http://www.alwatanvoice.com/arabic/news/2014/10/12/602917.html
- ↑ Kuwait Law
- ↑ Lebanon Just Did a Whole Lot More Than Legalize Being Gay
- ↑ Syria, Middle East
- ↑ Sex-change surgery is now legal in the UAE
- ↑ Sex reassignment surgery is now legal in the United Arab Emirates
- ↑ New UAE law does not legalise sex change
- ↑ Bangladesh government makes Hijra an official gender option
- 1 2 "CIVIL APPEAL NO.10972 OF 2013 (Arising out of SLP (C) No.15436 of 2009)"., Supreme Court of India, retrieved on 7 March 2015
- ↑ "India's Supreme Court Restores an 1861 Law Banning Gay Sex". The New York Times. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
- ↑ "SC to take call on LGBT rights tomorrow". 1 February 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
- 1 2 "Lesbian marriages, born of a legal loophole, stir debate in India".
- ↑ "Being gay still a crime in the military". StratPost. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ↑ Supreme Court recognizes transgenders as 'third gender', The Times of India, retrieved 15 April 2014
- ↑ classhttp://www.washingtonblade.com/2015/09/19/new-nepal-constitution-includes-lgbt-specific-protections/
- ↑ Archived 18 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ http://rainbow.mo/?p=194
- ↑ Taiwan
- ↑ http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/local/kaohsiung/2015/05/14/435974/Gay-groups.htm
- ↑ "Taipei opens registration for same-sex couples". Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ↑ "Taichung to record same-sex partnerships". Gaystarnews. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ↑ http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/1591062
- ↑ http://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20160128000579-260107
- ↑ http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/1624226
- ↑ https://kairos.news/28944
- ↑ http://udn.com/news/story/3/1570743-彰化縣同性伴侶註記-4月1日實施
- ↑ Gender reassignment rule to be changed
- ↑ "Aceh passes stoning law". The Straits Times. 14 September 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
- ↑ Rough Guide to South East Asia: Third Edition. Rough Guides Ltd. August 2005. p. 74. ISBN 1843534371.
- ↑ "Sacking Sergeant SNF, Court: Homosex a Threat to Army". Detik. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- 1 2 "Philippines: Congress Approves Anti-Discrimination Bill". Iglhrc.org. 24 January 2004. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ↑ Historical Dictionary of the Lesbian and Gay Liberation Movements
- ↑ http://www.interaksyon.com/article/113336/akbayan-rep-to-file-same-sex-marriage-bill-in-congress
- ↑ "Adoption in the Philippines". Intercountry Adoption. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ↑ "Pemberton guilty of homicide in Jennifer Laude case". Rappler. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
- ↑ PNA, PNA. "Passage of Cebu's anti-discrimination law lauded". Local News. Sun Star Publishing, Inc. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
- ↑ http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/324189/davao-council-bans-discrimination-vs-gays-minority-differently-abled
- ↑ "Gay Filipinos and Rainbow - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos". Lifestyle.inquirer.net. 21 November 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2010.
- ↑ "Pemberton guilty of homicide in Laude case; sentenced to 12 years". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
- ↑ Same-sex marriage may come true under Thai junta
- ↑ Gay Thailand News & Reports 2007
- ↑
- 1 2 3 "Northern Cyprus Decriminalizes Homosexuality and Protects LGBTs Against Hate Speech". kaosgl.com.
- 1 2 3 (Turkish) Kuzey Kıbrıs’ın “Eşcinsellik Suçu” Yasası Tarihe Karıştı!
External links
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