LGBTQ rights in Portugal

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LGBTQ rights in Portugal
EU-Portugal with islands circled.svg
Status Legal since 1982;
age of consent equalized in 2007
Military Gays, lesbians and bisexuals allowed to serve openly
Discrimination protections Sexual orientation and gender identity protections (see below)
Family rights
Recognition of relationships De facto union since 2001,
Same-sex marriage since 2010
Adoption Full adoption rights since 2016

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in Portugal are among the most advanced in the world; having improved substantially in the 21st century. [1] [2] After a long period of oppression during the Estado Novo , Portuguese society has become increasingly accepting of homosexuality, [3] which was decriminalized in 1982, [4] eight years after the Carnation Revolution. Portugal has wide-ranging anti-discrimination laws and is one of the few countries in the world to contain a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation in its Constitution. On 5 June 2010, the state became the eighth in the world to recognize same-sex marriage. [5] [6] [7] On 1 March 2011, a gender identity law, said to be one of the most advanced in the world, was passed to simplify the process of sex and name change for transgender people. [8] Same-sex couples have been permitted to adopt since 1 March 2016. [9]

The country, while still influenced by Roman Catholicism, has progressively become more accepting of same-sex relationships and homosexuality. The 2019 Eurobarometer opinion survey showed that 74% of the Portuguese population supported same-sex marriage and that around 80% believed lesbian, gay and bisexual people should enjoy the same rights as heterosexuals. Lisbon, Porto and Faro have visible LGBT scenes, with several gay bars, nightclubs and other venues, as well as their annual pride parades.

Legality of same-sex sexual activity

During the period of the Portuguese Inquisition, female homosexual activity was not actively prosecuted due to a 1645 ruling; one of the few cases of prosecuting a woman (Maria Duran) for same-sex sexual activity came in 1741, but she was prosecuted for causing distress to her sexual partners, not for her activity. [10] Same-sex sexual activity was first decriminalised in 1852, under Mary II and Ferdinand II of the Kingdom of Portugal, but it was made a crime again in 1886, under Louis I, and Portugal gradually became more oppressive of homosexuals until and throughout the dictatorship years. [11] It was not until 1982 that same-sex sexual activity was decriminalised again, and the age of consent was equalized with heterosexual activity at 14 years of age in 2007.

Recognition of same-sex relationships

Portugal has recognized unregistered cohabitation since 5 May 2001, [12] and same-sex marriage since 5 June 2010. [13] Same-sex marriage was legalized under the second term of the Sócrates Socialist Government, and passed the Portuguese Parliament with the support of other left-wing parties. Same-sex married couples are granted all of the rights of different-sex married couples. The Penal Code was amended in 2007 to equalize the age of consent and to criminalize domestic violence in same-sex relationships, thus equalizing treatment with opposite-sex couples. [14]

Adoption and family planning

Since 2016, Portuguese law has allowed adoption of children by same-sex couples. Prior to that reform, same-sex couples were barred from adopting and informally forbidden from fostering children, although there had been several court rulings allowing children to live with same-sex families.

In the past, Portugal had been forced to pay a fine due to homophobic statements from a court that ruled against a gay father's right for his daughter's custody. The European Court of Human Rights received the case and ruled in favour of the father in 1999, demanding the custody back to him and issuing a penalty for the country.

On 17 May 2013, Parliament rejected a bill allowing same-sex couples to adopt children, in a 104–77 vote. On the same day, Parliament approved a bill, in its first reading, allowing same-sex married couples to adopt their partner's children (i.e. stepchild adoption). [15] However, that bill was rejected in its second reading on 14 March 2014, in a 107–112 vote. [16] Other bills granting adoption rights to same-sex parents and carers, as well as in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for lesbian relationships, were introduced in Parliament by the opposition Socialist and Left Bloc parties on 16 January 2015. [17] On 22 January, Parliament rejected the proposals. [18]

