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LGBT employment discrimination

LGBTQ+ people are protected from employment discrimination in 89 countries.

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  • Sexual orientation and gender identity
  • No protections
  • Sexual orientation only
  • Unknown, N/A, or ambiguous

Recent Changes

  • Oct 21 2021Became Sexual orientation only in Namibia
  • Jun 15 2020Became Sexual orientation and gender identity in United States
  • Jun 15 2020Became Sexual orientation and gender identity in United States
  • Apr 10 2018Became No protections in Chad
  • Mar 26 2018Became No protections in Bhutan
  • Jan 15 2018Became Sexual orientation and gender identity in West Bengal
  • Jan 1 2018Became Sexual orientation and gender identity in New York
  • Jan 1 2018Became Sexual orientation and gender identity in Dadra and Nagar Haveli

LGBT employment discrimination

Prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity in employment, including hiring, promotion, termination, harassment, etc.

Summary

89
Protected
89 regions (38%)
Protected
28
Some protections
28 regions (12%)
Some protections
82
No protections
82 regions (35%)
No protections
33
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
33 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
62%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
32 regions (62%)
Some protections
12 regions (23%)
No protections
5 regions (10%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (6%)
Oceania
63%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
15 regions (63%)
Some protections
1 regions (4%)
No protections
5 regions (21%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (13%)
South America
57%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
8 regions (57%)
Some protections
3 regions (21%)
No protections
2 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (7%)
North America
56%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
20 regions (56%)
Some protections
2 regions (6%)
No protections
11 regions (31%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (8%)
Africa
10%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
6 regions (10%)
Some protections
7 regions (12%)
No protections
31 regions (53%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
15 regions (25%)
Asia
17%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
8 regions (17%)
Some protections
3 regions (7%)
No protections
28 regions (61%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
7 regions (15%)

Progress over time

Number of countries with equality for lgbt employment discrimination over the past 60 years.

Recent changes

LGBT employment discrimination by country

(and dependent territories)

Sexual orientation and gender identity

LGBT employment discrimination is sexual orientation and gender identity in 89 regions.

  1. Asia (8)
  2. India 1949
  3. Kazakhstan
  4. Macau 2008
  5. Mongolia 1992
  6. Nepal 2016
  7. South Korea 2016
  8. Sri Lanka 2017
  9. Thailand 2015
  10. Europe (32)
  11. Belgium 2003
  12. Bulgaria 2003
  13. Cyprus 2014
  14. Czech Republic 2009
  15. Estonia 2009
  16. Faroe Islands 2006
  17. Finland 2004
  18. France 2012
  19. Georgia 2014
  20. Germany 2006
  21. Greece 2016
  22. Hungary 1998
  23. Iceland 1996
  24. Ireland 2011
  25. Isle of Man 2006
  26. Kosovo 2013
  27. Latvia 2006
  28. Lithuania 2005
  29. Luxembourg 2006
  30. Malta 2004
  31. Monaco
  32. Montenegro 2010
  33. Netherlands 1993
  34. North Macedonia 2016
  35. Norway 1981
  36. Portugal 2015
  37. San Marino 2008
  38. Slovakia 2008
  39. Sweden 1999
  40. Switzerland 1999
  41. Ukraine 2015
  42. United Kingdom
  43. North America (20)
  44. Belize 2016
  45. Bermuda 2013
  46. British Virgin Islands 2007
  47. Canada 2017
  48. Costa Rica 1998
  49. Cuba 2013
  50. Dominican Republic
  51. El Salvador
  52. Greenland 2010
  53. Grenada
  54. Guadeloupe
  55. Guatemala 2016
  56. Honduras 2013
  57. Martinique
  58. Mexico 2010
  59. Montserrat 2010
  60. Nicaragua
  61. Saint Lucia 2006
  62. Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  63. Turks and Caicos Islands 2011
  64. Africa (6)
  65. Angola 2015
  66. British Indian Ocean Territory 2003
  67. Mayotte
  68. Réunion
  69. Saint Helena 2009
  70. South Africa 1996
  71. Oceania (15)
  72. Australia 2013
  73. Christmas Island 2013
  74. Cocos (Keeling) Islands 2013
  75. Cook Islands 2013
  76. Fiji 2007
  77. French Polynesia
  78. Kiribati 2015
  79. New Caledonia 2005
  80. New Zealand 1994
  81. Niue
  82. Norfolk Island
  83. Pitcairn Islands 2010
  84. Samoa 2013
  85. Vanuatu 2013
  86. Wallis and Futuna
  87. South America (8)
  88. Bolivia 2010
  89. Brazil 2011
  90. Chile 2012
  91. Falkland Islands 2008
  92. French Guiana
  93. Peru 2016
  94. Suriname 1975
  95. Uruguay 2004

No protections

LGBT employment discrimination is no protections in 82 regions.

