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

Suggest Public Opinion Data

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

Survey

(Westminster Foundation for Democracy, 2021)
of Sri Lankans say they personally know someone who is transgender
know someone who is lesbian or gay

Survey

(Westminster Foundation for Democracy, 2021)
of Sri Lankans would support legislation to ensure the rights of LGBT people

Survey

(Westminster Foundation for Democracy, 2021)
of Sri Lankans said renting their house to a LGBT person would be a problem

Survey

(Westminster Foundation for Democracy, 2021)
of Sri Lankans said it would be shameful to have a LGBT child

Survey

(Westminster Foundation for Democracy, 2021)
of Sri Lankans said LGBT go against their religion

Survey

(Westminster Foundation for Democracy, 2021)
of Sri Lankans said LGBT persons face discrimination by the police because they are LGBT
said LGBT persons face discrimination in finding rental housing and/or in school because they are LGBT
said LGBT persons face violence and abuse on social media because they are LGBT

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History

Homosexual activity in Sri Lanka

?

Homosexual activity in Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

?

Same-sex marriage in Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

?

Censorship of LGBT issues in Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

?

Right to change legal gender in Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

?

Gender-affirming care in Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

?

LGBT discrimination in Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

?

Same-sex adoption in Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

?

Intersex infant surgery in Sri Lanka is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Serving openly in military in Sri Lanka

?

Serving openly in military in Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

?

Conversion therapy in Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka

?

Equal age of consent in Sri Lanka is n/a.

Current status
N/A
Same-sex sexual activity is illegal.
Details
Sources:
ageofconsent.net/world/chile
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LGBT Rights by District

View the LGBT laws in each individual district of Sri Lanka.

    Equality Index ?
    30 / 100
    Legal Rights
    24 / 100
    Public Opinion
    37 / 100

    Equality Rank

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    #30
    Interest Rank based on Equaldex traffic ?

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    1 User Live in Sri Lanka

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    Common queries:
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    Alternative names: Sri Lanka/Ilankai (local name)

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