LGBTQ rights in Fiji | |
---|---|
Status | De facto legal since 2006 [1] Officially legal since 2010 [2] |
Gender identity | Not known |
Military | Not known |
Discrimination protections | Constitutional protections since 1997 [3] |
Family rights | |
Recognition of relationships | No |
Adoption | No |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Fiji have evolved rapidly over the years. In 1997, Fiji became the second country in the world after South Africa to explicitly protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation in its Constitution. [3] [4] In 2009, the Constitution was abolished. [5] The new Constitution, promulgated in September 2013, bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. However, same-sex marriage remains banned in Fiji and reports of societal discrimination and bullying are not uncommon.
Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for Equality, founded in 2011, the Rainbow Pride Foundation, founded in 2008, the Amithi Fiji Project, SAN Fiji, and the Drodrolagi Movement, a student group, are among Fiji's main LGBT rights groups.
Similarly to the fa'afafine of Samoa, the māhū of Hawaii and the whakawāhine of New Zealand, Fiji has a traditional third gender population. Such individuals are known as the vaka sa lewa lewa (vakasalewalewa). They are assigned male at birth but dress, act and behave as female, and have traditionally been accepted by Fijian society. [6] The modern Fijian word qauri is roughly equivalent to the English word "gay".
In 2005, Australian tourist Thomas McCosker had consensual sex with an adult named Dhirendra Nadan. The men were tried and jailed under the nation's sodomy law, but the conviction was subsequently overturned in August 2005 by the nation's highest court as violating the Constitution. [7] [8] [9]
In the same year, then-Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase defended his nation's criminal laws against homosexuality as being based on the Bible. [10] [11] In contrast, then-Vice President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi stated that he felt that gay people should have their right to privacy protected. [12]
In 2006, the Fijian High Commissioner in New Zealand confirmed that there is now a policy not to arrest gay men for consensual gay sex. [1]
Since 1 February 2010, private, adult, consensual and non-commercial male and female homosexual conduct has been legal under the Crimes Decree 2009. [13]
Fiji family laws do not provide legal recognition of same-sex marriage or civil unions. Since 2002, the law has expressly banned same-sex marriage. [14] [15]
On 26 March 2013, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama expressed opposition to the idea of same-sex marriage. Answering a question raised by a caller on a radio talk-back programme, he stated that same-sex marriage "will not be allowed because it is against religious beliefs". [16] [17] In April 2013, a support group representing LGBT students, Drodrolagi Movement, called for a discussion on the issue. [18] In January 2016, the Prime Minister reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage, saying "there will be no same-sex marriage in Fiji" and suggested that lesbian couples seeking to marry move to Iceland. [19]
In 2019, after speculations that some churches support the idea of same-sex marriage, the Prime Minister reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage, saying, "As long as we are in government – Fiji will not allow same-sex marriage", because Fiji is a "God-fearing country". [20] His stance was backed by the Catholic Church in Fiji, the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma, the Shree Sanatan Dharm Partindhi and the Fiji Muslim League, which all voiced their opposition to same-sex marriage. [21] Director of the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Ashwin Raj said that "same-sex marriage is not a right" and that there needs to be more clarity on what the Constitution of Fiji states on the issue of same-sex marriage, and that "the priority must be towards addressing discrimination faced by the LGBTI community". He also called for "a calm and rational debate" about the issue. [22] The Fiji Coalition on Human Rights said it was "disappointed and disturbed" by the Prime Minister's stance, arguing that his remarks go against the basis of Fiji's laws and contradicted his commitment to the United Nations Human Rights Council. It called on authorities to get together and discuss progression towards the inclusion of the LGBT community in Fiji. [23]
Fijian-New Zealand based activist, Shaneel Lal has called for the Fijian government to allow same-sex marriage. [24] Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson has also called on the Pacific leaders to decriminalise homosexuality. [25]
In 2022, former Director of Human Rights and University of Fiji's Dean of Justice Professor Shaista Shameem stated that the Marriage Act which limits the union of two people to only between a male and a female can be contested in courts. [26] In response, Director of the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Ashwin Raj said that "the issues are far more complex and the Fijian Constitution provides fertile ground for developing jurisprudence". He also added that the priority first is to address the violence and discrimination faced by the LGBTQ community. [27] [28] Leaders of the People's Alliance Party and the National Federation Party evaded questions regarding the legalisation of same-sex marriage. Instead, both leaders responded that they would respect the rights of every citizen. Sitiveni Rabuka added that "marriage in Fiji is governed by the Marriage Act" and until that changes, it is up to the government to change it. [29]
Discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation is banned in Fiji under the Employment Relations Promulgation 2007. [30]
In 1997, the Constitution included a provision that specifically prohibited government discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. In 2009, the Fiji Constitution was formally abolished by the President. [31] [32]
In April 2013, the Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, stated that a new constitution, which was supposed to be finalized sometime in 2013, would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. [33] The Constitution was promulgated in September 2013 and includes a provision banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. [34] [35] Article 26(3) of the Constitution reads as follows: [34] [36]
A person must not be unfairly discriminated against, directly or indirectly on the grounds of his or her
- (a) actual or supposed personal characteristics or circumstances, including race, culture, ethnic or social origin, colour, place of origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, birth, primary language, economic or social or health status, disability, age, religion, conscience, marital status or pregnancy; or
- (b) opinions or beliefs, except to the extent that those opinions or beliefs involve harm to others or the diminution of the rights or freedoms of others,
or on any other ground prohibited by this Constitution.
