LGBTQ rights in Vanuatu
LGBTQ rights in Vanuatu | |
|---|---|
| Legal status | Legal, age of consent equalised in 2007 |
| Gender identity | No |
| Military | No standing army |
| Discrimination protections | Some employment protections for sexual orientation |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No, banned since 2024 |
| Adoption | No |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) persons in Vanuatu may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal, but households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex married couples. In November 2024, legislative action certified a ban on any religious, civil and traditional marriages between two people of the same sex.
In 2011, Vanuatu signed the "joint statement on ending acts of violence and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity" at the United Nations, condemning violence and discrimination against LGBTQ people.
VPride Foundation is a Ni-Vanuatu human rights group that advocates for LGBTQ rights, freedom of speech and freedom of religion. The group, established in 2009, has organised many events to raise awareness of LGBTQ people in Vanuatu. Some of these events have been attended by government officials.