Homosexuality
    ⚢
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✖ Unrecognized
    Censorship
    ✖ State-enforced
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Illegal
    Gender-Affirming Care
    Ambiguous
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Adoption
    ✖ Illegal
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    Unknown
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
💬 Join Equaldex's LGBTQ+ Discord to discuss LGBT rights and chat!

Public Opinion

Suggest Public Opinion Data

In Azerbaijan, public opinion suggests an alarming lack of acceptance for LGBTQ+ rights, raising serious questions about safety and inclusion.

Show 4 More

Perception of LGBTQ+ People

Rate This Region

Survey results from 5 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited Azerbaijan.

Overall

Overall

Perceived Safety*

Feel safe being open
Absence of verbal harassment
Absence of threats and violence
*Survey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.

Equal Treatment

Treatment by peers
Treatment by family
Treatment at work
Treatment at school
Treatment by general public
Treatment by businesses
Treatment by law enforcement
Treatment by religious groups

Visibility & Representation

Inclusion in education
Representation in entertainment
Representation in news
Political support
Out public figures

Culture

Nightlife
Dating life
Interest groups and clubs

Services

Health and wellness
Gender-affirming care
Support and social services
Advocacy and legal

History

Homosexual activity in Azerbaijan

?

Homosexual activity in Azerbaijan is legal.

Current status
Since Sep 1, 2000
Legal
In 2000 a new criminal code was introduced, repealing article 121 against homosexuality.
Details
Sources:
www.refworld.org/docid/4417…
Report error  ·  Log

Same-sex marriage in Azerbaijan

?

Same-sex marriage in Azerbaijan is unrecognized.

Current status
Unrecognized
Same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in Azerbaijan.
Details
Sources:
www.marriageequality.org/in…
Report error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT issues in Azerbaijan

?

Censorship of LGBT issues in Azerbaijan is state-enforced.

Current status
Since Oct 3, 2017
State-enforced
In Azerbaijan, there are several reports of crackdowns of LGBTQ+ people.
Details
Sources:
www.hrw.org/news/2017/10/03…
Report error  ·  Log

Right to change legal gender in Azerbaijan

?

Right to change legal gender in Azerbaijan is illegal.

Current status
Since Oct 18, 1991
Illegal
Azerbaijan currently provides no legal path for changing gender markers on official documents.
Details
Sources:
outrightinternational.org/o…
www.coe.int/t/commissioner/… - executive summary A.15
Report error  ·  Log
Apr 5, 1972–Oct 18, 1991
Legal, but requires surgery
The Soviet 1972 law allowing legal sex change after undergoing sex reassignment surgery was never repealed
Details
Sources:
bigpicture.ru/ya-peredumala…
Report error  ·  Log

Gender-affirming care in Azerbaijan

?

Gender-affirming care in Azerbaijan is ambiguous.

Current status
Ambiguous
Government does provide a fundamental right to gender affirming care but transgender people have been known to be refused treatment.
Details
Sources:
www.coe.int/t/Commissioner/…
president.az/en/pages/view/… (Article 42)
www.ilga-europe.org/files/u…
Report error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Azerbaijan

?

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

Current status
Not legally recognized
A Third gender is not legally recognized in Azerbaijan.
Details
Sources:
www.coe.int/t/Commissioner/…
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in Azerbaijan

?

LGBT discrimination in Azerbaijan is no protections.

Current status
No protections
Only "protection" is the end of anti-sodomy laws (only in effort to join Council of Europe). Otherwise, LGBT people have no protections.
Details
Sources:
www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/05/…
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in Azerbaijan

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Azerbaijan is no protections.

Current status
No protections
Excerpt: "Gay and lesbians can be thus unfairly dismissed from their jobs, and homophobia is common."
Details
Sources:
www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/05/…
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in Azerbaijan

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Azerbaijan is no protections.

Current status
No protections
Azerbaijan does not have measures for legal recognition of non-binary gender(s).
Details
Sources:
www.hrw.org/news/2018/08/23…
www.coe.int/t/commissioner/…
Report error  ·  Log

Same-sex adoption in Azerbaijan

?

Same-sex adoption in Azerbaijan is illegal.

Current status
Since Dec 28, 1999
Illegal
According to a study by the Council of Europe or the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, same-sex couples cannot adopt since Article 120 of the Family Code (1999) states that joint adoption is only allowed for married couples. The report suggests that in principle, there aren't any legal restrictions around adopting as an individual — gay or straight — however, all individuals are usually denied the right to adopt.
Details
Sources:
www.coe.int/t/Commissioner/…
www.adoptintl.com/azerbaija…
Report error  ·  Log

Intersex infant surgery in Azerbaijan

?

Intersex infant surgery in Azerbaijan is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
There is no official ban on unnecessary sex reassignment operations in infants in Azerbaijan.
Details
Sources:
rainbowmap.ilga-europe.org/…
Report error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in Azerbaijan

?

Serving openly in military in Azerbaijan is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Blood donations by MSMs in Azerbaijan

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Azerbaijan is legal.

Current status
Legal
Details
Sources:
www.adventuregirl.com/trave…
Report error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in Azerbaijan

?

Conversion therapy in Azerbaijan is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is not banned and the practice is reportedly commonly practiced.
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2023-… - Section 6, paragraph 29
Report error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in Azerbaijan

?

Equal age of consent in Azerbaijan is equal.

Current status
Equal
The age of consent in Azerbaijan is 16 for both same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples.
Details
Sources:
books.google.com/books?id=j…
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT Rights by District

View the LGBT laws in each individual district of Azerbaijan.

    Equality Index ?
    20 / 100
    Legal Rights
    35 / 100
    Public Opinion
    6 / 100

    Equality Rank

    View All
    #129
    Interest Rank based on Equaldex traffic ?

    Top Contributors

    3 Users Live in Azerbaijan

    plenkton
    Ahmedtrkmany23
    AZADlgbt

    Azerbaijan LGBT Organizations

    There are no organizations listed in Azerbaijan. Suggest one

    Share Region

    LGBT Azerbaijan Flag
    LGBT Azerbaijan Flag

    Compare Azerbaijan

    26
    Armenia Flag

    Compare with
    Armenia

    37
    Bahrain Flag

    Compare with
    Bahrain

    57
    Cyprus Flag

    Compare with
    Cyprus

    29
    Georgia Flag

    Compare with
    Georgia

    13
    Iraq Flag

    Compare with
    Iraq

    62
    Israel Flag

    Compare with
    Israel

    22
    Jordan Flag

    Compare with
    Jordan

    7
    Kuwait Flag

    Compare with
    Kuwait

    Common queries:
    • Is it illegal to be gay in Azerbaijan?
    • Is homosexuality legal in Azerbaijan?
    • Is gay marriage legal in Azerbaijan?
    Alternative names: Azärbaycan (local name)

    LGBT Rights in Middle East

    26
    Armenia Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Armenia

    57
    Cyprus Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Cyprus

    29
    Georgia Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Georgia

    13
    Iraq Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Iraq

    62
    Israel Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Israel

    22
    Jordan Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Jordan

    7
    Kuwait Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Kuwait

    20
    Lebanon Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Lebanon

    3
    Oman Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Oman

    20
    Palestine Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Palestine

    8
    Qatar Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Qatar

    15
    Saudi Arabia Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Saudi Arabia

    21
    Syria Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Syria

    36
    Turkey Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Turkey

    13
    United Arab Emirates Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    United Arab Emirates

    8
    Yemen Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Yemen