  1. Asia (28)
  2. Afghanistan 1919
  3. Bahrain 1976
  4. Bhutan 2018
  5. Brunei 1951
  6. Cambodia
  7. China
  8. Hong Kong
  9. Indonesia
  10. Iran 1979
  11. Iraq
  12. Japan 2008
  13. Jordan 1952
  14. Kuwait 1960
  15. Laos 1953
  16. Lebanon
  17. Maldives 2017
  18. Myanmar 1886
  19. Qatar 1915
  20. Saudi Arabia 1932
  21. Singapore
  22. Syria 1964
  23. Tajikistan 1994
  24. Timor-Leste
  25. Turkmenistan 1992
  26. United Arab Emirates 1971
  27. Uzbekistan 1992
  28. Vietnam 1992
  29. Yemen 1994
  30. Europe (5)
  31. Armenia
  32. Azerbaijan
  33. Belarus
  34. Turkey
  35. Vatican City
  36. North America (11)
  37. Anguilla 2001
  38. Antigua and Barbuda
  39. Aruba
  40. Barbados
  41. Cayman Islands
  42. Curaçao
  43. Dominica
  44. Jamaica 1962
  45. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  46. Sint Maarten
  47. Trinidad and Tobago 2001
  48. Africa (31)
  49. Algeria 1966
  50. Benin 1900
  51. Cameroon 1972
  52. Central African Republic 2003
  53. Chad 2018
  54. Democratic Republic of the Congo 1960
  55. Egypt 1971
  56. Equatorial Guinea 1968
  57. Eritrea 1957
  58. Eswatini 1907
  59. Ethiopia
  60. Gambia
  61. Guinea 1988
  62. Guinea-Bissau
  63. Lesotho 2012
  64. Libya 1951
  65. Mali 1960
  66. Mauritania 1991
  67. Morocco
  68. Niger
  69. Nigeria 1999
  70. Republic of the Congo
  71. Sao Tome and Principe
  72. Senegal 1966
  73. Somalia 1962
  74. South Sudan 2011
  75. Sudan 1956
  76. Tanzania 1977
  77. Togo 1980
  78. Tunisia 1957
  79. Western Sahara
  80. Oceania (5)
  81. Federated States of Micronesia
  82. Nauru 2016
  83. Papua New Guinea 2002
  84. Tokelau
  85. Tuvalu
  86. South America (2)
  87. Guyana 1980
  88. Paraguay 1992

Sexual orientation only

LGBT employment discrimination is sexual orientation only in 28 regions.

  1. Asia (3)
  2. Israel 1992
  3. Philippines
  4. Taiwan 2007
  5. Europe (12)
  6. Albania 2010
  7. Andorra 2005
  8. Austria 2004
  9. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  10. Croatia 2008
  11. Denmark 1996
  12. Italy 2003
  13. Poland 2011
  14. Romania
  15. Serbia 2009
  16. Slovenia 1998
  17. Spain 1995
  18. North America (2)
  19. Bahamas
  20. Panama 2017
  21. Africa (7)
  22. Botswana 2010
  23. Cape Verde 2008
  24. Mauritius 2008
  25. Mozambique 2007
  26. Namibia 2021
  27. Seychelles 2006
  28. Zambia
  29. Oceania (1)
  30. Tonga
  31. South America (3)
  32. Colombia 2011
  33. Ecuador 2015
  34. Venezuela 2012

No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous

Data on lgbt employment discrimination is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 33 regions.

  1. Asia (7)
  2. Bangladesh
  3. Kyrgyzstan
  4. Malaysia
  5. North Korea
  6. Oman
  7. Pakistan
  8. Palestine
  9. Europe (3)
  10. Liechtenstein
  11. Moldova
  12. Russia
  13. North America (3)
  14. Haiti
  15. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  16. United States
  17. Africa (15)
  18. Burkina Faso
  19. Burundi
  20. Comoros
  21. Côte d’Ivoire
  22. Djibouti
  23. Gabon
  24. Ghana
  25. Kenya
  26. Liberia
  27. Madagascar
  28. Malawi
  29. Rwanda
  30. Sierra Leone
  31. Uganda
  32. Zimbabwe
  33. Oceania (3)
  34. Marshall Islands
  35. Palau
  36. Solomon Islands
  37. South America (1)
  38. Argentina
  39. Antarctica (1)
  40. Antarctica

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