On 23 September 2015, parties from the Left majority in Parliament submitted bills to grant same-sex couples full adoption rights as well as access to IVF. [19] [20] [21] On 20 November 2015, five proposals regarding adoption rights were approved by Parliament in their first readings. [22] The bills were then moved to the Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees Committee, where they were merged into one project and approved on 16 December 2015. [19] On 18 December 2015, the bill was approved by Parliament. [23] [24] On 25 January 2016, one day after the presidential election, outgoing President Aníbal Cavaco Silva vetoed the adoption bill. [25] The Left majority in Parliament announced their intention to override the veto. On 10 February 2016, the veto was overturned by Parliament. [26] The President begrudgingly signed the bill into law on 19 February 2016. [27] The law was published in the official journal on 29 February, and took effect the first day of the first month after its publication (i.e. 1 March 2016). [28]

On 13 May 2016, Parliament adopted a bill to grant female same-sex couples access to medically assisted reproduction. [29] [30] [31] It was signed into law by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on 7 June. [32] [33] [34] The law was published in the official journal on 20 June and took effect the first day of the second month after publication (i.e. 1 August 2016). [35] [36] [37]

Surrogacy was explicitly banned under a law adopted in 2006. In 2016, the Portuguese Parliament passed a law allowing gestational surrogacy under limited circumstances, such as when a woman is born without a uterus or has a serious illness that affects her uterus. Surrogacy, under any of its forms, is still illegal for same-sex couples. [38] [39] [40]

Discrimination protections and hate crime laws

In 2003, laws against discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment came into effect concerning three particular measures: access to work and employment, protection against discrimination in work and against sexual harassment. [41] Since 2004, the Constitution of Portugal has prohibited any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation, making Portugal one of the only countries in the world to enshrine a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation in its Constitution. [41] [42] A new Penal Code came into force in 2007, strengthening the anti-discrimination legislation much further. The Penal Code contains several provisions that relate to sexual orientation in three aspects: recognition of same-sex relationships through protection in the same means as to different-sex relationships, such as against domestic violence and murder; equal age of consent between same-sex and opposite-sex relationships; and sexual orientation being considered an aggravating circumstance in homicide and hate crime cases. [14] Article 13 of the Portuguese Constitution reads as follows: [42]

No one may be privileged, favoured, prejudiced, deprived of any right or exempted from any duty for reasons of ancestry, sex, race, language, territory of origin, religion, political or ideological beliefs, education, economic situation, social circumstances or sexual orientation.

In 2013, the Portuguese Parliament passed a law adding gender identity to the hate crimes provision in the Penal Code. [43] On 19 January 2015, the Portuguese Parliament voted for the inclusion of gender identity as a protected ground of discrimination in the field of employment. [44]

In 2015, the Portuguese Parliament unanimously approved a measure to formally adopt 17 May as the "National Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia". In doing so, the Parliament committed to "engage in fulfilling national and international commitments to combat homophobic and transphobic discrimination". [45]

In 2020, ILGA Portugal recorded 41 cases of discrimination directed at LGBT people and 48 instances of hate crimes. [46] In December 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport fined the Portuguese Football Federation €1,000 and ordered them to play four games behind closed doors (each game behind closed doors costing between €10,000 and €25,000) for homophobic insults hurled by fans during a match in October 2018. [47] A survey from December 2020 showed that 79% of young people had witnessed incidents of anti-LGBT bullying and 86% thought that schools should better address LGBT topics. [48]

Transgender and intersex rights

Discrimination against transgender and intersex people is illegal in Portugal.

Intersex pride flag in Lisbon, 2023 24a Marcha Orgulho LGBTI+ Lisboa, jun. 2023 (52981019137).jpg
Intersex pride flag in Lisbon, 2023

In March 2011, President Aníbal Cavaco Silva ratified the new Law of Gender Identity (Portuguese : Lei da Identidade de Género), which allows transgender persons to change their legal gender on birth certificates and other identity documents. [49]

