- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Legal
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✔ Legal, no restrictions
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✔ Legal
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ Illegal in some contexts
- Employment Discrimination
- Unknown
- Housing Discrimination
- Unknown
- Adoption
- Unknown
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- Unknown
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- Unknown
- Conversion Therapy
- Unknown
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
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Same-sex marriage in Obwalden is legal.
Current status
Since Jul 1, 2022
Legal under federal Switzerland law
Switzerland approved same-sex marriage with a national referendum.
Censorship of LGBT issues in Obwalden is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship under federal Switzerland law
In Switzerland, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Right to change legal gender in Obwalden is legal, no restrictions.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2022
Legal, no restrictions under federal Switzerland law
Change of sex is legal though there are now specific laws concerning the matter. In 1993, the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland stated that a change of sex should be "irreversible"; many judges interpreted it as the person had to go under surgery. In 2012, the Federal Department of Justice and Police via its Federal Office for Civil Registration released a statement about how transsexualism should be handled by cantonal Register offices. The FOCR stated that the Judges and Authorities should cease to oblige a person to go through forced sterilisation in order to have their sex change recognised. Furthermore, a person is granted to choose his or her gender according to his or her social gender and not anymore according to his or her biological gender.
Gender-affirming care in Obwalden is legal.
Current status
Since 1988
Legal under federal Switzerland law
Gender affirming care is provided in Switzerland, including for minors since 1988. A restriction on it only being provided after two years of therapy was lifted in 2010.
The Swiss national council rejected a motion to ban gender affirming care for minors in 2023 saying that the legislature should decide the policies.
The Swiss national council rejected a motion to ban gender affirming care for minors in 2023 saying that the legislature should decide the policies.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Obwalden is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized under federal Switzerland law
Switzerland does not currently legally recognize non-binary identities.
LGBT discrimination in Obwalden is illegal in some contexts.
Current status
Since Jul 1, 2020
Illegal in some contexts under federal Switzerland law
Since 2020, an amendment to Article 261 bis of the Criminal Code (1937) penalises discrimination based on "sexual orientation" in the provision of goods and services. Article 261 bis of the Criminal Code was amended to include “sexual orientation” in the provision that criminalises public denigration, discrimination, or incitement to those actions, as well as the public dissemination of ideologies that aim to systematically denigrate or defame members of a protected group.
LGBT employment discrimination in Obwalden is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
LGBT housing discrimination in Obwalden is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
Intersex infant surgery in Obwalden is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
Blood donations by MSMs in Obwalden is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
Equal age of consent in Obwalden is equal.
Current status
Since 1992
Equal under federal Switzerland law
Consensual age is Switzerland is 16 years old, unless the difference in age between the persons involved is not more than 3 years.
Legal Rights
88 / 100
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Obwalden LGBT Organizations
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Alternative names: Obwald
