- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Banned
- Censorship
- ✖ State-enforced
- 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
- ✖ Single only
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✖ Not banned
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
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Homosexual activity in Chisinau is legal.
Current status
Since Jul 10, 1995
Legal
In 1995, Moldova decriminalised homosexuality. This also applies to Chișinău.
Male illegal, female legal under federal Moldova law
An article under which sodomy was punishable by imprisonment from 5 to 8 years appeared in the Soviet Criminal Code on March 7, 1934 - number 154-a: “Sexual intercourse between a man and a man (sodomy) - imprisonment for a term of three to five years. Sodomy committed with the use of violence or taking advantage of the dependent position of the victim - imprisonment for a term of five to eight years."
Legal under federal Moldova law
In 1917, after the October Revolution in Russia, homosexuality was decriminalised. This included Moldova at the time.
Male illegal, female uncertain under federal Moldova law
The 1835 Russian Penal Code applied to Moldova and criminalised sodomy.
Censorship of LGBT issues in Chisinau is state-enforced.
Current status
Since May 7, 2025
State-enforced
In 2025, Chișinău’s mayor Ion Ceban signed an order banning “LGBT propaganda” from being taught in schools and being promoted in public events.
In May 2025, Chișinău would also ban community demonstrations for LGBTIQ+ people. However, the constitutionality of the law is disputed and the Pride March is going as planned.
In May 2025, Chișinău would also ban community demonstrations for LGBTIQ+ people. However, the constitutionality of the law is disputed and the Pride March is going as planned.
Fine as punishment
In 2013, Moldova passed a law banning “propaganda of intimate relations outside marriage and family” to minors. This law applied to Chisinau.
The law would be repealed months later.
The law would be repealed months later.
Right to change legal gender in Chisinau is legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
Current status
Since Apr 26, 2001
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
Transgender people are allowed to change their legal name and gender on official documents in Moldova, but require a psychiatric diagnosis confirming their "transgenderism" to do so. The law also applied to Chișinău.
Gender-affirming care in Chisinau is legal.
Current status
Legal
As is the case for the rest of Moldova, gender-affirming care is legal in Chișinău but often difficult to access in practice
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Chisinau is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
Moldova currently provides no legal recognition to intersex or nonbinary people. There is also no local recognition from Chișinău.
LGBT discrimination in Chisinau is illegal.
Current status
Since Feb 9, 2023
Illegal
In 2023, the Parliament of Moldova passed Law No. 2 which included sexual orientation and gender identity among grounds protected from "any kind of discrimination". This law also applies in Chişinău.
Illegal in some contexts
LGBT employment discrimination in Chisinau is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Feb 9, 2023
Sexual orientation and gender identity
In 2023, Moldova updated its laws against discrimination to include gender identity as a protected characteristic, including in employment. This law applies to Chisinau.
LGBT housing discrimination in Chisinau is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Same-sex adoption in Chisinau is single only.
Current status
Single only
Chișinău only provides adoption to married couples and single parents. Unmarried couples cannot adopt.
Intersex infant surgery in Chisinau is not banned.
Current status
Not banned under federal Moldova law
There is no official ban on unnecessary sex reassignment operations in infants in Moldova.
Serving openly in military in Chisinau is legal.
Current status
Since Jul 10, 1995
Legal
There are no known laws restricting or banning LGBTIQ+ people from serving in the military in Moldova. This also applies to Chisinau. However, soldiers can be subject to poor treatment regardless.
Conversion therapy in Chisinau is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is legal in Chişinău.
Equal age of consent in Chisinau is equal.
Current status
Since Jun 12, 2003
Female equal, male N/A under federal Moldova law
Until 1995, male homosexuality was illegal in Moldova.
Equal under federal Moldova law
In 1917, homosexuality was decriminalised in Russia, which included Moldova. There was no discrepancy with the age of consent compared to heterosexuality.
Female equal, male N/A under federal Moldova law
In 1835, male homosexuality was criminalised in Moldova.
Legal Rights
58 / 100
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