Anurādhapura is governed by federal Sri Lanka law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ⚢
    ✖ Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✖ Banned
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✔ Legal
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Adoption
    ✖ Illegal
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    Unknown
    Military
    ✖ Illegal
    Donating Blood
    ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    N/A
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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Anurādhapura

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Homosexual activity in Anurādhapura 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.
Details
Sources:
www1.umn.edu/humanrts/resea…
humandignitytrust.org/count…
state.gov/reports/2020-coun…
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Same-sex marriage in Anurādhapura

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Same-sex marriage in Anurādhapura is banned.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1885
Banned
Homosexual activity is not legal in Sri Lanka.
Details
Sources:
www1.umn.edu/humanrts/resea…
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Anurādhapura

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Anurādhapura is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In Sri Lanka, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Details
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Right to change legal gender in Anurādhapura

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Right to change legal gender in Anurādhapura 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.
Details
Sources:
database.ilga.org/api/downl…

database.ilga.org/sri-lanka-lgbti


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Until Jun 16, 2016
Illegal
Before June 16th 2016, there was no legal framework for transgender people to change their gender.
Details
Sources:
database.ilga.org/sri-lanka-lgbti
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Gender-affirming care in Anurādhapura

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Gender-affirming care in Anurādhapura is legal.

Current status
Since 1997
Legal
In 1997, Sri Lanka adopted the ICD-10 classification, which contains codes for diagnosing transsexualism in adulthood and childhood, which authorize the initiation of medical transition.
Details
Sources:
ourworldindata.org/grapher/…
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Anurādhapura

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Anurādhapura is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
No recognition of third gender.
Details
Sources:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGB…
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LGBT discrimination in Anurādhapura

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LGBT discrimination in Anurādhapura is no protections.

Current status
Since Oct 8, 2014
No protections
The government of Sri Lanka claimed to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on 7–8 October 2014 that they think sexual minorities should be protected under existing generic anti-discrimination laws provided in the Constitution.[22] The government of Sri Lanka stated that such protections were "'implicit'" in the Sri Lankan constitution and that the government has not written a law giving 'explicit' rights yet".
Details
Sources:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGB…
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Until Jan 1, 2020
Ambiguous
In January 2017, cabinet members of the Sri Lankan government agreed to update their Human Rights Action Plan with an addendum that bans discrimination against someone based on his or her sexual orientation.
Details
Sources:
newnownext.com/sri-lanka-ba…


fourtwonine.com/2014/10/23/…
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LGBT employment discrimination in Anurādhapura

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LGBT employment discrimination in Anurādhapura is no protections.

Current status
No protections
No protections available.
Details
Sources:
database.ilga.org/sri-lanka-lgbti
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LGBT housing discrimination in Anurādhapura

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LGBT housing discrimination in Anurādhapura is no protections.

Current status
No protections
No protections available.
Details
Sources:
database.ilga.org/sri-lanka-lgbti
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Same-sex adoption in Anurādhapura

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Same-sex adoption in Anurādhapura 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.
Details
Sources:
travel.state.gov/content/tr…
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Intersex infant surgery in Anurādhapura

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Intersex infant surgery in Anurādhapura is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Serving openly in military in Anurādhapura

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Serving openly in military in Anurādhapura is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
According to Wikipedia.
Details
Sources:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGB…
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Blood donations by MSMs in Anurādhapura

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Blood donations by MSMs in Anurādhapura 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.
Details
Sources:
nbts.health.gov.lk/index.ph…
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Conversion therapy in Anurādhapura

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Conversion therapy in Anurādhapura is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Some clinics are promoting this. As well homosexuality is currently illegal.
Details
Sources:
hrw.org/news/2018/09/12/sri…
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Equal age of consent in Anurādhapura

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Equal age of consent in Anurādhapura is n/a.

Current status
N/A
Same-sex sexual activity is illegal.
Details
Sources:
ageofconsent.net/world/chile
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Equality Index ?
30 / 100
Legal Rights
24 / 100
This region's Equality Index is based on legal rights alone. Please submit survey results that show the public opinion of LGBTQ+ issues in Anurādhapura to help improve its accuracy.

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Anurādhapura LGBT Organizations

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Common queries:
  • Is it illegal to be gay in Anurādhapura?
  • Is homosexuality legal in Anurādhapura?
  • Is gay marriage legal in Anurādhapura?
Alternative names: Anuradhapur, Anurādhapūraya

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