💬 NEW! Join Equaldex's LGBTQ+ Discord to discuss LGBT rights and chat!
 ▸  Oceania

    Homosexuality
    ⚢
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✔ Legal
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✔ Legal, surgery not required
    Non-binary gender recognition
    ✔ Recognized
    Discrimination
    ✔ Illegal
    Employment Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Housing Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Adoption
    Unknown
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✖ Banned (3-month deferral)
    Conversion Therapy
    Unknown
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
Suggest Public Opinion Data

Public Opinion

Views on same-sex marriage or other legal recognition

Ranked #13 out of 27 countries surveyed. (Source: Ipsos, April–May, 2021)
(13%) Against
Support (76%)

Views on same-sex couples' right to adopt

Ranked #8 out of 27 countries surveyed. (Source: Ipsos, April–May, 2021)
(21%) Disagree
Agree (71%)

Acceptance of homosexuals as neighbors

Ranked #15 out of 79 countries surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)

Question: "On this list are various groups of people. Could you please mention any that you would not like to have as neighbors?"

(11.8%) Mentioned homosexuals
Did not mention homosexuals (88.2%)

Justifiability of homosexuality

Ranked #11 out of 79 countries surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)

Question: "Please tell me for each of the following statements whether you think it can always be justified, never be justified, or something in between."

(14.9%) Not justifiable
Justifiable (61.8%)

Opinion on same-sex couples as parents

Ranked #15 out of 74 countries surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)

Question: "Homosexual couples are as good parents as other couples"

(19.6%) Disagree
Agree (54.7%)

"Should society accept homosexuality?" (2019)

Ranked #8 out of 34 countries surveyed. (Source: Pew Research Center, May–October, 2019)

Question: "Should society accept homosexuality?"

(14%) No
Yes (81%)

"Should society accept homosexuality?" (2013)

Ranked #5 out of 39 countries surveyed. (Source: Pew Research Center, June, 2013)

Question: "Should society accept homosexuality?"

(18%) No
Yes (79%)

Perceived Acceptance of Gay People

Ranked #6 out of 119 countries surveyed. (Source: Gallup, 2013)

Question: "Is the city or area where you live a good place or not a good place for homosexuals?"

(10%) Not a good place
Good place (72%)

History

Homosexual activity in Australia

?

Homosexual activity in Australia is legal.

Current status
Since Mar 31, 1994
Legal
Homosexual activity federally decriminalized
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
Willett, Graham (2000). Living Out Loud: A History of Gay and Lesbian activism in Australia. Allen & Unwin. p. 237. ISBN 1 86448 949 9.

"Age Of Consent & Sodomy Law awareness in Queensland Australia – need for urgent action". Queer Radio. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
Added by maxkasun  ·  3 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex marriage in Australia

?

Same-sex marriage in Australia is legal.

Current status
Since Dec 9, 2017
Legal
Same-sex marriage has been legal in Australia since 9 December 2017. The legislation to allow same-sex marriage, the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017, passed the Australian Parliament on 7 December 2017 and received royal assent from the Governor-General the following day.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
news.com.au/lifestyle/gay-m…
theguardian.com/australia-n…
nytimes.com/2017/12/07/worl…
legislation.gov.au/Details/…
Added by brennen  ·  3 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Until Dec 9, 2017
Unrecognized, same-sex marriage and civil unions banned
Same-sex marriage was unrecognized until 2017.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
ag.gov.au/marriageequality
Added by danlev  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Australia

?

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Australia is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
Not mentioned in law, not punished either. Bias of coverage is more based on media concentration.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
rsf.org/en/australia#:~:text=Investigative%20journalism%20in%20danger,implied%20freedom%20of%20political%20communication%22.
Added by Pyrasaurus  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Right to change legal gender in Australia

?

Right to change legal gender in Australia is legal, surgery not required.

Current status
Since Jul 1, 2017
Legal, surgery not required
Legal status has changed.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/m…
Added by vviet93  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Until Jul 1, 2017
Legal, but requires surgery
Legal, but requires hormone treatment
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_…
Added by christierroberts  ·  2 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Australia

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Australia is recognized.

Current status
Recognized
Australia does have recognition of nonbinary gender through the X marker on legal documentation.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
ag.gov.au/rights-and-protec…
Added by DuffdeNecker  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in Australia

?

LGBT discrimination in Australia is illegal.

Current status
Since Dec 6, 1986
Illegal
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act of 1986 prevents discriminatory activities
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2004C04545
Added by vviet93  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in Australia

?

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

Current status
Since Jun 28, 2013
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual
Orientation, Gender Identity and
Intersex Status) Act 2013
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELE…
Added by jtmateos  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in Australia

?

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

Current status
Since Jun 28, 2013
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex adoption in Australia

?

Same-sex adoption in Australia is unknown.


Jan 2007–Apr 2018
N/A
This is not decided at the Federal level, but at the territorial government level. Some territories allow it, others do not.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Added by sofoust  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Since Apr 20, 2018
Legal
Adoption is not a federal law and is state-based. Since April 2018, same-sex couples can adopt children in all jurisdictions within Australia.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
hrlc.org.au/news/2018/4/20/…
Added by ruperttrepur  ·  2 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log
Current status
Unknown

Serving openly in military in Australia

?

Serving openly in military in Australia is legal.

Current status
Since Nov 24, 1992
Legal
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
nytimes.com/1992/11/24/worl…
Added by brennen  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Blood donations by MSMs in Australia

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Australia is banned (3-month deferral).

Current status
Since Jan 31, 2021
Banned (3-month deferral)
Reduced to 3-months on Jan 31, 2021.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
news.com.au/lifestyle/healt…
Added by Pyrasaurus  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

1996–Jan 31, 2021
Banned (1-year deferral)
The Red Cross controls blood donations in Australia and it has a ban on MSMs active in the last year
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
donateblood.com.au/files/do…
Added by sofoust  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in Australia

?

Conversion therapy in Australia is unknown.

Current status
Unknown

Equal age of consent in Australia

?

Equal age of consent in Australia is equal.

Current status
Since Sep 16, 2016
Equal
Following the amendment in the Queensland Criminal Code, the age of consent is now equal across all states and territories of Australia.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
abc.net.au/news/2016-09-15/…
Added by watbe  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT Rights by State

View the LGBT laws in each individual state of Australia.

    Equality Index ?
    86 / 100
    Legal Rights
    98 / 100
    Public Opinion
    73 / 100
    #14
    Interest Rank ?

    Top Contributors

    Discussions

    21 Users live in Australia

    ciaojeffrey
    jpmusicc
    chipmolly
    Palamuss
    mckennadt
    Ragi

    Australia LGBT Organizations

    Suggest an organization

    Share Topic

    Map of Australia
    LGBT Australia Flag
    LGBT Australia Flag

    Compare Australia

    Christmas Island Flag

    Compare with
    Christmas Island

    Cocos (Keeling) Islands Flag

    Compare with
    Cocos (Keeling) Islands

    New Zealand Flag

    Compare with
    New Zealand

    Norfolk Island Flag

    Compare with
    Norfolk Island

    Common queries:
    • Is it illegal to be gay in Australia?
    • Is homosexuality legal in Australia?
    • Is gay marriage legal in Australia?

    LGBT Rights in Australia and New Zealand

    Christmas Island Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Christmas Island

    Cocos (Keeling) Islands Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Cocos (Keeling) Islands

    New Zealand Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    New Zealand

    Norfolk Island Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Norfolk Island