In 1992, the autonomy of the Cocos Islands was abolished bringing it under the jurisdiction of Western Australia which decriminalised homosexuality in 1990.

Under federal Australian law (to which the Keeling Islands are subject), same-sex marriage has been legal since 2017.

Since the Lesbian and Gay Law Reform Act of 2002 repealed the Decriminalisation of Sodomy Act of 1989 which contained a section banning the promotion of homosexual activity, Western Australia has no laws censoring LGBTIQ+ topics. This also applies to the Cocos Islands.

Cocos is under the jurisdiction of Western Australia whose Gender Reassignment Act (2000) requires applicants to have:
1. Undergone gender-affirming surgery (Article 15.b.i),
2. Adopted "the lifestyle" and have "the gender characteristics of a person of the gender to which the person has been reassigned" (Article 15.b.ii),
3. That they have received "proper counselling" in relation to their gender identity (Article 15.b.iii).

However, in 2011, the High Court of Australia held in AB and AH v. Western Australia (2011) that the surgical procedure was no longer a requirement, but some sort of physical alteration must have taken place. In this instance, HRT can be seen to fulfil this requirement. If the Board is satisfied, they will issue a "recognition certificate" that enables the applicant to request a gender marker change on the birth certificate.

The island's limited health infrastructure does not have the resources to offer gender-affirming care.

In 2011, intersex people achieved legal recognition in the Cocos Islands under federal Australian law.

Non-binary genders are not recognised by local governments or under Western Australia law. However, there was discussion of it in 2018.

Gender identity became a protected characteristic from discrimination in the Cocos Islands in 2013 under federal Australian law. To date, there is no state-level protection in Western Australia provided against discrimination on the basis of gender identity.

Sexual orientation was protected by state laws since 2002.

Gender identity became a protected characteristic from discrimination in employment in the Cocos Islands in 2013 under federal Australian law. To date, there is no state-level protection in Western Australia provided against discrimination on the basis of gender identity.

Sexual orientation was protected by state laws since 2002.

Gender identity became a protected characteristic from discrimination in housing in the Cocos Islands in 2013 under federal Australian law. To date, there is no state-level protection provided against discrimination on the basis of gender identity in Western Australia.

In 2002, Western Australia became the first state in Australia to allow same-sex adoption when it passed the Lesbian and Gay Law Reform Act, which amended the Adoption Act of 1994 to allow same-sex couples to adopt. This also applies in the Cocos Islands.

Cocos operates under Western Australian law where surgery on intersex infants is legal.

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are external territories of and therefore protected by Australia.

The Cocos Islands’ limited health infrastructure does not have the resources to offer blood donations.

Cocos follows Western Australian law, under which conversion therapy is not banned. The government previously promised to ban it but a ban has yet been put in place.

The Acts Amendment (lesbian and gay law reform) Act 2002 repealed legislation which unfairly penalised LGBT people, including laws setting an unequal age of consent. This also applies in the Cocos Islands.