LGBT Rights in Brunei

Homosexuality: ⚢
✖ Illegal (death penalty as punishment)
Gay Marriage: ⚭
✖ Not legal
Censorship: ✖ Other punishment
Changing Gender: ✖ Illegal
Non-binary gender recognition: ✖ Not legally recognized
Discrimination: ✖ No protections
Employment Discrimination: ✖ No protections
Housing Discrimination: ✖ No protections
Adoption: ✖ Illegal
Military: ✖ Illegal
Donating Blood: ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
Conversion Therapy: ✖ Not banned
Age of Consent: N/A

Public Opinion

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History

Homosexual activity in Brunei

Homosexual activity in Brunei is illegal (death penalty as punishment).

Current status
Since Mar 28, 2019

Illegal (death penalty as punishment)

Death penalty for married men caught in having homosexual offenses (unenforced); 100 lashes for unmarried men. 40 strokes of the cane or maximum 10 years of imprisonment for women.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

1951–Mar 27, 2019

Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)

The Penal Code of Brunei (revised edition 2001), Chapter 22, Page 152 states:

"Unnatural offences.
377. Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman, or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine. [S 12/97]"

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex marriage in Brunei

Same-sex marriage in Brunei is not legal.

Current status
Since 1951

Not legal

Homosexuality is illegal.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Brunei

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Brunei is other punishment.

Current status

Other punishment

In Brunei, censorship towards LGBT issues are state enforced since the country is based on Sharia Law and managed by the monarchy. Those who are sought to be deviant or critizizing the Bruneian government or promoting something contradictory to Islam could be subjected to imprisonment, fines or exile.

In 2019, an Indonesian Instagram account criticizing the Bruneian government on the topics of LGBT rights and freedom of opinion, was reported by the Sultan and Bruneian police authorities.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Right to change legal gender in Brunei

Right to change legal gender in Brunei is illegal.

Current status

Illegal

Laws against men dressing as women and vice versa.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Brunei

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

Current status

Not legally recognized

not recognized in Brunei

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT discrimination in Brunei

LGBT discrimination in Brunei is no protections.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1951

No protections

None exist.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT employment discrimination in Brunei

LGBT employment discrimination in Brunei is no protections.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1951

No protections

Unknown.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT housing discrimination in Brunei

LGBT housing discrimination in Brunei is no protections.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1951

No protections

None exist. As well Homosexuality is currently illegal.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex adoption in Brunei

Same-sex adoption in Brunei is illegal.

Current status
Since 1951

Illegal

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Serving openly in military in Brunei

Serving openly in military in Brunei is illegal.

Current status

Illegal

Homosexuality is illegal.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Blood donations by MSMs in Brunei

Blood donations by MSMs in Brunei is banned (indefinite deferral).

Current status

Banned (indefinite deferral)

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Conversion therapy in Brunei

Conversion therapy in Brunei is not banned.

Current status

Not banned

According to the ILGA World, there's no ban on conversion therapy in Brunei.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Equal age of consent in Brunei

Equal age of consent in Brunei is n/a.

Current status
Since 1951

N/A

Homosexual activity is illegal in Brunei.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT Rights by District

View the LGBT laws in each individual district of Brunei.

Equality Index ?

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Legal Rights

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This region's Equality Index is based on legal rights alone. Please submit survey results that show the public opinion of LGBTQ+ issues in Brunei to help improve its accuracy.