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LGBT Rights in France

    Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✔ Legal
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✔ Legal, no restrictions
    Non-binary gender recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✔ Illegal
    Employment Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Housing Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Adoption
    ✔ Legal
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✔ Banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal

Surveys in France have shown mixed views towards LGBTQ+ rights and issues.

France Surveys

Support for Same-Sex Marriage

(Ifop, 2013)
of French support gay marriage

Views on Homosexuality Among Muslims

(Gallup, 2009)
of French Muslims find homosexual acts to be acceptable

History

Homosexual activity in France

?

Homosexual activity in France is legal.

Current status
Since Sep 25, 1791
Legal
The law of 1791 decriminalized homosexual activity, however, it does not recognize homosexuality itself.
Added by jbmacluckie  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex marriage in France

?

Same-sex marriage in France is legal.

Current status
Since May 18, 2013
Legal
Fully Legal since 2013.
Sources:
legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000027414540&dateTexte=&oldAction=rechJO&categorieLien=id
Added by jbmacluckie  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT Issues in France

?

Censorship of LGBT Issues in France is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In France, there are no laws restricting to discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Added by equaldex  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Right to change legal gender in France

?

Right to change legal gender in France is legal, no restrictions.

Current status
Since Sep 1, 2018
Legal, no restrictions
Individuals can legally change their gender in France. Sex reassignment surgery is state-funded. Requires court approval and proof.

According to media reports, in 2010, France became the first country to remove "transsexualism" from their official list of mental illnesses.
Added by James  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 1, 1992–Sep 1, 2018
Legal, no restrictions
No surgery required since 2018. Missing non binary options on documents.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in France

?

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

Current status
Since Mar 2016
Not legally recognized
Non-binary gender is not available. In 2023, the European Court of Human Rights decided in the judgment "Y. v. France" (2023) on the legal recognition of the gender of an intersex person. Specifically, on the case of a person who had been refused by French authorities the possibility to modify their gender marker to reflect the term "neutral" or "intersex". The ECHR rejected that such a decision was in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, stating that, given the relevance of such a change to the otherwise binary French legal system, it was for the French state itself to reform its legislation beforehand. However, it acknowledged that future developments in Council of Europe member states could change its interpretation.

A court ruled in August 2015 that an intersex plaintiff who was designated male at birth, could use the term “neutral gender” on personal official documents. This decision was overturned by a French appeals court.

Aug 20, 2015–Mar 2016
Intersex only
A court in Tours ruled in favour of an intersex plaintiff who sought to have a third gender option recognised on official identification documents.
Added by beeurd  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in France

?

LGBT discrimination in France is illegal.

Current status
Since Dec 30, 2004
Illegal
Added by jbmacluckie  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in France

?

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

Current status
Since Jul 31, 2012
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Added by vviet93  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Nov 27, 2000–Jul 31, 2012
Sexual orientation only
Added by jbmacluckie  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in France

?

LGBT housing discrimination in France is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Jul 6, 1989
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Added by jbmacluckie  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex adoption in France

?

Same-sex adoption in France is legal.

Current status
Since May 17, 2013
Legal
Same-sex couples have been legally able to adopt children since May 2013, when the same-sex marriage law took effect. The first joint adoption by a same-sex couple was announced on 18 October 2013.
Sources:
legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000027414540&dateTexte=&oldAction=rechJO&categorieLien=id
Added by jbmacluckie  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in France

?

Serving openly in military in France is legal.

Current status
Legal
Added by James  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Blood donations by MSMs in France

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Blood donations by MSMs in France is legal.

Current status
Since Mar 16, 2022
Legal
In 2022, France removed the deferral period for gay and bi men donating blood, replacing it with a new policy that applies to all donors, regardless of sexual orientation.
Added by beeurd  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Apr 2, 2020–Mar 15, 2022
Banned (3-month deferral)
In July 2019, Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn announced that the deferral period would be reduced to four months of abstinence from 2 April 2020.
Added by vviet93  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jul 10, 2016–Sep 6, 2018
Banned (1-year deferral)
Proposed in 2015, the indefinite deferral was replaced by a 1 year deferral in 2016.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jun 20, 1983–Jul 9, 2016
Banned (indefinite deferral)
In 1983, in response to the HIV epidemic, the Directorate General of Health banned MSMs from donating blood indefinitely. This ban was reiterated in 2009.
Added by jbmacluckie  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Until Jan 1, 1983
Legal
Blood donations in France were legal before 1983.
Added by GeminiFR  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in France

?

Conversion therapy in France is banned.

Current status
Since Jan 26, 2022
Banned
The National Assembly approved the new law unanimously, voting 142-0 on Tuesday evening.
Added by bubblyara  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Until Jan 26, 2022
Not banned
Not banned, although a legislation to criminalise conversion therapy is currently progressing.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in France

?

Equal age of consent in France is equal.

Current status
Since Aug 4, 1982
Equal
The age of consent in France is 15 for both male-male, female-female, and male-female sex.
Added by jbmacluckie  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log


LGBT Rights by metropolitan department

View the LGBT laws in each individual metropolitan department of France.