LGBTQ rights in the Americas

Laws governing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rights are complex and diverse in the Americas, and acceptance of LGBTQ persons varies widely.

Quick facts Legal status, Gender identity ...

LGBTQ rights in the Americas
Status of same-sex marriage and other types of same-sex partnerships in the Americas. Same-sex marriage¹ Other type of registered partnership¹ Limited domestic recognition¹ Foreign marriages recognized for residency only Unrecognized Constitution restricts marriage to opposite-sex couples Unenforced ban on same-sex sexual activity ¹May include recent laws or court decisions which have created legal recognition of same-sex relationships, but which have not entered into effect yet.
Legal status	Legal in 31 out of 36 states; equal age of consent in 27 out of 36 states Legal in all 21 territories; equal age of consent in 16 out of 21 territories
Gender identity	Legal in 14 out of 36 states Legal in 8 out of 21 territories
Military	Allowed to serve openly in 14 out of 29 states that have an army Allowed in all 21 territories
Discrimination protections	Protected in 23 out of 36 states Protected in 14 out of 21 territories
Family rights
Recognition of relationships	Recognized in 12 out of 36 states Recognized in 18 out of 21 territories
Restrictions	Same-sex marriage constitutionally banned in 7 out of 36 states
Adoption	Legal in 8 out of 36 states Legal in 13 out of 21 territories

Same-sex marriages are currently legal in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, United States and Uruguay. Free unions that are equivalent to marriage have begun to be recognized in Bolivia. Among non-independent states, same-sex marriage is also legal in Greenland, the British Overseas Territories of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, all French territories (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy, French Guiana, Saint Martin, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon), and in the Caribbean Netherlands, Aruba, and Curaçao, while marriages performed in the Netherlands are recognised in Sint Maarten. More than 800 million people live in nations or sub-national entities in the Americas where same-sex marriages are available.

On 9 January 2018, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued an advisory opinion that states party to the American Convention on Human Rights should grant same-sex couples accession to all existing domestic legal systems of family registration, including marriage, along with all rights that derive from marriage.^[1] The Supreme Courts of Honduras,^[2] Panama,^[3] Peru^[4] and Suriname^[5] have rejected the IACHR advisory opinion, while the Supreme Courts of Costa Rica and Ecuador adhered to it. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay are also under the court's jurisdiction, but already had same-sex marriage before the ruling was handed down.

However, five other nations still have unenforced criminal penalties for "buggery" on their statute books.^[6] These are Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago of which Guyana is on mainland South America, while the rest are Caribbean islands. They are all former parts of the British West Indies. In addition, in Anguilla, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Paraguay, Montserrat, Suriname and the Turks and Caicos Islands, the age of consent is higher for same-sex sexual relations than for opposite-sex ones, and in Bermuda, the age of consent for anal sex is higher than that for other types of sexual activities.

Religion and LGBT acceptance

Summarize

Perspective

The British, French, Spanish and Portuguese colonists, who settled most of the Americas, brought Christianity from Europe. In particular, the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestants, both of which oppose legal recognition of homosexual relationships. These were followed by the Eastern Orthodox church,^[7] the Methodist Church,^[8]^[9] and some other Mainline (Protestant) denominations, such as the Reformed Church in America^[10] and the American Baptist Church,^[11] as well as conservative evangelical organizations and churches, such as the Evangelical Alliance and the Southern Baptist Convention.^[12]^[13]^[14] Pentecostal churches, such as the Assemblies of God,^[15] as well as restorationist churches (like Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons), also take the position that homosexual sexual activity is ‘sinful’.^[16]^[17]

However, other denominations have become more accepting of LGBT people in recent decades, including the Episcopalian church in the United States, the Evangelical Lutheran Church (also in America), the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada, the Anglican Church of Canada, the United Church of Canada, the United Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalist Association, and the Society of Friends (Quakers), as well as some congregations of the Presbyterian Church in America. Most of these denominations now perform same-sex weddings or blessings. Furthermore, many churches in the United Methodist Church (in the US) are choosing to officiate and bless same-sex marriage despite denomination-wide restrictions.^[18] In addition, in the United States, conservative Judaism, reform Judaism, and reconstructionist Judaism now welcome LGBT worshippers and perform same-sex weddings.

