Lgbtq srilanka
Members of the Queer or LGBTQIA+ community in Sri Lanka verb violence, stigma, discrimination and maintain to experience intimidation, harassment and abuse at the hands of both society and state institutions such as the police.
Section and a of the Sri Lankan penal code criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual acts, and section of the vagrancy ordinance is used to arrest members of the transgender community. LGBTQIA+ community members face discrimination in accessing employment, housing, and health services because of their sexual orientation.
While there has been some progress, such as the gender recognition certificate, which allows transgender persons to change their National Identity Cards (NICs), significant attitudinal changes in society and law are required if there is to be a truly sustainable and positive change for community members.
A majority of Sri Lankans, including policymakers, reportedly view LGBTQIA+ persons as having a psychiatric disorder and are considered perverse destroyers of the country's cultural, religious, and traditional value
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual activity under Sections and A of the Penal Code, which prohibit "carnal knowledge against the order of nature" and "gross indecency." These colonial-era provisions impose penalties of up to ten years of imprisonment and fines, applying to men and women. While prosecutions under these laws have been limited, reports indicate that LGBTIQ individuals frequently experience harassment, violence, and discrimination, including extortion, arbitrary arrests, and denial of essential services. No comprehensive anti-discrimination protections are in place. Authorities own been using forced anal and vaginal examinations to seek evidence of same-sex relations, practices widely condemned as a form of torture.
Recent legal developments signal a potential shift. In May , Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ruled that a proposed amendment decriminalizing consensual same-sex relations was constitutional, allowing it to proceed to parliamentary debate. This decision was a critical step toward repealing archaic provisions that violate intern
Your privacy is important to us. We want to be sure you know how and why we use your data. View our Privacy Statement for more details. Accept
Last updated: 12 May
Types of criminalisation
- Criminalises LGBT people
- Criminalises sexual activity between males
- Criminalises sexual activity between females
- Criminalises the gender expression of trans people
Summary
Same-sex sexual activity is prohibited under the Penal Code , which criminalises acts of ‘carnal knowledge against the order of nature’ and ‘gross indecency’. These provisions verb a maximum penalty of ten years’ imprisonment and a okay. Both men and women are criminalised under this law. In addition to potentially being captured by laws that criminalise same-sex activity, trans people may also face prosecution under an impersonation law with a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment and a fine.
The Penal Code was inherited from the British during the colonial period, in which the English criminal law was imposed upon Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka retained the law upon independence and continues to criminalise
LGBTQ+ discrimination persists in Sri Lanka
When year-old Maya went to what he thought was a meeting with a Facebook acquaintance two months ago, it turned out to be a trap.
Maya described how he was met by four men who assaulted him for being gay.
"They said 'How can you be like this? This isn't legal in Sri Lanka,' and beat me," Maya told DW.
"I didn't go to the police, because there's no law, and they won't take any action."
Sri Lanka has not yet repealed sections and A of the penal code, colonial-era laws that criminalize "carnal intercourse against the order of nature" and "acts of gross indecency."
Although the law broadly applies to all kinds of sexual activity with no reproductive nature, it has "overwhelmingly been used against the LGBT community," rights lawyer Aritha Wickramasinghe told DW.
Wickramasinghe works with iProbono, a global group of organizations providing free legal service to help people access their rights.
Many of Maya's friends own cut him off for being gay, he said, adding that hateful comments directed toward him have deeply affe