Regions  ▸  Asia  ▸  Cambodia

LGBT Rights in Phnom Penh
Autonomous Municipality

Phnom Penh is governed by federal Cambodia law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ⚢
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✖ Banned
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Illegal
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✔ Legal
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Adoption
    Ambiguous
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    Unknown
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Phnom Penh

?

Homosexual activity in Phnom Penh is legal.

Current status
Legal
There are no laws in Cambodia criminalizing same-sex sexual activity.
Details
Sources:
www.refworld.org/docid/403d…
www.state.gov/reports/2023-… - Section 6.8, paragraph 1
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Same-sex marriage in Phnom Penh

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Same-sex marriage in Phnom Penh is banned.

Current status
Banned
Cambodian national law defines marriage as between a man and a woman. However, enforcement of the regulations on marriages seems to be limited as some same-sex marriages occurred as early as 1995. Recently some provinces have begun recognizing lesbian partnerships as marriages. Same-sex relationship recognition, offering limited legal rights known as the "declaration of family relationship," was only available in 4% of communes (68 out of 1652).
Details
Sources:
www.refworld.org/legal/legi…
faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/cam…
web.archive.org/web/2013050…
ilga.org/wp-content/uploads…
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Phnom Penh

?

Censorship of LGBT issues in Phnom Penh is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In Cambodia, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2023-…
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Right to change legal gender in Phnom Penh

?

Right to change legal gender in Phnom Penh is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
There is no legal path to change your gender in Cambodia.
Details
Sources:
cchrcambodia.org/index_old.…
www.state.gov/reports/2023-… - Section 6.8, paragraph 5
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Gender-affirming care in Phnom Penh

?

Gender-affirming care in Phnom Penh is legal.

Current status
Since 2015
Legal
Gender-Affirming Care in Cambodia is legal but often limited. Since 2015, gender-affirming care has grown steadily more available as more clinics have begun providing hormone treatment in recent years.

However some issues remain including an unauthorised surgery clinic getting shut down by authorities in 2021 due to unregulated practices. Healthcare is also highly costly.
Details
Sources:
cambojanews.com/op-ed-why-g…
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Until 2015
Banned
Before 2015, there were no possible means to access gender-affirming care in Cambodia.
Details
Sources:
cambojanews.com/op-ed-why-g…
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Phnom Penh

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

Current status
Not legally recognized
Non-binary genders are not recognised by the Cambodian government.
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2023-… - Section 6.8, paragraph 5
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LGBT discrimination in Phnom Penh

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LGBT discrimination in Phnom Penh is no protections.

Current status
No protections
Cambodia currently has no protections against discrimination for LGBT people.
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2023-… - Section 6.8, paragraph 3
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LGBT employment discrimination in Phnom Penh

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LGBT employment discrimination in Phnom Penh is no protections.

Current status
No protections
The Cambodian government has not enacted any discrimination protections for LGBTQIA+ people in any field.
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2023-… - Section 6.8, paragraph 3
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LGBT housing discrimination in Phnom Penh

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Phnom Penh is no protections.

Current status
No protections
The Cambodian government has not enacted any discrimination protections for LGBTQIA+ people in any field.
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2023-… - Section 6.8, paragraph 3
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Same-sex adoption in Phnom Penh

?

Same-sex adoption in Phnom Penh is ambiguous.

Current status
Since 2012
Ambiguous
Cambodia no longer bans gay foreign couples from adopting. It is, however, still unclear if gay and lesbian Cambodian citizens can adopt.
Details
Sources:
www.upi.com/Top_News/World-…
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Ambiguous
Cambodia banned adoption by gay and lesbian foreigners. It is unclear if gay and lesbian Cambodians could adopt.
Details
Sources:
www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/02/…
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Intersex infant surgery in Phnom Penh

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Intersex infant surgery in Phnom Penh is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
The Cambodian government has made no attempts (successful or not) at banning genital surgery on intersex infants.
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2023-… - Section 6.8, paragraph 6
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Serving openly in military in Phnom Penh

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Serving openly in military in Phnom Penh is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Blood donations by MSMs in Phnom Penh

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Blood donations by MSMs in Phnom Penh is legal.

Current status
Legal
There are currently no known restrictions on men who have had sex with men donating blood.
Details
Sources:
raymondcambodia.wordpress.c…
www.bloodofkindness.org/
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Conversion therapy in Phnom Penh

?

Conversion therapy in Phnom Penh is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
There are no laws or regulations banning conversion therapy in Cambodia.
Details
Sources:
www.state.gov/reports/2023-… - Section 6.8, paragraph 6
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Equal age of consent in Phnom Penh

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Equal age of consent in Phnom Penh is equal.

Current status
Equal
In Cambodia, the age of consent is 15 for homosexual and heterosexual sex.
Details
Sources:
www.mariestopes.org.kh/help…
www.gaylawnet.com/laws/kh.html
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Equality Index ?
47 / 100
Legal Rights
45 / 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 Phnom Penh to help improve its accuracy.

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Phnom Penh LGBT Organizations

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