LGBTQ rights in Mongolia
LGBTQ rights in Mongolia | |
|---|---|
| Legal status | Legal since 1993 |
| Gender identity | Transgender people permitted to change legal gender marker following a medical procedure to affirm their gender |
| Military | Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned |
| Discrimination protections | Bans all discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No |
| Restrictions | Same-sex marriage constitutionally banned since 1992 |
| Adoption | No |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Mongolia face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ people, though there have been substantial improvements since the 1990s. Homosexuality was criminalised in Mongolia in 1961 through its Criminal Code. Following the Mongolian Revolution of 1990 and the peaceful transition to a democracy, homosexuality was legalised and awareness about LGBTQ people has become more prevalent. Since 2017, all discrimination and hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity are outlawed. Households headed by same-sex couples are, however, not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples.
The LGBT Centre (active since 2007) states "advocacy for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Mongolia" to be its mandate. It is the main engine behind the policy and legislative changes in the country around LGBTQ rights. Historically, the first gay men's human rights organisation was established in March 1999, and was called Tavilan (meaning "destiny" in Mongolian).