On 24 May 2016, the Left Bloc introduced a bill to allow legal gender change solely based on self-determination. [50] [51] [52] Similar bills were introduced by the People–Animals–Nature party and the Costa Government in November 2016 and May 2017, respectively. [53] [54] They were merged into one measure by a parliamentary committee and subsequently approved by the Parliament on 13 April 2018. [55] [56] On 9 May, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa vetoed the bill. [57] [58] On 12 July, the Parliament adopted the bill with changes with regards to sex changes by minors aged 16 and 17, suggested by the President in his veto message. [59] [60] This time around, the President signed the bill on 31 July. [61] [62] It was published in the official journal on 7 August 2018 and took effect the following day. [63] [64]

The law (Act No. 38/2018) [65] allows an adult person to change their legal gender without any requirements. Minors aged 16 and 17 are able to do so with parental consent and a psychological opinion, confirming that their decision has been taken freely and without any outside pressure. The law also prohibits both direct and indirect discrimination based on gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics, and bans non-consensual sex assignment treatment and surgical intervention on intersex children. [66] By October 2018, a total of 274 people, including 21 minors, had used the new gender recognition law to change their legal gender. [67]

In July 2019, the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor, issued recommendations for universities to amend the certificates of transgender people to properly reflect their gender identity. Similarly, that same month, Education Minister Tiago Brandão Rodrigues published regulations for primary and secondary schools to facilitate transgender and intersex students. This includes using the student's preferred name, raising awareness, and training staff to handle discrimination cases and bullying. [68]

Military service

Portugal allows all citizens to serve openly in the Armed Forces regardless of sexual orientation, as the Constitution explicitly forbids any discrimination on that basis. Lesbian, gay and bisexual people are therefore able to serve in the military on the same basis as heterosexual men and women. [69]

In April 2016, Portugal's armed forces chief General Carlos Jerónimo resigned, days after being summoned to explain comments about gay soldiers made by the deputy head of the military college. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa accepted the resignation of Jerónimo, who took up the post of chief of staff in 2014. The resignation came after António Grilo, deputy head of the military college, admitted advising parents of young military students in the Portuguese army to withdraw their sons if they were gay "to protect them from the other students". Defence Minister Azeredo Lopes considered any discrimination "absolutely unacceptable". [70]

Conversion therapy

Reports from 10 January 2019 suggested that several psychologists were performing conversion therapy. [71] A few days later, a total of 250 psychologists submitted an open letter to the regulatory Ordem dos Psicólogos demanding an investigation into these pseudoscientific practices. The body affirmed that conversion therapy is malpractice and cannot be justified. [72]

On 22 December 2023, Parliament passed a bill criminalizing conversion therapy with penalties ranging from three to five years for the most aggravated cases. [73] New law took effect on March 1, 2024. [74]

Asylum recognition

Since 30 August 2008, sexual orientation and gender identity have been recognised as grounds to apply for asylum. [75]

Blood donation

In 2010, Parliament unanimously approved a Left Bloc petition to allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood. [76] The motion was to finally be implemented by the Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation (Instituto Português do Sangue e da Transplantação) in October 2015, and a six-month or one-year deferral period was to be enacted. [77] [78] However, the motion's implementation was delayed. [79] [80] In late September 2016, the new rules came into effect and allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood after one year of abstinence from sex. [81]

In March 2021, in response to controversy in the country after several donations were rejected, [82] the Portuguese Institute of Blood and Transplantation published new guidelines removing all barriers to men who have sex with men from donating blood. [83]

Since the 15th December 2021 is the discrimination based on the sexual orientation, sexual identity and gender expression not allowed, allowing these groups to donate blood. [84]

Living conditions

Gay Pride in Lisbon Marcha (27146740493).jpg
Gay Pride in Lisbon

Although there are several cases of public prejudice against LGBT people, there is a dynamic gay scene in Lisbon, [3] Porto and in the main touristic cities in the Algarve region, [3] such as Faro, Lagos, Albufeira and Tavira, with several gay bars, pubs, nightclubs and beaches. Other smaller cities and regions such as Aveiro, Leiria, Coimbra, Braga, Évora and Madeira have more discreet gay communities. In Lisbon, most LGBT-oriented businesses are grouped around the bohemian Bairro Alto and the adjacent Príncipe Real and Chiado neighbourhoods. [85] [86] [87] In both Lisbon and Porto, there are also annual pride parades that attract thousands of participants and spectators. Lisbon is also host to one of the largest LGBT film festivals in Europe Queer Lisboa – the Lisbon Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Some Portuguese beaches are popular among LGBT people, like 19 Beach, near Costa de Caparica, and Barril Naturist Beach (an official naturist beach) or Cacela Velha beach, both of them near Tavira. [86] [88]

