Ampāra is governed by federal Sri Lanka law. Learn more
- Homosexuality
- ⚢✖ Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Unrecognized
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
- Gender-Affirming Care
- Unknown
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ Illegal in some contexts
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Housing Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Adoption
- ✖ Illegal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- Unknown
- Military
- Unknown
- Donating Blood
- ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- N/A
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Public Opinion
Ampāra is lacking public opinion data.
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Suggest Public Opinion DataHistory
Homosexual activity in Ampāra is illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
Current status
Since Jan 1, 1885
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
Homosexuality is criminalized in Sri Lanka under Section 365 of the 1883 Penal Code inherited from British colonial rule. "Voluntary carnal intercourse against the order of nature" by both men and women is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Human Rights Watch and Equal Ground have found evidence of these laws continuing to be enforced by police as of 2020.
Sri Lanka is an independent nation, as such, India's 2018 Supreme Court decision to decriminalize same-sex relationships and make a similar law unenforceable does not apply.
Human Rights Watch and Equal Ground have found evidence of these laws continuing to be enforced by police as of 2020.
Sri Lanka is an independent nation, as such, India's 2018 Supreme Court decision to decriminalize same-sex relationships and make a similar law unenforceable does not apply.
Same-sex marriage in Ampāra is unrecognized.
Current status
Unrecognized
Same-sex marriage is not recognized or banned in Sri Lanka.
Censorship of LGBT issues in Ampāra is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
In Sri Lanka, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Right to change legal gender in Ampāra is legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
Current status
Since Jun 16, 2016
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
Surgery is not required to legally change your gender in Sri Lanka. However, expert testimony/diagnoses is required.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Ampāra is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
Sri Lanka does not legally recognize a third gender.
LGBT discrimination in Ampāra is illegal in some contexts.
Current status
Since 2022
Illegal in some contexts
There is limited protection based on sexual orientation. The Personal Data Protection Act, No. 9 of 2022, states:
"'special categories of personal data' means, the personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation, personal data relating to offences, criminal proceedings and convictions, or personal data relating to a child."
"'special categories of personal data' means, the personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation, personal data relating to offences, criminal proceedings and convictions, or personal data relating to a child."
LGBT employment discrimination in Ampāra is no protections.
Current status
No protections
No protections available.
LGBT housing discrimination in Ampāra is no protections.
Current status
No protections
No protections available.
Same-sex adoption in Ampāra is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
In Sri Lanka, single people are not able to adopt children, and same-sex couples are not found eligible to adopt.
Intersex infant surgery in Ampāra is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
Serving openly in military in Ampāra is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
Blood donations by MSMs in Ampāra is banned (indefinite deferral).
Current status
Banned (indefinite deferral)
On Sri Lanka’s National Blood Transfusion Website, under the donor donation criteria, it says that donaters must be free from “risk behaviors.” On the site, the risk behaviors are listed and homosexuals are included.
Conversion therapy in Ampāra is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is not banned.
Equal age of consent in Ampāra is n/a.
Current status
N/A
Same-sex sexual activity is illegal, so no legal age of consent exists for it.
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 Ampāra to help improve its accuracy.
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Ampāra LGBT Organizations
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Common queries:
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Alternative names: Ampara