- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Unrecognized, same-sex marriage and civil unions banned
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Illegal
- Non-binary gender recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ Illegal in some contexts
- Employment Discrimination
- ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
- Housing Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Adoption
- ✖ Illegal
- Military
- ✖ Don't Ask, Don't Tell
- Donating Blood
- ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
Public Opinion
Recebt studies in El Salvador have revealed a prevalence of resistance towards LGBTQ+ rights.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
History
Homosexual activity in El Salvador is legal.
Current status
Since Jun 15, 1974
Since Jun 15, 1974
Legal
The penal code does not mention homosexuality explicitly and thus is assumed to be legal
Censorship of LGBT Issues in El Salvador is no censorship.
Current status
No censorship
In El Salvador, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in El Salvador is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
El Salvador does not legally recognize non-binary identities.
LGBT discrimination in El Salvador is illegal in some contexts.
Current status
Since 2015
Since 2015
Illegal in some contexts
In 2015, the Salvadoran Parliament passed a law adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the Criminal Code's hate crime provisions. The Code provides a penalty of between three and six years imprisonment for those who commit a crime based on the victim's race, ethnicity, political affiliation, sexual orientation or gender identity.
Illegal in some contexts
The current legal measures against LGBT discrimination are only limited to the public administration.
Protection against LGBT discrimination in:
Health: Ministerial Agreement No. 202 (2009), Law 307 (2016).
Public empleoyment: Decree No. 56 (2010).
Clinical practice for students: Law 227 (2019)
Education: Law 431 (2022).
Protection against LGBT discrimination in:
Health: Ministerial Agreement No. 202 (2009), Law 307 (2016).
Public empleoyment: Decree No. 56 (2010).
Clinical practice for students: Law 227 (2019)
Education: Law 431 (2022).
Until 2015
Illegal in some contexts
Discrimination is termed illegal by presidential decree in government offies, but it is not penalized.
LGBT employment discrimination in El Salvador is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Illegal to discriminate on govt. offices, by presidential decree, but not punishable
LGBT housing discrimination in El Salvador is no protections.
Current status
No protections
There is no LGBT discrimination protections in housing.
Blood donations by MSMs in El Salvador is banned (indefinite deferral).
Current status
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Question 27 of Annex No. 3 of the Manual for the promotion, training and selection of blood donors (2010) establishes as risky sexual behavior men who have same-sex sexual relations and men or women who have had sex with bisexual partners.
Conversion therapy in El Salvador is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Not banned
Equal age of consent in El Salvador is equal.
Current status
Since Jun 15, 1974
Since Jun 15, 1974
Equal
LGBT Rights by Department
View the LGBT laws in each individual department of El Salvador.