Portugal is frequently referred to as one of the world's most LGBT-friendly countries, with various groups and associations catering to LGBT people, supportive legislation and high societal acceptance. In 1974, Portugal transitioned from an authoritarian clerical fascist dictatorship to a civilian democracy. During the dictatorship, LGBT people faced oppression at the hands of the state, as well as prejudice and rejection at the hands of society. Since the transition, however, LGBT people, as well as Portuguese people more broadly, have experienced an increased level of rights, freedom and liberty. Over the following years, LGBT individuals began to organize politically and slowly enter the public eye, raising awareness of their cause and movement. Associação ILGA Portugal  [ pt ] was founded in 1995, campaigning for increased legal rights for LGBT people, outlawing discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity and changing societal perceptions. Numerous other groups were established, including Portugal Pride, AMPLOS (Associação de Mães e Pais pela Liberdade de Orientação Sexual) and Pink Panthers (Panteras Rosa), [89] along with a motorcycle group for LGBT people in Porto and an LGBT Catholic association in Lisbon. Owing to their advocacy and work, anti-discrimination laws were expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity, article 13 of the Constitution of Portugal was similarly amended to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, transgender transition laws were relaxed and civil unions were opened to same-sex couples. In 2010, Portugal legalised same-sex marriage, the eighth country worldwide to do so and the sixth in Europe, and in 2016 same-sex couples became eligible to legally adopt. In 2019, ILGA-Europe ranked Portugal 7th out of 49 European countries in relation to LGBT rights legislation. In March 2019, the country was named the world's best LGBT-friendly travel destination, along with Canada and Sweden. [2]

Public opinion

From left, Israeli Ambassador Tzipora Rimon, U.S. Ambassador Robert Sherman, Canadian Ambassador Jeffrey Marder, Danish Ambassador Michael Suhr, Belgian Ambassador Boudewijn Dereymaerker and Dutch Ambassador Govert de Vroe attending the 2016 LGBTI Pride parade in Lisbon Ambassador Sherman at Lisbon Pride.jpg
From left, Israeli Ambassador Tzipora Rimon, U.S. Ambassador Robert Sherman, Canadian Ambassador Jeffrey Marder, Danish Ambassador Michael Suhr, Belgian Ambassador Boudewijn Dereymaerker and Dutch Ambassador Govert de Vroe attending the 2016 LGBTI Pride parade in Lisbon

A Eurobarometer survey published in late 2006 showed that only 29% of Portuguese surveyed supported same-sex marriage and 19% supported the right of same-sex couples to adopt (EU-wide average 44% and 33%). [91]

Opinions on same-sex marriage have considerably changed since then. A 2009 survey by the Catholic University of Portugal revealed that 42% of respondents were in favour of same-sex marriage and another survey by Eurosondagem, Rádio Renascença, SIC TV, and the Expresso newspaper stated that about 52% of the Portuguese public were in favour of same-sex marriages. [92] [93] An Angus Reid poll on 11 January 2010 showed that 45.5% of those polled were in support of same-sex marriage, but this was less than the 49.3% that opposed. A Eurobarometer survey published in 2015 showed that support for same-sex marriage had risen significantly to 61%. [94]

Views on adoption had not been changed significantly at the time same-sex marriage was passed into law: only 21.7% favored adoption, while 68.4% opposed allowing same-sex couples to adopt. [95] However, in 2014, during parliamentary debates on an initiative to legalize stepchild adoption for same-sex couples, polls showed that a majority of the Portuguese population supported both stepchild adoption and full adoption rights. [96]

A 2020 study found that same-sex couples face significant discrimination in the housing markets of Porto and Lisbon. [97] In similar quality applications for rentals, male same-sex couples received 23 to 26 percent less positive replies than opposite-sex couples, while for female same-sex couples this difference was 10 percent.

