Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✔ Civil unions (marriage rights)
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✔ Legal
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✔ Illegal
    Employment Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Housing Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Adoption
    ✔ Legal
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
💬 Join Equaldex's LGBTQ+ Discord to discuss LGBT rights and chat!

In Bolivia, public opinion seems to reflect a lack of acceptance or understanding of the LGBTQ+ community.

Have you lived in or visited Bolivia?

Share your experience of being LGBTQ+ in Bolivia.

Take Survey

History

Homosexual activity in Bolivia

?

Homosexual activity in Bolivia is legal.

Current status
Since 1832
Legal
Same-sex sexual activity in Bolivia has been legal since 1832.
Report error  ·  Log
Until 1832
Illegal (other penalty)
Penalty Unknown.
Report error  ·  Log

Same-sex marriage in Bolivia

?

Same-sex marriage in Bolivia is civil unions (marriage rights).

Current status
Since Dec 12, 2020
Civil unions (marriage rights)
Since 2020, legal cases have set precedent for civil unions in Bolivia after a gay couple has achieved a legally recognized civil union. Only one civil union has been recognized ever since.

The couple, together for more than 11 years, took their case to court. While the Bolivian Constitution still does not contemplate same sex unions, the couple argued successfully the prohibition violated international human rights standards and constituted discrimination under Bolivian law.
Report error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT issues in Bolivia

?

Censorship of LGBT issues in Bolivia is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In Bolivia, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Report error  ·  Log

Right to change legal gender in Bolivia

?

Right to change legal gender in Bolivia is legal, but requires medical diagnosis.

Current status
Since Aug 1, 2016
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
On 25 November 2015, a law was proposed that would allow transgender people to change their legal name and sex. On 19 May 2016, the Chamber of Deputies passed the Gender Identity Law (Spanish: Ley de Identidad de Género). One day later, the Chamber of Senators passed the measure by simple majority votes. On 21 May 2016, the legislation was signed into law by Vice President Álvaro García Linera, and it took effect on 1 August 2016. In October 2016, the Bolivian Congress debated whether to repeal it.

The law allows individuals over 18 to legally change their name, sex and photography on legal documents. A psychological test proving that the person knows and voluntarily assumes the change of identity is required, but sex reassignment surgery is not. The process is confidential and must be carried out before the Civil Registry Service. The processing of the new documentation will take 15 days. The change of name and sex will be reversible once, after which they cannot modify these data again.
Sources:
archive.shine.cn/article/ar…

web.archive.org/web/2017050…//www.la-razon.com/sociedad/Senado-Ley-Identidad-Genero-Iglesia_0_2493950669.html

eju.tv/2016/08/en-un-mes-50…

2009-2017.state.gov/documen…
Report error  ·  Log
Dec 18, 2003–Nov 26, 2015
Legal, but requires surgery
Article 21 was amended in 2003 so that legal sex can be rectified to correct for "errors" without changing other details in the civil registry.
Report error  ·  Log

Gender-affirming care in Bolivia

?

Gender-affirming care in Bolivia is legal.

Current status
Since 2000
Legal
In 2000, Bolivia adopted the ICD-10 classification, which contains codes for diagnosing transsexualism in adulthood and childhood, which authorize the initiation of medical transition.
Report error  ·  Log
Until 2000
Banned
Medical transition is not possible
Report error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Bolivia

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Bolivia is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
Bolivia does not legally recognize non-binary identities yet.
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in Bolivia

?

LGBT discrimination in Bolivia is illegal.

Current status
Since Oct 8, 2010
Illegal
The law against racism and all other forms of discrimination, in article 5a explicitly includes sexual orientation and (gender) identity.
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in Bolivia

?

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

Current status
Since Oct 8, 2010
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Discrimination is protected for sexual orientation and gender identity as per the law against racism and discrimination of any kind.
Sources:
Same as LGBT Discrimination section
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in Bolivia

?

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

Current status
Since Oct 8, 2010
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Discrimination is protected for sexual orientation and gender identity as per the law against racism and discrimination of any kind.
Sources:
Same as LGBT discrimination section
Report error  ·  Log

Same-sex adoption in Bolivia

?

Same-sex adoption in Bolivia is legal.

Current status
Since Mar 12, 2002
Legal
Single people, regardless of their sexual orientation, may adopt children, and same-sex couples in a free union are permitted to adopt in Bolivia, according to Article 84 of the Child and Adolescent Code.

Intersex infant surgery in Bolivia

?

Intersex infant surgery in Bolivia is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Not criminalized.
Report error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in Bolivia

?

Serving openly in military in Bolivia is legal.

Current status
Since Feb 13, 2002
Legal
Serving as openly homosexual was never illegal in the military penal code. This provision was strengthened with the anti-discrimination provision proposed in 2010
Report error  ·  Log

Blood donations by MSMs in Bolivia

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Bolivia is legal.

Current status
Since Jul 10, 2019
Legal
The ban on MSM for donating blood was lifted.
Report error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in Bolivia

?

Conversion therapy in Bolivia is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
announced at a gala. Conversion therapy ban pending.
Report error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in Bolivia

?

Equal age of consent in Bolivia is equal.

Current status
Since Oct 29, 1999
Equal
Age of consent for Anal or Vaginal sex is 14 years old.
Report error  ·  Log


LGBT Rights by Department

View the LGBT laws in each individual department of Bolivia.