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Recent studies in Suriname indicate societal resistance to LGBTQ+ rights.

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History

Homosexual activity in Suriname

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Homosexual activity in Suriname is legal.

Current status
Since Oct 14, 1910
Legal
Homosexuality has been legal since October 14th 1910.
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Same-sex marriage in Suriname

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Same-sex marriage in Suriname is foreign same-sex marriages recognized only.

Current status
Since Feb 13, 2025
Foreign same-sex marriages recognized only
On February 13, 2025, the District Court ordered the Central Civil Affairs Bureau (CBB) to register the marriage of two same-sex couples who married abroad. The ruling, regardless of whether the State appeals or not, must be implemented immediately. The case was filed with the court in October 2023.
Until Feb 13, 2025
Unrecognized
In 2023, the Constitutional Court of Suriname assessed the decision of the Central Bureau for Civil Affairs (CBB) not to recognize a marriage of a same-sex couple performed in Argentina and ruled that it did not violate Articles 8 and 17(1) of the Constitution. Moreover, the Court ruled that Article 80 of the Suriname Civil Code, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman, must be interpreted to prohibit polygamy rather than same-sex marriage. This interpretation suggests that the article does not inherently conflict with the rights of same-sex couples to marry.

Censorship of LGBT issues in Suriname

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Suriname is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In Suriname, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
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Right to change legal gender in Suriname

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Right to change legal gender in Suriname is legal, but requires surgery.

Current status
Since Jan 2017
Legal, but requires surgery
In 2022, the High Court rejected the State’s appeal of a lower court decision of 2017 and emphasized that fundamental human rights, including protection from discrimination and respect for private life, extend to transgender persons. It ruled that the absence of legislation cannot be an excuse for denying legal gender recognition, but the ruling narrowly defined the process for changing the gender registration of transgender persons at civil registry offices, requiring psychological assessments, complete gender reassignment surgery, and gender screening.

In January 2017, the Eerste Kantongerecht (one of 3 Courts of First Instance in Suriname) granted a transgender woman the right to have her gender formally changed with the Central Bureau of Civil Affairs and ordered the registry to officially change her registration to reflect her amended status. The Association of Pentecostal Churches in Suriname (VVPES) and the Suriname Islamic Association (SIV), which had protested against and opposed the right to recognize a gender change, indicated they would "accept the verdict". In February 2017, the Central Bureau of Civil Affairs formally appealed the court ruling. In January 2022, the Suriname Court of Appeal ruled in favor and ordered the gender change on the birth certificate of the transgender woman who had undergone sex reassignment surgery in 2009.
Until Jan 2017
Illegal federal law
Until 2017, there was no legal gender recognition provided in Suriname.
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Gender-affirming care in Suriname

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Gender-affirming care in Suriname is restricted.

Current status
Restricted
Access to Gender-affirming care is limited.
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Suriname

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

Current status
Not legally recognized
There's not the option of non-binary gender on Suriname gender markers.
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LGBT discrimination in Suriname

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LGBT discrimination in Suriname is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since Mar 30, 2015
Illegal in some contexts federal law
In 2015, Articles 175(a) and 176 of the Criminal Code (1911) were amended by S.B. 2015 No. 44 to criminalise discrimination and incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation per Article 175, which includes the list of prohibited grounds.
The protections (only for sexual orientation) are: Education/Housing/Goods and services/Health/Employiment/Prohibition of Incitement
Until Mar 30, 2015
No protections federal law
Until 2015, there were no protections from discrimination provided to LGBTIQ+ people in Suriname.
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LGBT employment discrimination in Suriname

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LGBT employment discrimination in Suriname is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Mar 30, 2015
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Article 1 of the Law on Equal Treatment in the Workplace (2022) bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Articles 176b, 176c and 500a of the Criminal Code bans discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment.

LGBT housing discrimination in Suriname

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LGBT housing discrimination in Suriname is sexual orientation only.

Current status
Since 2015
Sexual orientation only
Protections in housing only available for sexual orientation and not gender identity.
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Same-sex adoption in Suriname

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Same-sex adoption in Suriname is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Intersex infant surgery in Suriname

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Intersex infant surgery in Suriname is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
No laws banning it.
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Serving openly in military in Suriname

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Serving openly in military in Suriname is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Blood donations by MSMs in Suriname

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Blood donations by MSMs in Suriname is ambiguous.

Current status
Ambiguous
There isn't any information about MSMs blood donations in Suriname
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Conversion therapy in Suriname

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Conversion therapy in Suriname is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Equal age of consent in Suriname

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Equal age of consent in Suriname is equal.

Current status
Since 2015
Equal
The age of consent is 16 years and gender neutral. Article 302 of the Penal Code, which established a different age of sexual consent for homosexuals, was amended in 2015.


LGBT Rights by District

View the LGBT laws in each individual district of Suriname.