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LGBT employment discrimination

LGBTQ+ people are protected from employment discrimination in 88 countries and territories.

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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

88
Protected
88 regions (38%)
Protected
28
Some protections
28 regions (12%)
Some protections
86
No protections
86 regions (37%)
No protections
30
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
30 regions (13%)
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
53%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
19 regions (53%)
Some protections
2 regions (6%)
No protections
12 regions (33%)
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
32 regions (54%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
14 regions (24%)
Asia
17%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Protected
8 regions (17%)
Some protections
3 regions (7%)
No protections
30 regions (65%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 regions (11%)

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 88 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 (19)
  44. Belize 2016
  45. Bermuda 2013
  46. British Virgin Islands 2007
  47. Canada 2017
  48. Costa Rica 1998
  49. Cuba 2013
  50. El Salvador
  51. Greenland 2010
  52. Grenada
  53. Guadeloupe
  54. Guatemala 2016
  55. Honduras 2013
  56. Martinique
  57. Mexico 2010
  58. Montserrat 2010
  59. Nicaragua
  60. Saint Lucia 2006
  61. Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  62. Turks and Caicos Islands 2011
  63. Africa (6)
  64. Angola 2015
  65. British Indian Ocean Territory 2003
  66. Mayotte
  67. Réunion
  68. Saint Helena 2009
  69. South Africa 1996
  70. Oceania (15)
  71. Australia 2013
  72. Christmas Island 2013
  73. Cocos (Keeling) Islands 2013
  74. Cook Islands 2013
  75. Fiji 2007
  76. French Polynesia
  77. Kiribati 2015
  78. New Caledonia 2005
  79. New Zealand 1994
  80. Niue
  81. Norfolk Island
  82. Pitcairn Islands 2010
  83. Samoa 2013
  84. Vanuatu 2013
  85. Wallis and Futuna
  86. South America (8)
  87. Bolivia 2010
  88. Brazil 2011
  89. Chile 2012
  90. Falkland Islands 2008
  91. French Guiana
  92. Peru 2016
  93. Suriname 1975
  94. Uruguay 2004

No protections

LGBT employment discrimination is no protections in 86 regions.

  1. Asia (30)
  2. Afghanistan 1919
  3. Bahrain 1976
  4. Bangladesh
  5. Bhutan 2018
  6. Brunei 1951
  7. Cambodia
  8. China
  9. Hong Kong
  10. Indonesia
  11. Iran 1979
  12. Iraq
  13. Japan 2008
  14. Jordan 1952
  15. Kuwait 1960
  16. Laos 1953
  17. Lebanon
  18. Maldives 2017
  19. Myanmar 1886
  20. Palestine
  21. Qatar 1915
  22. Saudi Arabia 1932
  23. Singapore
  24. Syria 1964
  25. Tajikistan 1994
  26. Timor-Leste
  27. Turkmenistan 1992
  28. United Arab Emirates 1971
  29. Uzbekistan 1992
  30. Vietnam 1992
  31. Yemen 1994
  32. Europe (5)
  33. Armenia
  34. Azerbaijan
  35. Belarus
  36. Turkey
  37. Vatican City
  38. North America (12)
  39. Anguilla 2001
  40. Antigua and Barbuda
  41. Aruba
  42. Barbados
  43. Cayman Islands
  44. Curaçao
  45. Dominica
  46. Dominican Republic
  47. Jamaica 1962
  48. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  49. Sint Maarten
  50. Trinidad and Tobago 2001
  51. Africa (32)
  52. Algeria 1966
  53. Benin 1900
  54. Cameroon 1972
  55. Central African Republic 2003
  56. Chad 2018
  57. Comoros
  58. Democratic Republic of the Congo 1960
  59. Egypt 1971
  60. Equatorial Guinea 1968
  61. Eritrea 1957
  62. Eswatini 1907
  63. Ethiopia
  64. Gambia
  65. Guinea 1988
  66. Guinea-Bissau
  67. Lesotho 2012
  68. Libya 1951
  69. Mali 1960
  70. Mauritania 1991
  71. Morocco
  72. Niger
  73. Nigeria 1999
  74. Republic of the Congo
  75. Sao Tome and Principe
  76. Senegal 1966
  77. Somalia 1962
  78. South Sudan 2011
  79. Sudan 1956
  80. Tanzania 1977
  81. Togo 1980
  82. Tunisia 1957
  83. Western Sahara
  84. Oceania (5)
  85. Federated States of Micronesia
  86. Nauru 2016
  87. Papua New Guinea 2002
  88. Tokelau
  89. Tuvalu
  90. South America (2)
  91. Guyana 1980
  92. 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 30 regions.

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

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