- Homosexuality
- ⚢✖ Male illegal, female legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Unrecognized
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Illegal
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✖ Restricted
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Housing Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Adoption
- ✖ Single only
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- Unknown
- Military
- Ambiguous
- Donating Blood
- Ambiguous
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- Female equal, male N/A
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Public Opinion
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Homosexual activity in Turkmenistan is male illegal, female legal.
Current status
Since 1999
Male illegal, female legal
Male homosexuality is explicitly illegal and sodomy— defined as sexual intercourse between men —is punishable by up to two years in prison, with additional terms of two to five years in a labor camp possible, under the Criminal Code of Turkmenistan, Chapter 3; Article 135, section. In addition, the provisions of Article 19 of the code allow for increased penalties for repeat convictions, applying to any crime under the code. Prior to a 2019 amendment, the 1997 code's maximum term was two years.
Male illegal, female uncertain federal law
An article under which sodomy was punishable by imprisonment from 5 to 8 years appeared in the Soviet Criminal Code on March 7, 1934 - number 154-a: “Sexual intercourse between a man and a man (sodomy) - imprisonment for a term of three to five years. Sodomy committed with the use of violence or taking advantage of the dependent position of the victim - imprisonment for a term of five to eight years."
Same-sex marriage in Turkmenistan is unrecognized.
Current status
Since May 18, 1992
Unrecognized
Marriage is not recognized. However, it is implied to be illegal for male as male homosexuality is illegal.
Right to change legal gender in Turkmenistan is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
There are no legal provisions that allow gender change in official documents. Article 21 of the Civil Code allows name change, but it is not specific to trans people.
The Handbook for Higher Education Institutions presented by the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan includes transsexuality and hermaphroditism within the investigations on controversial sexual situations and mentions that these examinations are carried out in ambiguous cases, i.e. when a person's gender (female or male) is uncertain.
The Handbook for Higher Education Institutions presented by the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan includes transsexuality and hermaphroditism within the investigations on controversial sexual situations and mentions that these examinations are carried out in ambiguous cases, i.e. when a person's gender (female or male) is uncertain.
Until Apr 5, 1972
N/A
No Rules in Place.
Gender-affirming care in Turkmenistan is restricted.
Current status
Restricted
Turkmenistan has no legally approved procedure for medical transition for trans people. The concepts of “gender identity” and “medical sex reassignment” are absent not only in the legal framework, but also in practice.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Turkmenistan is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
there are no laws recognizing this.
LGBT discrimination in Turkmenistan is no protections.
Current status
No protections
There are no laws that explicitly protect sexual orientation or gender identity.
Until Jul 1, 2009
No protections
As male homosexuality is illegal, there are no protection for LGBTQ+ populations (including women and other gender identities)
LGBT employment discrimination in Turkmenistan is no protections.
Current status
No protections
The Labor Code does not ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Until Jul 1, 2009
No protections
No anti-discrimination laws regarding sexual orientation or gender for transgender people
LGBT housing discrimination in Turkmenistan is no protections.
Current status
Since May 18, 1992
No protections
Homosexuality is illegal there.
Same-sex adoption in Turkmenistan is single only.
Current status
Since Jul 1, 2020
Single only
Article 57 of the Act on Civil Status Records specifies in point 1 that an application for adoptive adoption of a child should be submitted to the competent RYNÝ institution through a written application for state registration of the child's adoption, containing the decision of the voivode or a final court decision on the adoption of the child. Such an application may be submitted by an individual or a heterosexual couple.
Until Jul 1, 2020
Illegal
NO laws for same sex couples.
Intersex infant surgery in Turkmenistan is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
Serving openly in military in Turkmenistan is ambiguous.
Current status
Ambiguous
The legal status regarding the service of homosexual and transgender people in Turkmenistan is unknown.
Blood donations by MSMs in Turkmenistan is ambiguous.
Current status
Ambiguous
There is no explicit prohibition on blood donation by LGBT community people in the legislation of Turkmenistan, as there is no concept of LGBT itself. Nevertheless, the hostile situation for LGBT people makes it unlikely that they can donate blood.
In accordance with article 13 of the Law «On blood donation», donors can be capable persons between 18 and 60 years of age who do not have any medical contraindications related to donating blood. Blood donors cannot be persons who have diseases that are dangerous to the life and health of the recipient.
In accordance with article 13 of the Law «On blood donation», donors can be capable persons between 18 and 60 years of age who do not have any medical contraindications related to donating blood. Blood donors cannot be persons who have diseases that are dangerous to the life and health of the recipient.
Conversion therapy in Turkmenistan is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
There is no ban on conversion therapy.
Until Dec 10, 2012
Not banned
According to the ILGA World, there's no ban on conversion therapy in Turkmenistan.
Equal age of consent in Turkmenistan is female equal, male n/a.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2014
Female equal, male N/A
Set age of 16 years for same sexual activity between women and for heterosexual sexual activity. However male same sexual activity is illegal
Legal Rights
21 / 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 Turkmenistan to help improve its accuracy.
Equality Rank
#159
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- Nathan 6 contributions
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Alternative names: Türkmenostan (local name)
