North Island is governed by federal New Zealand law. Learn more
    Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✔ Legal
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✔ Legal, no restrictions
    Gender-Affirming Care
    ✔ Legal
    Non-Binary Gender Recognition
    ✔ Recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ Illegal in some contexts
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ Sexual orientation only
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ Sexual orientation only
    Adoption
    ✔ Legal
    Intersex Infant Surgery
    ✖ Not banned
    Military
    ✔ Legal
    Donating Blood
    ✖ Banned (less than 6-month deferral)
    Conversion Therapy
    ✔ Banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal
💬 Join Equaldex's LGBTQ+ Discord to discuss LGBT rights and chat!

Public Opinion

North Island is lacking public opinion data.

Help expand our understanding of the public's view on LGBTQ+ issues in North Island by sharing a link to a survey from a reputable organization.

Suggest Public Opinion Data

Have you lived in or visited North Island?

Share your experience of being LGBTQ+ in North Island.

Take Survey

History

Homosexual activity in North Island

?

Homosexual activity in North Island is legal.

Current status
Since Aug 8, 1986
Legal
Legalised with the commencement of the Homosexual Law Reform Act 1986, introduced as a bill by former member of Parliament Fran Wilde.

Same-sex marriage in North Island

?

Same-sex marriage in North Island is legal.

Current status
Since Aug 19, 2013
Legal
Law was changed upon the passing of the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act in 2013, which included the amendment under section 5 clarifying the meaning of marriage to "the union of 2 people, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity". New Zealand was the fifteenth country in the world, and the first in Oceania, to enact marriage equality.
Report error  ·  Log
Apr 13, 2005–Aug 18, 2013
Civil unions (marriage rights)
The Civil Union Act 2004 received Royal assent on 13 December 2004, allowing for same-sex couples to enter civil unions when it commenced on 13 April 2005.
Report error  ·  Log
Until Apr 13, 2005
Banned
No form of civil unions or same-sex marriage were legal prior to 13 April 2005.
Report error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT issues in North Island

?

Censorship of LGBT issues in North Island is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In New Zealand, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Report error  ·  Log

Right to change legal gender in North Island

?

Right to change legal gender in North Island is legal, no restrictions.

Current status
Since Jun 15, 2023
Legal, no restrictions
Law was changed under the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021 which comes into effect on 15 June 2023. This will allow gender self-identification and mean that you will not need to go through the Family Court to change your nominated sex/gender, and you will not require evidence of medical treatment to do so either.
Report error  ·  Log
Feb 11, 2020–Jun 14, 2023
Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
Law was changed to allow trans people to apply through the Family Court under section 28 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationship Registration Act 1995. Currently through the Family Court, you are required to provide 'supporting evidence' of some form of medical treatment, which does not have to be surgery but may be.
Jun 1, 2008–Feb 10, 2020
Legal, but requires surgery
Legal
Report error  ·  Log

Gender-affirming care in North Island

?

Gender-affirming care in North Island is legal.

Current status
Since 2000
Legal
In 2000, New Zealand adopted the ICD-10 classification, which contains codes for diagnosing transsexualism in adulthood and childhood, which authorize the initiation of medical transition.
Report error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in North Island

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in North Island is recognized.

Current status
Since Dec 1, 2012
Recognized
New Zealand allows an "X" marker on birth certificates and passports.
Sources:
web.archive.org/web/2010111…//www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/Files/GeninfoDeclarationsofFamilyCourt/%24file/GeninfoDeclarationsofFamilyCourt.pdf
nzherald.co.nz/nz/x-marks-t…
Report error  ·  Log
Until Dec 1, 2012
Not legally recognized under federal New Zealand law
New Zealand did not recognise the non binary gender until 2012
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in North Island

?

LGBT discrimination in North Island is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since Feb 1, 1994
Illegal in some contexts
The Human Rights Act 1993 (Māori: Te Ture Tika Tangata 1993) outlaws discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Initially, this law temporarily exempted government activities until 1999. In 1998, an amendment bill was introduced making this exemption permanent; this was abandoned following a change of government in 1999. The new Labour Government instead passed another amendment to apply the Act to government activities, and also to create a new ability for the courts to "declare" legislation inconsistent with the Act.

There is no explicit protection from discrimination based on gender identity/expression. In 2023, the Human Rights Amendment Bill (2023) was introduced in parliament to include “gender identity”.