It was reported in 2013 that the Government had included sexual orientation and gender identity in an anti-hate speech law as well as a law dealing with discrimination in certain businesses.
Conversion therapy has a negative effect on the lives of LGBT people, and can lead to low self-esteem, depression and suicide ideation.
The Mental Health Decree 2010 states that people are not to be considered mentally ill if they refuse or fail to express a particular sexual orientation, and prohibits any conversion therapy by registered health professionals in the field of mental health. [37]
Activist Kalisito Biaukula has been outspoken about how for many LGBTQ+ people in Fiji, physical violence and domestic abuse are a form of familial conversion therapy. [38]
In April 2017, the Fijian Ministry of Health confirmed that gay and bisexual men are banned from donating blood. [39] The Ministry's statement came after a gay man attempted to donate blood but was refused because of his sexual orientation. Ashwin Raj, the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Director, later said that he would investigate the policy, arguing that it is unconstitutional and discriminatory. [40]
A majority of citizens affiliate with Methodist or Catholic denominations, which traditionally view same-sex sexuality and transgender identities negatively. The third largest religious group, about 6% of the population, are Muslim, who also tend to view homosexuality and cross-dressing as sinful behavior that needs to be fixed. While other, generally more tolerant, religious traditions do exist in Fiji they tend to have smaller memberships. These prevailing religious mores tend to influence the status of LGBT people within society.
Reports of hate crimes against LGBT people in Fiji are rare, although there has been some, possible, high-profile case of a same-sex couple being the victims of a bias motivated crime. On 1 July 2001, Red Cross leader John Maurice Scott and his partner, Gregory Scrivener, were brutally murdered in Suva, in an apparent homophobic attack with a possible political motive. [41] Scott and Scrivener's story has become the subject of a 2008 New Zealand documentary, An Island Calling. [42] In September 2017, a gay student was found dead in Nasinu. In May 2018, a young transgender woman was brutally murdered in Suva. [43] Lack of trust in the police due to possible harassment likely discourages LGBT people and couples from reporting anti-gay violence or hateful discrimination. [44]
Social mores regarding sexual orientation and gender identity tend to be conservative, with little public support for LGBT rights. [15] While some human rights activists do some low-key work on LGBT rights concerns, the Government has, in the past, cancelled gay pride marches from taking place. [45] On 17 May 2013, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB), LGBT activists organised activities to promote LGBT rights and equality. Drodrolagi Movement, an LGBT advocacy group, said that discrimination and bullying remain problems in Fiji. [46] In 2017, an event celebrating IDAHOTB was held in the capital of Suva. The event was attended by many LGBT activists as well as religious figures. [47]
While not illegal, visitors are advised that public displays of affection are generally considered offensive. [48]
Fiji's first pride parade was held on 17 May 2018 to coincide with the International Day Against Homophobia. The march took place in Lautoka, Fiji's second largest city, and was the first such march in a Pacific island nation (excluding New Zealand and some dependent territories, such as Hawaii). Local police provided an escort for the participants. [49] Former President Epeli Nailatikau spoke at the event. [50]
Political parties in Fiji have mixed views on LGBT issues. While support for basic LGBT rights (such as discrimination protections) is near-universal, in contrast, there is little political support for legalising same-sex marriage.
