LGBT Rights in Kosovo

Homosexuality: ⚢
✔ Legal
Gay Marriage: ⚭
✖ Unrecognized
Censorship: ✔ No censorship
Changing Gender: ✖ Legal, but requires surgery
Non-binary gender recognition: ✖ Not legally recognized
Discrimination: ✔ Illegal
Employment Discrimination: ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
Housing Discrimination: ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
Adoption: ✖ Single only
Military: ✖ Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
Donating Blood: ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
Conversion Therapy: ✖ Not banned
Age of Consent: ✔ Equal

Public Opinion

Suggest Public Opinion Data

Recent studies in Kosovo indicate societal resistance to LGBTQ+ rights.

OPPOSE

SUPPORT

Kosovo Surveys

(Youth Initiative for Human Rights, 2013)

of people in Kosovo feel fear due to being LGBT

are not afraid

(Youth Initiative for Human Rights, 2013)

of out LGBT people in Kosovo have been ostracized by family or friends

Coming Out Rates

(Youth Initiative for Human Rights, 2013)

of LGBT people in Kosovo are out to their friends

are out to parents

are out to siblings

(Youth Initiative for Human Rights, 2013)

of LGBT people in Kosovo are afraid to speak to families about sexual orientation

(Youth Initiative for Human Rights, 2013)

of LGBT people in Kosovo feel that their issues are widely disregarded by the media

History

Homosexual activity in Kosovo

Homosexual activity in Kosovo is legal.

Current status
Since Apr 7, 2008

Legal

Male homosexuality was legalized in 1994 in certain areas, homosexuality was fully legalized in 2008.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

1929–Apr 7, 2008

Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)

Between 1929 and 2008 homosexuality was outlawed with a sentence of 1-2 years.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

1858–1929

Legal

Homosexuality was legal from 1858 to 1929, in 1929 however, it was criminalized. It took until 2008 (when the kosovo constitution was written) to have it decriminalized.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex marriage in Kosovo

Same-sex marriage in Kosovo is unrecognized.

Current status

Unrecognized

The family code of Kosovo defines marriage as between a man and a woman

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Kosovo

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Kosovo is no censorship.

Current status

No censorship

LGBT Organizations And Statements About/Around The Community Are In No Apparent Way Affected By Censorship.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Right to change legal gender in Kosovo

Right to change legal gender in Kosovo is legal, but requires surgery.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1989

Legal, but requires surgery

Change legal gender is possible but requires sterilization

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Kosovo

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

Current status

Not legally recognized

Neither non-binary nor intersex is recognized in Kosovo

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT discrimination in Kosovo

LGBT discrimination in Kosovo is illegal.

Current status
Since 2013

Illegal

Sexual orientation and gender identity

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Sep 2004–2013

Illegal in some contexts

Sexual orientation only

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT employment discrimination in Kosovo

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

Current status
Since 2013

Sexual orientation and gender identity

Employment discrimination is illegal for both sexual orientation and gender identity since 2013

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Sep 2004–2013

Sexual orientation only

Employment discrimination status was sexual orientation only from 2004 to 2013

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT housing discrimination in Kosovo

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

Current status
Since 2013

Sexual orientation and gender identity

Housing discrimination has been illegal for both sexual orientation and gender identity since 2013

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Sep 2004–2013

Sexual orientation only

From 2004 to 2013 the housing discrimination status was sexual orientation only in Kosovo.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex adoption in Kosovo

Same-sex adoption in Kosovo is single only.

Current status

Single only

Joint and stepchild adoption are not legal, but there are no restrictions against single gay individuals

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Serving openly in military in Kosovo

Serving openly in military in Kosovo is lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.

Current status

Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual people are allowed to serve openly in the military, transgenders aren’t. However, they may face discrimination by peers when serving openly.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Blood donations by MSMs in Kosovo

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

Current status

Banned (indefinite deferral)

According to a 2018 guideline for "Blood Donation Week", those who have "intimate relationships with the same sex" cannot donate blood.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Conversion therapy in Kosovo

Conversion therapy in Kosovo is not banned.

Current status

Not banned

Conversion therapy is not banned in Kosovo, however, it is banned in Serbia

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Equal age of consent in Kosovo

Equal age of consent in Kosovo is equal.

Current status
Since 2004

Equal

Kosovo has an equal age of consent for both heterosexual and homosexual sexual activity

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT Rights in Kosovo

Public Opinion

Perceptions of local area as a "good place" for gay and lesbian people (2023)

Kosovo Surveys

Coming Out Rates

History

Homosexual activity in Kosovo

Same-sex marriage in Kosovo

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Kosovo

Right to change legal gender in Kosovo

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Kosovo

LGBT discrimination in Kosovo

LGBT employment discrimination in Kosovo

LGBT housing discrimination in Kosovo

Same-sex adoption in Kosovo

Serving openly in military in Kosovo

Blood donations by MSMs in Kosovo

Conversion therapy in Kosovo

Equal age of consent in Kosovo

Equality Rank

Top Contributors

Kosovo LGBT Organizations

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