Eurobarometer

Below is the share of respondents in Portugal who agreed with the following statements in the 2006, 2015 and 2019 Special Eurobarometer on discrimination. [98] The last column is the change from the previous Eurobarometer. In 2006, respondents were presented with the slightly different statement "Homosexual marriages should be allowed throughout Europe". [99]

The 2023 Eurobarometer found that 81% of Portuguese people thought same-sex marriage should be allowed throughout Europe, and 73% agreed that "there is nothing wrong in a sexual relationship between two persons of the same sex". [100]

Year"Gay and lesbian people
should have the same rights
as heterosexual people"
"There is nothing wrong
in a sexual relationship between
two persons of the same sex"
"Same-sex marriages should be
allowed throughout Europe"
Change from
last statement
200629%
201571%59%61%+32
201978%69%74%+13
202379%73%81%+7

Summary table

Same-sex sexual activity legal Yes check.svg (Since 1982)
Equal age of consent (14) Yes check.svg (Since 2007)
Anti-discrimination laws in employment Yes check.svg (Since 2003)
Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas Yes check.svg (Since 2004)
Hate crime laws covering sexual orientation Yes check.svg (Since 2007)
Hate crime laws covering gender identity Yes check.svg (Since 2013)
Same-sex marriage Yes check.svg (Since 2010)
Recognition of same-sex unions Yes check.svg (Since 2001)
Stepchild adoption by same-sex couples Yes check.svg (Since 2016)
Joint adoption by same-sex couples Yes check.svg (Since 2016)
LGB people allowed to serve in the military Yes check.svg (Since 1999)
Transgender people allowed to serve openly in the military Yes check.svg (Since 2023) [101]
Right to change legal gender Yes check.svg
Right to change legal gender without SRS or forced sterilization Yes check.svg
Right to change legal gender by self-determination Yes check.svg (Since 2018)
Non-binary gender recognition X mark.svg
Intersex minors protected from invasive surgical procedures Yes check.svg (Since 2018)
Sexual orientation/gender identity for asylum recognition Yes check.svg (Since 2008)
Access to artificial insemination/IVF for lesbian couples Yes check.svg (Since 2016)
Conversion therapy banned on minors Yes check.svg (Since 2024)
Automatic parenthood for both spouses after birth Yes check.svg (Since 2016)
Commercial surrogacy for gay male couples X mark.svg (Banned regardless of sexual orientation)
MSMs allowed to donate blood Yes check.svg (Since 2021)

See also

Related Research Articles

Same-sex adoption is the adoption of children by same-sex couples. It may take the form of a joint adoption by the couple, or of the adoption by one partner of the other's biological child.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights by country or territory</span>

Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Hungary</span>

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."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Brazil</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in Brazil rank among the highest in the world. Same-sex couples in Brazil have enjoyed the same rights guaranteed to heterosexual ones since 16 May 2013, including marriage and adoption. On June 13, 2019, the Brazilian Supreme Court ruled that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is a crime akin to racism.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Portugal since 5 June 2010. The XVIII Constitutional Government of Portugal under Prime Minister José Sócrates introduced a bill for legalization in December 2009. It was passed by the Assembly of the Republic in February 2010, and was declared legally valid by the Portuguese Constitutional Court in April 2010. On 17 May 2010, President Aníbal Cavaco Silva ratified the law, making Portugal the sixth country in Europe and the eighth in the world to allow same-sex marriage nationwide. The law was published in the Diário da República on 31 May and became effective on 5 June 2010. Polling suggests that a significant majority of Portuguese people support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Iceland</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in Iceland rank among the highest in the world. Icelandic culture is generally tolerant towards homosexuality and transgender individuals, and Reykjavík has a visible LGBT community. Iceland ranked first on the Equaldex Equality Index in 2023, and second after Malta according to ILGA-Europe's 2024 LGBT rights ranking, indicating it is one of the safest nations for LGBT people in Europe. Conversion therapy in Iceland has been illegal since 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Denmark</span>

