Current Version
| Region | Tonga |
| Issue | Bathroom access |
| Status | Restricted |
| Start Date | (unknown) |
| End Date | (none) |
| Description | In Tonga, there are no protections for trans people acess to the bathroom as in fact Section 81 of Tonga’s Criminal Offences Act explicitly criminalizes "any male person who... in a public place with intent to deceive any other person as to his true sex... impersonates or represents himself to be a female." as that law restricts a trans woman's (leiti) right to wear women's clothing if deemed to be "soliciting for an immoral purpose". Because "immoral purpose" is loosely defined, it serves as a vague, statutory restriction on public gender expression but in practice actual criminal prosecutions or arbitrary mass arrests by police against trans people are highly uncommon. |
| Sources | https://outrightinternational.org/our-work/pacific/tonga https://2021-2025.state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/tonga/ |
Revision History (1)
created by ObservantClippy
Helpful?
0 | Original entry | |
|---|---|
| Status | Restricted |
| Start Date | (unknown) |
| End Date | (none) |
| Description | In Tonga, there are no protections for trans people acess to the bathroom as in fact Section 81 of Tonga’s Criminal Offences Act explicitly criminalizes "any male person who... in a public place with intent to deceive any other person as to his true sex... impersonates or represents himself to be a female." as that law restricts a trans woman's (leiti) right to wear women's clothing if deemed to be "soliciting for an immoral purpose". Because "immoral purpose" is loosely defined, it serves as a vague, statutory restriction on public gender expression but in practice actual criminal prosecutions or arbitrary mass arrests by police against trans people are highly uncommon. |
| Sources | https://outrightinternational.org/our-work/pacific/tonga https://2021-2025.state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/tonga/ |