Ulster is governed by federal Ireland law. Learn more
- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✔ Legal, no restrictions
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✖ Legal, but restricted for minors
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✔ Illegal
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Adoption
- ✔ Legal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✖ Not banned
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
Ulster is lacking public opinion data.
Help expand our understanding of the public's view on LGBTQ+ issues in Ulster by sharing a link to a survey from a reputable organization.
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Homosexual activity in Ulster is legal.
Current status
Since Jun 24, 1993
Legal
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Ireland with the the passing of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 1993.
Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment)
The Offences Against the Persons Act, 1861 made “buggery” an offence punishable by penal servitude.
Under the section “Unnatural Offences”, the Act read: “Whosoever shall be convicted of the abominable crime of buggery, committed either with mankind or with any animal shall be liable … to be kept in penal servitude for life.”
Under the section “Unnatural Offences”, the Act read: “Whosoever shall be convicted of the abominable crime of buggery, committed either with mankind or with any animal shall be liable … to be kept in penal servitude for life.”
Same-sex marriage in Ulster is legal.
Current status
Since Nov 16, 2015
Censorship of LGBT issues in Ulster is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
In Ireland, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Right to change legal gender in Ulster is legal, no restrictions.
Current status
Since Jul 15, 2015
Legal, no restrictions
For adults over 18, individuals can change their legal gender without a surgery. However, for individuals between the age of 16-18, there is a "route to recognition"
Gender-affirming care in Ulster is legal, but restricted for minors.
Current status
Legal, but restricted for minors
Ages 16 and under are unable to get gender affirming care as they have to wait until they are 18 to start. Transgender people age 17 can get referred but they are unable to get gender affirming care until they are 18. NGS disallows anyone under 18 to start gender affirming care.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Ulster is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
As per the Gender Recognition Act of 2015, residents of the Republic of Ireland can only change their legal gender marker to male or female. The Gender Recognition Act is written in binary terms of gender and there is no mention of non-binary identity in the act.
LGBT employment discrimination in Ulster is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Oct 18, 1999
LGBT housing discrimination in Ulster is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Same-sex adoption in Ulster is legal.
Current status
Since Apr 4, 2015
Legal
As Same Sex Marriage is now fully legal, same sex couples can adopt children. One month before it became legal, same sex couples can also adopt children.
Intersex infant surgery in Ulster is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
There are no laws banning intersex infant surgery in Ireland.
Serving openly in military in Ulster is legal.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2007
Legal
Section 1.5 of Ireland's Defence Forces's "Equality, Diversity, and Equal Status Policies" state that "the nine (9) grounds on which discrimination is prohibited are: Gender, marital status, family status, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion, race and membership of the Traveller community."
Blood donations by MSMs in Ulster is legal.
Current status
Since Nov 28, 2022
Legal
Men who have sex with men will no longer have to wait four months before giving blood, as changes to who can donate blood come into effect today. Instead, individual assessments will now be made.
Banned (less than 6-month deferral)
On March 28, 2022, the deferral period has been reduced to four months.
Banned (1-year deferral)
Also applies to women who have had sex with a man who has ever had sex with another man.
Banned (indefinite deferral)
The Irish Blood Transfusion Service bans blood from men who have sex with men. Their policy states: "In order to assure the continued safety of the blood supply, we currently ask those people who may have a particularly high risk of carrying blood-borne viruses not to give blood. This includes men who have ever had sex with another man / men."
Conversion therapy in Ulster is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is currently not banned in Ireland.
Ireland has vowed to ban conversion therapy by 2024.
Ireland has vowed to ban conversion therapy by 2024.
Equal age of consent in Ulster is equal.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 1993
Equal
The age of consent in Ireland is 17 for heterosexual and homosexual sex. Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 states: "Subject to sections 3 and 5 of this Act, any rule of law by virtue of which buggery between persons is an offence is hereby abolished."
Legal Rights
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This region's Equality Index is based on legal rights alone. Please submit survey results that show the public opinion of LGBTQ+ issues in Ulster to help improve its accuracy.
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Ulster LGBT Organizations
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