Danish lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights are some of the most extensive in the world. In 2023, ILGA-Europe ranked Denmark as the third most LGBTQ-supportive country in Europe. Polls consistently show that same-sex marriage support is nearly universal amongst the Danish population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in the Netherlands</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in the Netherlands are among the most advanced in the world. Same-sex sexual activity was legalized in 1811 after France invaded the country and installed the Napoleonic Code, erasing any remaining sodomy laws. No more sodomy laws were enacted after the country received independence. An age of consent equal with that of heterosexual activity was put in place in 1971. During the late 20th century, awareness surrounding homosexuality grew and society became more tolerant of gay and bisexual people. The changes eventually led to homosexuality's declassification as a mental illness in 1973 and a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation in the military. The Equal Treatment Act 1994 bans discrimination on account of sexual orientation in employment, housing, public accommodations, and other areas. This was extended in 2019 to include discrimination based on gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. After the country began granting same-sex couples registered partnerships benefits in 1998, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001. Same-sex joint and stepchild adoption are also permitted, and lesbian couples can access IVF as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Italy</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Italy significantly advanced in the 21st century, although LGBTQ people still face various challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents, despite public opinion being increasingly liberal and in favor of LGBT rights. According to ILGA-Europe's 2021 report, the status of LGBT rights in Italy is below the standards of other Western European countries – such as still not recognizing same-sex marriage, lacking nationwide discrimination protections for goods and services, as well as not granting to same-sex couples full parental rights, such as joint adoption and IVF. Italy and Japan are the only G7 nations where same-sex marriages are not recognized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Switzerland</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in Switzerland are some of the most progressive by world standards. Social attitudes and the legal situation have liberalised at an increasing pace since the 1940s, in parallel to the situation in Europe and the Western world more generally. Legislation providing for same-sex marriage, same-sex adoption, and IVF access was accepted by 64% of voters in a referendum on 26 September 2021, and entered into force on 1 July 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Europe</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) rights are widely diverse in Europe per country. 22 of the 38 countries that have legalised same-sex marriage worldwide are situated in Europe. A further 11 European countries have legalised civil unions or other forms of recognition for same-sex couples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Angola</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Angola have seen improvements in the early 21st century. In November 2020, the National Assembly approved a new penal code, which legalised consenting same-sex sexual activity. Additionally, employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has been banned, making Angola one of the few African countries to have such protections for LGBTQ people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in Africa</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Africa are generally poor in comparison to the Americas, Western Europe and Oceania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Mozambique</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Mozambique face legal challenges not faced by non-LGBTQ people. Same-sex sexual activity became legal in Mozambique under the new Criminal Code that took effect in June 2015. Discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment has been illegal since 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Macau</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Macau, a special administrative region of China, face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. While same-sex sexual activity was decriminalized in 1996, same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples remain ineligible for some legal rights available to opposite-sex couples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in the European Union</span>

The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) people are protected under the European Union's (EU) treaties and law. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in all EU member states and discrimination in employment has been banned since 2000. However, EU states have different laws when it comes to any greater protection, same-sex civil union, same-sex marriage, and adoption by same-sex couples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in São Paulo (state)</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in the Brazilian state of São Paulo are liberal. Same-sex marriage is legally performed in the state, as in Brazil as a whole.

The revolution of 25 April 1974, also known as the Carnation Revolution, is credited as being a crucial point in the change of LGBT representation within Portugal. Despite the overthrow of Portugal's dictatorships, the LGBT community was still sparsely discussed until the change of Portugal's Penal Code which decriminalized homosexuality as well as other things. From this point on, the LGBT movement made a slow climb into the public light and when Portugal joined the European Economic Community in 1986, their antidiscrimination policy caused substantial growth within the movement. While there was a variety of different movements and problems that arose during the 90s in relation to the LGBT movement, real change didn't happen until 2001 when parliament approved a law that "recognized cohabitation regardless of sexual orientation". Within the next decade and a half Portugal would go on to legalize same-sex marriage, adoption and established the procedure for legally changing an individual's gender.

This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBTQ rights that took place in the year 2015.

This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the year 2016.

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