Homosexuality
    ⚢
    ✖ Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment)
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✖ Banned
    Censorship
    ✖ Imprisonment as punishment
    Changing Gender
    ✔ Legal, no restrictions
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✖ Legal, but restricted for minors
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✔ Recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ Illegal in some contexts
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ Gender identity only
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ Gender identity only
    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

Suggest Public Opinion Data

According to recent survey data available, societal resistance to LGBTQ+ rights in Pakistan is noticeable.

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Perception of LGBTQ+ People

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Survey results from 6 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited Pakistan.

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

Pride/events
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 Pakistan

?

Homosexual activity in Pakistan is illegal (up to life in prison as punishment).

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1862
Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment)
Homosexuality is illegal in Pakistan under Article 377 in Pakistan’s Penal Code of 1860. The punishment for violation of Article 377 is two years to life imprisonment, fines, or both.

The Zina provisions of the Hudood Ordinance (1979), criminalize all sexual conduct outside of marriage with the death penalty. However, there are no known cases of these provisions being used against gay people.
Details
Sources:
humandignitytrust.org/count…
Pakistan Penal Code of 1860
pakistani.org/pakistan/legi…
U.S. Department of State Report on Pakistan Which Includes That The Zina Provisions Have Never Been Used Against Homosexuals
state.gov/reports/2021-coun…
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Same-sex marriage in Pakistan

?

Same-sex marriage in Pakistan is banned.

Current status
Since Oct 7, 1958
Banned
Technically, there are no law that prohibits cohabitation or marriage of a same-sex couple. However, if they are convicted of sodomy, the party face penalties according to the penal law.
Details
Sources:
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_a…
vakilno1.com/saarclaw/pakis…

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Pakistan

?

Censorship of LGBT issues in Pakistan is imprisonment as punishment.

Current status
Since Aug 11, 2016
Imprisonment as punishment
Section 34 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (2016) empowers the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to remove or block content if deemed necessary for the "glory of Islam, public order, decency, or morality." However, prior to this law, the government had already been censoring LGB-related content online and in the media. Punishment for spreading this type of content, looking at it, if you gain access to banned content, etc, is 3 or more months in jail.
Details
Sources:
database.ilga.org/api/downl…
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Right to change legal gender in Pakistan

?

Right to change legal gender in Pakistan is legal, no restrictions.

Current status
Since Dec 13, 2023
Legal, no restrictions
Pakistan allows trans people to receive identity documents with their preferred name and gender under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018. In late 2023, the Lahore High Court upheld this law in Nayyab Ali v. Federation of Pakistan.
Details
Sources:
washingtonblade.com/2023/09…
Nayyab Ali - X.com twitter.com/nayyabalipk/sta…
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May 19, 2023–Dec 12, 2023
Illegal
The Federal Shariat Court struck down the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, declaring it un-Islamic.
Details
Sources:
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/…
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Gender-affirming care in Pakistan

?

Gender-affirming care in Pakistan is legal, but restricted for minors.

Current status
Since 1993
Legal, but restricted for minors
In 1993, Pakistan adopted the ICD-9 classification, which included codes allowing for the diagnosis of transsexualism in adults.
Details
Sources:
ourworldindata.org/grapher/…
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Pakistan

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Pakistan is recognized.

Current status
Since Dec 13, 2023
Recognized
Pakistan has allowed trans people to self-identify since the Lahore High Court struck down the Shariat ruling in Nayyab Ali v. Federation of Pakistan. "Third gender" is included as an option.
Details
Sources:
washingtonblade.com/2023/09…
Nayyab Ali - X.com twitter.com/nayyabalipk/sta…
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May 19, 2023–Dec 12, 2023
Not legally recognized
The Federal Shariat Court struck down the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, declaring it un-Islamic.
Details
Sources:
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/…
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May 11, 2018–May 18, 2023
Recognized
The country adopted a third option under gender on civil registration acts in 2018. A local television station has even made a transgender person its anchor/presenter.
Details
Sources:
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/…
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Until May 10, 2018
Not legally recognized
Transgender people in Pakistan before this date were not allowed to identify as non-binary as the Transgender Act had not been implemented yet.
Details
Sources:
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/…
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LGBT discrimination in Pakistan

?

LGBT discrimination in Pakistan is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since May 9, 2018
Illegal in some contexts
For Gender identity only.
Details
Sources:
na.gov.pk/uploads/documents…
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LGBT employment discrimination in Pakistan

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Pakistan is gender identity only.

Current status
Since Apr 12, 1973
Gender identity only
Gender identity only.
Details
Sources:
pakistani.org/pakistan/cons…
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LGBT housing discrimination in Pakistan

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Pakistan is gender identity only.

Current status
Since Apr 12, 1973
Gender identity only
Gender identity only.
Details
Sources:
pakistani.org/pakistan/cons…
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Same-sex adoption in Pakistan

?

Same-sex adoption in Pakistan is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
Pakistan has yet to allow same sex adoption in it’s borders
Details
Sources:
state.gov/reports/2021-coun…
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Intersex infant surgery in Pakistan

?

Intersex infant surgery in Pakistan is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Serving openly in military in Pakistan

?

Serving openly in military in Pakistan 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 Pakistan

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Pakistan is banned (indefinite deferral).

Current status
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Reports show MSMs are not allowed to donate blood in Pakistan
Details
Sources:
state.gov/reports/2021-coun…
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Conversion therapy in Pakistan

?

Conversion therapy in Pakistan is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
No laws outlawing this.
Details
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Equal age of consent in Pakistan

?

Equal age of consent in Pakistan is n/a.

Current status
Since Apr 12, 1973
N/A
Age of consent is not applicable because homosexuality is illegal in Pakistan.
Details
Sources:
ageofconsent.com/pakistan.htm
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LGBT Rights by Province

View the LGBT laws in each individual province of Pakistan.

    Equality Index ?
    30 / 100
    Legal Rights
    29 / 100
    Public Opinion
    31 / 100

    Equality Rank

    View All
    #24
    Interest Rank based on Equaldex traffic ?

    Top Contributors

    4 Users Live in Pakistan

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    benqadeer
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    shahkhan

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