The centrist FijiFirst party, which ruled Fiji under Frank Bainimarama from the 2006 coup d'état until the 2022 general election, specifically outlined in the country's new Constitution that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and sex (including gender, which is not distinguished from sex under Fijian law) is a hate crime. However, the party is also against same-sex marriage. [51]
In 2022, National Federation Party (NFP) became the first political party to ever endorse an openly LGBTQ candidate, after endorsing Divina Loloma, a transgender woman. All People's Party (APP) leader Tuiloma Tawaivuna criticised the NFP over her nomination, claiming that transgender people are an "abomination" and "Biblically wrong". [52] After a hoax spread online claiming that the NFP supported same-sex marriage, the party was forced to confirm that it did not support same-sex marriage. [53]
Same-sex sexual activity legal | (Since 2010) |
Equal age of consent (16) | (Since 2010) |
Anti-discrimination laws in employment only | (Since 2007) |
Anti-discrimination laws in the provision of goods and services | (Since 2013) |
Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas (Incl. indirect discrimination, hate speech) | (Since 2013) |
Same-sex marriages | |
Recognition of same-sex couples | |
Stepchild adoption by same-sex couples | |
Joint adoption by same-sex couples | |
LGBT people allowed to serve openly in the military | |
Right to change legal gender | |
Homosexuality declassified as an illness | |
Conversion therapy banned | (Since 2010) |
Access to IVF for lesbians | |
Commercial surrogacy for gay male couples | |
MSMs allowed to donate blood |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in Ecuador have evolved significantly in the past decades. Both male and female forms of same-sex sexual activity are legal in Ecuador and same-sex couples can enter into civil unions and same-sex marriages.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) people in Hungary face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Homosexuality is legal in Hungary for both men and women. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and sex is banned in the country. However, households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for all of the same legal rights available to heterosexual married couples. Registered partnership for same-sex couples was legalised in 2009, but same-sex marriage remains banned. The Hungarian government has passed legislation that restricts the civil rights of LGBT Hungarians – such as ending legal recognition of transgender Hungarians and banning LGBT content and displays for minors. This trend continues under the Fidesz government of Viktor Orbán. In June 2021, Hungary passed an anti-LGBT law on banning "homosexual and transexual propaganda" effective since 1 July. The law has been condemned by seventeen member states of the European Union. In July 2020, the European Commission started legal action against Hungary and Poland for violations of fundamental rights of LGBTQI people, stating: "Europe will never allow parts of our society to be stigmatized."
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Bulgaria face significant challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex relationships are legal in Bulgaria, but same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has been banned since 2004, with discrimination based on "gender change" being outlawed since 2015. In July 2019, a Bulgarian court recognized a same-sex marriage performed in France in a landmark ruling. For 2020, Bulgaria was ranked 37 of 49 European countries for LGBT rights protection by ILGA-Europe. Like most countries in Central and Eastern Europe, post-Communist Bulgaria holds socially conservative attitudes when it comes to such matters as homosexuality and transgender people.
New Zealand lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights are some of the most extensive in the world. The protection of LGBT rights is advanced, relative to other countries in Oceania, and among the most liberal in the world, with the country being the first in the region to legalise same-sex marriage.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Suriname may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Both male and female expressions of same-sex sexual activity are legal in Suriname. Since 2015, hate speech and discrimination in employment and the provision of goods and services on the basis of sexual orientation has been banned in the country. Same-sex marriage and civil unions are not recognised by law. Nevertheless, Suriname is legally bound to the January 2018 Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling, which held that same-sex marriage is a human right protected by the American Convention on Human Rights.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Japan have fewer legal protections than in most other developed countries, although some developments towards stronger rights have been made in the 2020s. Same-sex sexual activity was criminalised only briefly in Japan's history between 1872 and 1881, after which a localised version of the Napoleonic Penal Code was adopted with an equal age of consent. Same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are ineligible for the legal protections available to opposite-sex couples, although since 2015 some cities and prefectures, covering over 60% of the population by 2023, offer "partnership certificates" to recognise the relationships of same-sex couples and provide some legal benefits. Japan is the only country in the G7 that does not legally recognize same-sex unions nationally in any form. In March 2021 and May 2023, the Sapporo and Nagoya District Courts ruled that not recognising same-sex marriage was a violation of the Constitution respectively. While in June 2022, the Osaka District Court ruled that not recognising same-sex marriage was not a violation of the Constitution, in November 2022, the Tokyo District Court ruled that the absence of same-sex marriage legislation was an unconstitutional state of affairs but did not violate the Constitution, though the court's ruling has no immediate legal effect. In June 2023, the Fukuoka District Court ruled that the ban on same-sex marriage was constitutional. A second ruling in September 2023 concluded that same-sex relationships should not be excluded from Japan's marriage system.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Armenia face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents, due in part to the lack of laws prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity and in part to prevailing negative attitudes about LGBT persons throughout society.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Moldova face legal and social challenges and discrimination not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same rights and benefits as households headed by opposite-sex couples. Same-sex unions are not recognized in the country, so consequently same-sex couples have little to no legal protection. Nevertheless, Moldova bans discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace, and same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1995.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Indonesia face legal challenges and prejudices not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Traditional social norms disapprove of homosexuality and gender transitioning, which impacts public policy. Indonesian same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for any of the legal protections available to opposite-sex married couples. Most parts of Indonesia do not have a sodomy law, and the country does not currently prohibit non-commercial, private and consensual sexual activity between members of the same-sex, yet there is no specific Indonesian law that protects the LGBT community against discrimination and hate crimes. In Aceh, homosexuality is illegal under Islamic Sharia law and it is punishable by flogging or imprisonment. Indonesia does not recognize same-sex marriage.
