LGBTQ rights in Asia | |
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Status | Legal, with an equal age of consent, in 29 out of 50 states Legal, with an equal age of consent, in 7 territories |
Gender identity | Legal in 23 out of 50 states Legal in 1 territory |
Military | Allowed in 9 out of 50 states Allowed in 2 territories |
Discrimination protections | Protected in 14 out of 50 states Protected in 4 territories |
Family rights | |
Recognition of relationships | Recognized in 5 out of 50 states Recognized in 4 territories |
Restrictions | Same-sex marriage constitutionally banned in 5 out of 50 states |
Adoption | Legal in 2 out of 50 states |
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LGBTQ rights |
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Lesbian ∙ Gay ∙ Bisexual ∙ Transgender ∙ Queer |
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Laws governing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights are complex in Asia, and acceptance of LGBTQ people varies. Same-sex sexual activity is outlawed in twenty-one Asian countries. In Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, homosexual activity results in death penalty. [1] [2] In addition, LGBT people also face extrajudicial executions from non-state actors such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. [3] [4] While egalitarian relationships have become more frequent in recent years, they remain rare. [2] [5] [6]
Historical discrimination towards homosexuality in much of the region include the ban on homosexual acts enforced by Genghis Khan in the Mongol Empire, which made male homosexuality punishable by death. [7] [8] The Fatawa-e-Alamgiri of the Mughal Empire (descended from the Mongol Empire) mandated a common set of punishments for homosexuality, which could include 50 lashes for a slave, 100 for a free infidel, or death by stoning for a Muslim, [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] whereas the Yuan Dynasty (descended from the Mongol Empire) implemented a crackdown on homosexuality in China that was continued by the Ming Dynasty. [16] [17]
Many Asian countries have collectivist cultures, wherein aggression is generally accepted by society if it is used to protect the family honor. Homosexuality is generally considered to be dishonorable, so homophobic aggression in the name of protecting family honor is common. [18]
The only Asian jurisdictions which nationally recognize same-sex marriage are Taiwan and Thailand. [19] [20] In 2019, a survey by The Economist found 45% of respondents in the Asia-Pacific believed that same-sex marriage is inevitable in the region, while 31% of respondents disagreed. Furthermore, three-quarters of those surveyed reported a more open climate for LGBT rights compared to three years ago. Of those reporting an improving climate for LGBT people, 38% cited a change in policies or laws. Meanwhile, 36% said coverage of LGBT issues in mainstream media was a major factor. The top reasons cited for diminishing openness was anti-LGBT advocacy by religious institutions. [21] [22]
LGBT rights in: | Same-sex sexual activity | Recognition of same-sex unions | Same-sex marriage | Adoption by same-sex couples | LGBT people allowed to serve openly in military? | Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation | Laws concerning gender identity/expression |
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LGBT rights in: | Same-sex sexual activity | Recognition of same-sex unions | Same-sex marriage | Adoption by same-sex couples | LGBT people allowed to serve openly in military? | Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation | Laws concerning gender identity/expression |
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![]() | ![]() Penalty: up to 2 years imprisonment. ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() Penalty: up to 3 years imprisonment. ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
LGBT rights in: | Same-sex sexual activity | Recognition of same-sex unions | Same-sex marriage | Adoption by same-sex couples | LGBT people allowed to serve openly in military? | Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation | Laws concerning gender identity/expression |
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![]() (Disputed territory) | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Unknown | ![]() | Unknown |
![]() (Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom) | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | Unknown | ![]() | ![]() | Unknown |
![]() | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
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![]() | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() |
![]() | ![]() ![]() Penalty: Up to 17 years imprisonment with or without hard labour and with or without fines under broadly-written morality laws. [24] [42] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Unknown | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() ![]() Penalty: 74 lashes for immature men and death penalty for mature men (although there are documented cases of minors executed because of their sexual orientation) [45] . For women, 100 lashes for women of mature sound mind and if consenting. Death penalty offense after fourth conviction. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
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![]() | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [24] [49] | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Unknown | ![]() | ![]() |
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![]() | ![]() ![]() Penalty: Up to 1 year imprisonment (unenforced). | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() (Disputed territory) | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() Penalty: Fines and prison sentence up to 3 years (only enforced when dealing with "public scandal"). [24] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | West Bank:![]() Gaza: No consensus on legal applicability of British 1936 Sexual offences provisions to homosexual conduct [67] [68] [69] [70] | West Bank:![]() Gaza: ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Unknown | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() ![]() Penalty: Fines, up to 7 years imprisonment [24] Death penalty for Muslims. | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
