LGBT Rights in Belarus

Homosexuality: ⚢
✔ Legal
Gay Marriage: ⚭
✖ Unrecognized
Censorship: ✔ No censorship
Changing Gender: ✔ Legal, surgery not required
Non-binary gender recognition: Unknown
Discrimination: ✖ No protections
Employment Discrimination: ✖ No protections
Housing Discrimination: Ambiguous
Adoption: ✖ Illegal
Military: Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Donating Blood: ✔ Legal
Conversion Therapy: ✖ Not banned
Age of Consent: ✔ Equal

Public Opinion

Acceptance of homosexuals as neighbors

Ranked #61 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?"

(66.6%) Mentioned homosexuals

Did not mention homosexuals (31.7%)

Justifiability of homosexuality

Ranked #56 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."

(73.5%) Not justifiable

Justifiable (9.1%)

Opinion on same-sex couples as parents

Ranked #65 out of 74 countries surveyed. (Source: World Values Survey, 2017-2020)

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

(72.9%) Disagree

Agree (10.9%)

Support for same-sex marriage in Central and Eastern Europe

Ranked #10 out of 19 countries surveyed. (Source: Pew Research Center, June 2015-July 2016)

Question: "Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally?"

(81%) Oppose

Favor (16%)

"Should society accept homosexuality?" (2016, Eastern/Central Europe)

Ranked #13 out of 19 countries surveyed. (Source: Pew Research Center, June 2015-July 2016)

Question: "Please tell me whether the FIRST statement or the SECOND statement is most similar to your point of view–even if it does not precisely match your opinion. 1 Homosexuality should be accepted by society OR 2 Homosexuality should not be accepted by society"

(84%) No

Yes (9%)

Perceived Acceptance of Gay People

Ranked #57 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?"

(41%) Not a good place

Good place (11%)

By The Numbers

82^%

of Orthodox Christians support the Church's position on refusing to perform same-sex marriages

10^%

oppose

(Pew Research Center, 2017)

History

Homosexual activity in Belarus

Homosexual activity in Belarus is legal.

Current status
Since Mar 1, 1994

Legal

Only form of homosexuality that is illegal is non-consensual homosexual intercourse

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex marriage in Belarus

Same-sex marriage in Belarus is unrecognized.

Current status
Since Nov 26, 1996

Unrecognized

Article 32 of the constitution defines marriage to be between a man and a woman.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Nov 26, 1996–Sep 8, 2018

Foreign same-sex marriages recognized only

Foreign Same sex marriages recognized under EU law.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Until Jan 1, 2015

Not legal

Article 32 of the constitution defines marriage to be between a man and a woman.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Belarus

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Belarus is no censorship.

Current status

No censorship

In Belarus, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Right to change legal gender in Belarus

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

Current status

Legal, surgery not required

Permit for the operation by which a man's body changed to female or vice versa, get about four a year.
In Belarus, such permission shall issue a specially created interdepartmental commission on medical, psychological and social rehabilitation of persons with the syndrome of denial of sex. It is composed of 15 experts of the ministries of Health, Defense, Interior, Justice, Education. The Commission refers the patient to a mental health and psycho-sexological examination. A year later, after a thorough examination by psychiatrists, sexologists, urologists, gynecologists, endocrinologists and geneticists, the board makes a decision - to change this person or not the floor.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Belarus

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Belarus is unknown.

Current status

Unknown

LGBT discrimination in Belarus

LGBT discrimination in Belarus is no protections.

Current status
Since Aug 25, 1991

No protections

Even though article 22 states all citizens are equal, sexual orientations and gender identities are not included in the forms of discriminations covered.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT employment discrimination in Belarus

LGBT employment discrimination in Belarus is no protections.

Current status

No protections

The country has no legislation that would protect people from dismissal from work because of their sexual orientation.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Aug 25, 1991–Sep 9, 2018

No protections

No discrimination protections exist.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT housing discrimination in Belarus

LGBT housing discrimination in Belarus is ambiguous.

Current status
Since Aug 25, 1991

Ambiguous

Unknown.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex adoption in Belarus

Same-sex adoption in Belarus is illegal.

Current status

Illegal

Adoption of children by same-sex couples are not spelled out in the legislation, however, when considering an application for adoption, homosexuality is considered a ground for refusal.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Oct 16, 2016–Sep 18, 2018

Single only

No laws in place for same sex couples.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Serving openly in military in Belarus

Serving openly in military in Belarus is don't ask, don't tell.

Current status

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Open homosexuals can not serve in the armed forces. When injected into the army, homosexuals may be victims of violence from colleagues. The Constitution and laws do not restrict the service of homosexuals in the military.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Blood donations by MSMs in Belarus

Blood donations by MSMs in Belarus is legal.

Current status

Legal

No particular limitation for homosexuals. All the procedures and requirements are the same for all donors.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Conversion therapy in Belarus

Conversion therapy in Belarus is not banned.

Current status

Not banned

Unknown.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Equal age of consent in Belarus

Equal age of consent in Belarus is equal.

Current status

Equal

The age of consent in Belarus is 16 years, as stated in Articles 168 and 169, which read: "Sexual intercourse, sodomy, lesbian intercourse or other sexual acts committed by adults who have reached eighteen years of age, with a person who is obviously not reached sixteen years of age, with no signs of crimes envisaged by Articles 166 and 167 of this Code, shall be punished by restriction of liberty from two to four years, or imprisonment for a term of two to five years. "and" indecent assault, committed by a person under eighteen years of age, in relation to a person who obviously has not attained the age of sixteen, in the absence of evidence of the crimes stipulated in Articles 166, 167 and 168 of this Code, shall be punished by imprisonment for up to six months or imprisonment for a term of one to three years "

Details · Accurate? Yes No