- Homosexuality
- ⚢✖ Male illegal, female legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Banned
- Censorship
- ✖ Imprisonment as punishment
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Illegal
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✖ Restricted
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Discrimination
- ✖ Illegal in some contexts
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Housing Discrimination
- Unknown
- Adoption
- ✖ Illegal
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- Unknown
- Military
- Unknown
- Donating Blood
- Unknown
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- Unknown
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Public Opinion
Tonga is lacking public opinion data.
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Suggest Public Opinion DataHistory
Homosexual activity in Tonga is male illegal, female legal.
Current status
Since 1988
Male illegal, female legal
According to sections 136–142 of the The Criminal Offences Act, the maximum penalty for same-sex sexual activity in Tonga is 10 years in prison and whipping. Decriminalization pending.
Same-sex marriage in Tonga is banned.
Current status
Since 1998
Banned
Since homosexual activity is illegal in Tonga, same-sex marriage is not legal.
Censorship of LGBT issues in Tonga is imprisonment as punishment.
Current status
Since 1978
Imprisonment as punishment
In 1978, Tonga amended its criminal code to criminalising “a male person impersonating a female person whilst soliciting an immoral purpose”. The vague definitions on an immoral purpose in effect criminalises the gender expression of transgender women despite historical acceptance.
Right to change legal gender in Tonga is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
No laws to change legal gender.
Gender-affirming care in Tonga is restricted.
Current status
Restricted
Hormone replacement therapy is not provided in Tonga for the purpose of gender transition, although it is not banned either.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Tonga is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
No legal recognition.
LGBT employment discrimination in Tonga is no protections.
Current status
No protections
According to the ILGA World, there are no protections in employment.
LGBT housing discrimination in Tonga is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
Same-sex adoption in Tonga is illegal.
Current status
Since 2013
Illegal
Missing laws for same-sex couples.
In 2013, the Supreme Court refused to grant custody of a child to a gay man. The Supreme Court stated that because Tonga’s criminal law still prohibits carnal knowledge between consenting adults of the same sex, “[n]o court would entrust a very young child into the care of person whose lifestyle carries with it a very real risk of prosecution.”
In 2013, the Supreme Court refused to grant custody of a child to a gay man. The Supreme Court stated that because Tonga’s criminal law still prohibits carnal knowledge between consenting adults of the same sex, “[n]o court would entrust a very young child into the care of person whose lifestyle carries with it a very real risk of prosecution.”
Serving openly in military in Tonga is unknown.
Current status
Unknown
Conversion therapy in Tonga is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
According to the ILGA World, there's no ban on conversion therapy in Tonga.
Legal Rights
11 / 100
This region's Equality Index is based on legal rights alone. Please submit survey results that show the public opinion of LGBTQ+ issues in Tonga to help improve its accuracy.
Equality Rank
#217
Interest Rank based on Equaldex traffic ?
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