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![]() (Disputed territory) | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Unknown | ![]() | Unknown |
Syria | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | No official military | ![]() | ![]() |
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![]() | ![]() ![]() Penalty: Unmarried men punished with 100 lashes of the whip or a maximum of one year of imprisonment, stoning for adultery is not enforced. Women punished up to three years of imprisonment. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
LGBT rights in: | Same-sex sexual activity | Recognition of same-sex unions | Same-sex marriage | Adoption by same-sex couples | LGBT people allowed to serve openly in military? | Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation | Laws concerning gender identity/expression |
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![]() | ![]() ![]() Penalty: Death penalty [81] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() Penalty: 10 years to life imprisonment (Occasionally enforced). [24] [82] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | A third gender option (hijra) besides male and female is available for a certain sect of third genders [83] |
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![]() (Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom) | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | Unknown | ![]() | Unknown | Unknown |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() On August 28, 2024, India's Ministry of Finance issued an advisory declaring that persons from the LGBTQ community face no restrictions in opening joint bank accounts or nominating their partners as beneficiaries [87] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() In 2022, National Medical Commission banned conversion therapy [91] | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() Penalty: Up to 8 years imprisonment, house arrest, lashings and fines. (unenforced) [93] LGBTQ welcomed in tourist islands [94] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() Penalty: 2 years to life sentence (Occasionally enforced). [24] [98] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() Penalty: Up to 10 years imprisonment with fines. [24] (Ruled unenforcable by the Supreme Court) Legalization proposed | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
LGBT rights in: | Same-sex sexual activity | Recognition of relationships | Same-sex marriage | Adoption by same-sex couples | LGBT people allowed to serve openly in military? | Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation | Laws concerning gender identity/expression |
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![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() legal gender change possible since 2002. Since 2022, legal gender change allowed with only partial sex reassignment surgery. Difficulty remains to change gender information on diplomas and degrees. [103] [104] |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | The central government of China is responsible for the defense of Hong Kong. [106] | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | The central government of China is responsible for the defence of Macau. | ![]() | Unknown |
![]() | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Unknown | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() ![]() Penalty: Unknown | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() |
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LGBT rights in | Same-sex sexual activity | Recognition of relationships | Same-sex marriage | Adoption by same-sex couples | LGBT people allowed to serve openly in military? | Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation | Laws concerning gender identity/expression |
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![]() | ![]() Penalty: 100 strokes of the cane or 8 years in prison [122] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() ![]() Penalty: Death by stoning (in abeyance), 1 year imprisonment and 100 lashes for men. Caning and 10 years prison for women. [123] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Laws prohibit forms of gender expression. |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Unknown | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() but same-sex couples can not adopt | Unknown | ![]() | Unknown |
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![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Unknown | ![]() | Unknown |
![]() | ![]() Penalty: fines, prison sentence (2–20 years), or whippings. [24] [128] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() Penalty: Up to 20 years in prison (unenforced). [24] [130] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [131] [24] [132] [133] [b] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() ![]() Nationwide anti-bullying law for basic education students. [141] | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Ambiguous, a gay Singaporean man with a male partner in 2018 won an appeal in court to adopt a child that he fathered through a surrogate. [142] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() + UN decl. sign. [24] | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
And anyone found indulging in homosexual practices should be executed
Walderman Hansen doubts whether sensual passions played any part in their love [sic]; puri doubts about their homosexual relationship
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).
The second major stress on soldiers is their highly restricted social life. During their initial ten years of service they are not permitted to marry, which means that they are supposed to postpone sexual activity until their late twenties.