Regions  ▸  Asia  ▸  Laos

LGBT Rights in Vientiane Province

Vientiane is governed by federal Laos law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ⚢
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✖ Unrecognized
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Legal, but requires surgery
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✖ Restricted
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Adoption
    Ambiguous
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    Unknown
    Military
    Ambiguous
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Vientiane

?

Homosexual activity in Vientiane is legal.

Current status
Since Jan 9, 1990
Legal
Homosexual activity has never been illegal in Laos. The penal code for the current political system was not drafted until the 1990 (37 years after the country gained independence).
Details
Sources:
laoofficialgazette.gov.la/k…
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Same-sex marriage in Vientiane

?

Same-sex marriage in Vientiane is unrecognized.

Current status
Since Nov 29, 1990
Unrecognized
Article 1 of the marriage law defines marriage to be a union between a man and a woman. Laos has not introduced any specific legislation around marriage equality for same-sex couples.
Details
Sources:
law.yale.edu/rcw/rcw/jurisd…
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Vientiane

?

Censorship of LGBT issues in Vientiane is no censorship.

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

?

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

Current status
Since Jun 18, 2009
Legal, but requires surgery
Laos legalized changing gender in 2009 but there is no protection laws.
Details
Sources:
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pa…
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Gender-affirming care in Vientiane

?

Gender-affirming care in Vientiane is restricted.

Current status
Since 2009
Restricted
In 2009, Laos legalized sterilization, which de facto meant legalizing sex reassignment surgery, however, medical records regarding transsexualism had to be obtained abroad.
Details
Sources:
rhsupplies.org/uploads/tx_r…
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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Vientiane

?

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

Current status
Not legally recognized
Laos does not legally recognize a non-binary gender.
Details
Sources:
iri.org/news/pride-month-pa…
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LGBT discrimination in Vientiane

?

LGBT discrimination in Vientiane is no protections.

Current status
Since Oct 22, 1953
No protections
The constitution does not explicitly cover sexual orientations and gender identities in protection against discrimination
Details
Sources:
ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_protect/@protrav/@ilo_aids/documents/legaldocument/wcms_117348.pdf
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LGBT employment discrimination in Vientiane

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Vientiane is no protections.

Current status
Since Oct 22, 1953
No protections
No information on this.
Details
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LGBT housing discrimination in Vientiane

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LGBT housing discrimination in Vientiane is no protections.

Current status
Since Oct 22, 1953
No protections
They have no protections in laos.
Details
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Same-sex adoption in Vientiane

?

Same-sex adoption in Vientiane is ambiguous.

Current status
Since Dec 24, 1990
Ambiguous
The Lao family law states in article 38 that people who have "inappropriate behaviours" or those who have had their parental rights withdrawn may not adopt children. However, LGBT is not explicitly covered in the way this law is written so the result is ambiguous.
Details
Sources:
law.yale.edu/rcw/rcw/jurisd…
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Intersex infant surgery in Vientiane

?

Intersex infant surgery in Vientiane is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Serving openly in military in Vientiane

?

Serving openly in military in Vientiane is ambiguous.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2012
Ambiguous
No laws restricting or allowing MSM to donate blood.
Details
Sources:
web.archive.org/web/2009022…//www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/eap/119045.htm
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Blood donations by MSMs in Vientiane

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Vientiane is legal.

Current status
Legal
No laws resticting MSM to donate blood.
Details
Sources:
jclao.com/in-laos-an-invisi…
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Conversion therapy in Vientiane

?

Conversion therapy in Vientiane is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
According to the ILGA World, there's no ban on conversion therapy in Laos.
Details
Sources:
ilga.org/downloads/ILGA_Wor… (page 328)
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Equal age of consent in Vientiane

?

Equal age of consent in Vientiane is equal.

Current status
Equal
No laws have ever existed for this.
Details
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Equality Index ?
48 / 100
Legal Rights
49 / 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 Vientiane to help improve its accuracy.

Top Contributors

Vientiane LGBT Organizations

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