LGBT employment discrimination in North Island

?

LGBT employment discrimination in North Island is sexual orientation only.

Current status
Since Feb 1, 1994
Sexual orientation only
The Human Rights Act 1993 (Māori: Te Ture Tika Tangata 1993) outlaws discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Initially, this law temporarily exempted government activities until 1999. In 1998, an amendment bill was introduced making this exemption permanent; this was abandoned following a change of government in 1999. The new Labour Government instead passed another amendment to apply the Act to government activities, and also to create a new ability for the courts to "declare" legislation inconsistent with the Act.

There is no explicit protection from discrimination based on gender identity/expression. In 2023, the Human Rights Amendment Bill (2023) was introduced in parliament to include “gender identity”.
Sources:
Bill of Rights: legislation.govt.nz/act/pub…

Human Rights Act 1993 (See Part 2): legislation.govt.nz/act/pub…

Lack of gender identity protections:
nzlii.org/nz/journals/NZPub…
database.ilga.org/new-zeala…

database.ilga.org/api/downl…
Report error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in North Island

?

LGBT housing discrimination in North Island is sexual orientation only.

Current status
Since Feb 1, 1994
Sexual orientation only
The Human Rights Act 1993 (Māori: Te Ture Tika Tangata 1993) outlaws discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Initially, this law temporarily exempted government activities until 1999. In 1998, an amendment bill was introduced making this exemption permanent; this was abandoned following a change of government in 1999. The new Labour Government instead passed another amendment to apply the Act to government activities, and also to create a new ability for the courts to "declare" legislation inconsistent with the Act.

There is no explicit protection from discrimination based on gender identity/expression. In 2023, the Human Rights Amendment Bill (2023) was introduced in parliament to include “gender identity”.
Sources:
Bill of Rights: legislation.govt.nz/act/pub…

Human Rights Act 1993 (See Part 2): legislation.govt.nz/act/pub…

Lack of gender identity protections:
nzlii.org/nz/journals/NZPub…
database.ilga.org/new-zeala…
database.ilga.org/api/downl…
Report error  ·  Log

Same-sex adoption in North Island

?

Same-sex adoption in North Island is legal.

Current status
Since Aug 19, 2013
Legal
legal for same sex couples
Sources:
gaynz.com/articles/publish/…
Court cases: [2010] NZFLR 629 (HC) – [2015] NZFC 9404
Report error  ·  Log

Intersex infant surgery in North Island

?

Intersex infant surgery in North Island is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Intersex minors are not protected from invasive surgical procedures
Report error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in North Island

?

Serving openly in military in North Island is legal.

Current status
Since Feb 1, 1994
Legal
Report error  ·  Log

Blood donations by MSMs in North Island

?

Blood donations by MSMs in North Island is banned (less than 6-month deferral).

Current status
Since Dec 1, 2020
Banned (less than 6-month deferral)
12 month deferral periods were dropped to 3 months across multiple categories of donor, including MSMs.
Report error  ·  Log
Jan 1, 2014–Nov 30, 2020
Banned (1-year deferral)
After a review, the 5 years deferral was reduced to 12 months deferral.
Report error  ·  Log
Mar 1, 2009–Jan 1, 2014
Banned (5-year deferral)
No specific date in March. NZBS lists March 2009 on the linked page. NZBS performed a review in 2013 and results are expected to be public shortly.
Report error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in North Island

?

Conversion therapy in North Island is banned.

Current status
Since Feb 19, 2022
Banned
With 112 affirmative votes and 8 opposed votes, the Parliament of New Zealand passed the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act, banning conversion therapy on February 15, 2022, which took partial effect on February 19, 2022, with the remaining protections for those over 18 with "decision-making" capacity where "serious harm" has not been caused will take effect on July 19, 2022.
Sources:
Act (as enacted):
legislation.govt.nz/act/pub…

Parliamentary Hansard (vote as recorded; at bottom of page):
parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard…

CNN (media):
cnn.com/2022/02/15/asia/new…
Report error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in North Island

?

Equal age of consent in North Island is equal.

Current status
Since Aug 8, 1986
Equal
Equal age of consent since homosexual (male-and-male) activity was legalised with the commencement of the Homosexual Law Reform Act on 8 August 1986.