Vavuniyāva is governed by federal Sri Lanka law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ✖ Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
    Gay Marriage
    ✖ Unrecognized
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
    Gender-Affirming Care
    Unknown
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ Illegal in some contexts
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Adoption
    ✖ Illegal
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    Unknown
    Military
    Unknown
    Donating Blood
    ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    N/A
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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Vavuniyāva

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Homosexual activity in Vavuniyāva 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.

Same-sex marriage in Vavuniyāva

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Same-sex marriage in Vavuniyāva is unrecognized.

Current status
Unrecognized
Same-sex marriage is not recognized or banned in Sri Lanka.
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Vavuniyāva

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Vavuniyāva is no censorship.

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

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Right to change legal gender in Vavuniyāva 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.
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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.
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Gender-affirming care in Vavuniyāva

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Gender-affirming care in Vavuniyāva is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Vavuniyāva

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

Current status
Not legally recognized
Sri Lanka does not legally recognize a third gender.
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LGBT discrimination in Vavuniyāva

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LGBT discrimination in Vavuniyāva is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since 2022
Illegal in some contexts
There is limited protection based on sexual orientation. The Personal Data Protection Act, No. 9 of 2022, states:

"'special categories of personal data' means, the personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation, personal data relating to offences, criminal proceedings and convictions, or personal data relating to a child."
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LGBT employment discrimination in Vavuniyāva

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LGBT employment discrimination in Vavuniyāva is no protections.

Current status
No protections
No protections available.
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LGBT housing discrimination in Vavuniyāva

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LGBT housing discrimination in Vavuniyāva is no protections.

Current status
No protections
No protections available.
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Same-sex adoption in Vavuniyāva

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Same-sex adoption in Vavuniyāva 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.
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Intersex infant surgery in Vavuniyāva

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Intersex infant surgery in Vavuniyāva is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Serving openly in military in Vavuniyāva

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Serving openly in military in Vavuniyāva is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Blood donations by MSMs in Vavuniyāva

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Blood donations by MSMs in Vavuniyāva 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.
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Conversion therapy in Vavuniyāva

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Conversion therapy in Vavuniyāva is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is not banned.
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Equal age of consent in Vavuniyāva

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Equal age of consent in Vavuniyāva is n/a.

Current status
N/A
Same-sex sexual activity is illegal, so no legal age of consent exists for it.
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