LGBTQ people in the Dominican Republic do not possess the same legal protections as non-LGBTQ residents, and face social challenges that are not experienced by other people. While the Dominican Criminal Code does not expressly prohibit same-sex sexual relations or cross-dressing, it also does not address discrimination or harassment on the account of sexual orientation or gender identity, nor does it recognize same-sex unions in any form, whether it be marriage or partnerships. Households headed by same-sex couples are also not eligible for any of the same rights given to opposite-sex married couples, as same-sex marriage is constitutionally banned in the country.
Oceania is, like other regions, quite diverse in its laws regarding LGBTQ rights. This ranges from significant rights, including same-sex marriage – granted to the LGBTQ community in New Zealand, Australia, Guam, Hawaii, Easter Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Wallis and Futuna, New Caledonia, French Polynesia and the Pitcairn Islands – to remaining criminal penalties for homosexual activity in six countries and one territory. Although acceptance is growing across the Pacific, violence and social stigma remain issues for LGBTQ communities. This also leads to problems with healthcare, including access to HIV treatment in countries such as Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands where homosexuality is criminalised.
The U.S. state of New York has generally been seen as socially liberal in regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) rights. LGBT travel guide Queer in the World states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth, and queer culture seeps into every corner of its five boroughs". The advocacy movement for LGBT rights in the state has been dated as far back as 1969 during the Stonewall riots in New York City. Same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults has been legal since the New York v. Onofre case in 1980. Same-sex marriage has been legal statewide since 2011, with some cities recognizing domestic partnerships between same-sex couples since 1998. Discrimination protections in credit, housing, employment, education, and public accommodation have explicitly included sexual orientation since 2003 and gender identity or expression since 2019. Transgender people in the state legally do not have to undergo sex reassignment surgery to change their sex or gender on official documents since 2014. In addition, both conversion therapy on minors and the gay and trans panic defense have been banned since 2019. Since 2021, commercial surrogacy has been legally available within New York State. In 2024, the Constitution of New York was amended to explicitly ban discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Hawaii enjoy the same rights as non-LGBTQ people. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1973; Hawaii being one of the first six states to legalize it. In 1993, a ruling by the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court made Hawaii the first state to consider legalizing same-sex marriage. Following the approval of the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act in November 2013, same-sex couples have been allowed to marry on the islands. Additionally, Hawaii law prohibits discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity, and the use of conversion therapy on minors has been banned since July 2018. Gay and lesbian couples enjoy the same rights, benefits and treatment as opposite-sex couples, including the right to marry and adopt.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania enjoy most of the same rights as non-LGBTQ people. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Pennsylvania. Same-sex couples and families headed by same-sex couples are eligible for all of the protections available to opposite-sex married couples. Pennsylvania was the final Mid-Atlantic state without same-sex marriage, indeed lacking any form of same-sex recognition law until its statutory ban was overturned on May 20, 2014.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Samoa face legal challenges not faced by non-LGBT residents. Sexual contact between men is illegal, punishable by up to seven years’ imprisonment, but the law is not enforced.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in the Northern Mariana Islands have evolved substantially in recent years. Same-sex marriage and adoption became legal with the Supreme Court's ruling in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges in June 2015. However, the U.S. territory does not ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, except in relation to government employees. Gender changes are legal in the Northern Mariana Islands, provided the applicant has undergone sex reassignment surgery.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in the U.S. state of Alaska have evolved significantly over the years. Since 1980, same-sex sexual conduct has been allowed, and same-sex couples can marry since October 2014. The state offers few legal protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, leaving LGBTQ people vulnerable to discrimination in housing and public accommodations; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBTQ people is illegal under federal law. In addition, four Alaskan cities, Anchorage, Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, representing about 46% of the state population, have passed discrimination protections for housing and public accommodations.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Palau do not possess the same legal protections as non-LGBT residents, and may face social challenges that are not experienced by others. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Palau since 23 July 2014, when the current Penal Code took effect, but households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex married couples. Same-sex marriage is constitutionally banned, and there are no anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation and gender identity.
This is a list of notable events in LGBTQ rights that took place in the 2010s.
Fiji does not recognise same-sex marriage, civil unions or any other form of recognition for same-sex couples. The Marriage Act defines marriage as "the voluntary union of one man to one woman", although the Constitution of Fiji guarantees equal protection before the law to all citizens regardless of sexual orientation.