Indicates the country/territory has legalized same-sex adoption nationwide

Indicates that same-sex adoption is legal in certain parts of the country

Indicates that the country has step-child adoption or partner-guardianship

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Opinion polls for same-sex adoption in Americas
Country	Pollster	Year	For	Against	Don't Know/Neutral/No answer/Other
Argentina	Ipsos	2023	71%^[19]	24%	6%
Brazil	Ipsos	2023	69%^[19]	22%	9%
Canada	Ipsos	2023	74%^[19]	17%	9%
Chile	CADEM	2022	70%^[20]	28%	2%
Colombia	Ipsos	2023	53%^[19]	40%	7%
Mexico	Ipsos	2023	60%^[19]	34%	6%
Peru	Ipsos	2023	51%^[19]	42%	7%
United States	Ipsos	2023	64%^[19]	26%	10%
Uruguay	Equipos Consultores	2013	52%^[21]	39%	9%
Venezuela	Equilibrium Cende	2023	48%^[22] (55%)	39% (45%)	13%

North America

More information Same-sex sexual activity, Recognition of same-sex unions ...

LGBTQ rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB people allowed to serve openly in military	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Bermuda (Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 1994; equal age of consent since 2019 + UN decl. sign.^[23]	Domestic partnerships since 2018^[24]	Was legal between November 2018 and March 2022 and between May 2017 and June 2018	Legal since 2015^[25]	UK responsible for defence	Bans all anti-gay discrimination^[26]
Canada	Legal since 1969; equal age of consent since 1987 + UN decl. sign.^[23]^[27]	Domestic partnerships in Nova Scotia (2001);^[28] Civil unions in Quebec (2002);^[29] Adult interdependent relationships in Alberta (2003);^[30] Common-law relationships in Manitoba (2004)^[31]	Legal in some provinces and territories since 2003, nationwide since 2005^[32]	Legal in some provinces and territories since 1996, nationwide since 2011^[33]	Since 1992^[34]; Includes transgender people^[35]	Bans all anti-gay discrimination. Ban on conversion therapy since 2022 nationwide	/ Transgender people can change their gender and name without completion of medical intervention and human rights protections explicitly include gender identity or expression within all of Canada since 2017.^[36]^[37]^[38]^[39] Gender identity change is not recognized for the purpose of inheritance of hereditary peerages and baronetcies, which is subject to Section 16 of the United Kingdom's Gender Recognition Act 2004.
Greenland (Autonomous Territory within the Kingdom of Denmark)	Legal since 1933; equal age of consent since 1977 + UN decl. sign.^[23]	Registered partnerships between 1996 and 2016 (Existing partnerships are still recognised.)^[40]	Legal since 2016	Stepchild adoption since 2009;^[41] joint adoption since 2016^[42]	The Kingdom of Denmark responsible for defence	Bans all anti-gay discrimination^[23]	Legal gender change and recognition possible without surgery or hormone therapy^[43]^[44]
Mexico	Legal since 1871 + UN decl. sign.^[23]	/ Civil unions in Mexico City (2007), Coahuila (2007),^[45] Colima (between 2013 and 2016),^[46] Campeche (2013),^[47] Jalisco (between 2014 and 2018),^[48] Michoacán (2015), Tlaxcala (2017), and Veracruz (2020)	Starting in 2010; nationwide since 2022	/ Legal in Mexico City (2010),^[49] Coahuila (2014), Chihuahua (2015), Jalisco (2016), Michoacán (2016), Colima (2016), Morelos (2016), Campeche (2016), Veracruz (2016), Baja California (2017), Querétaro (2017), Chiapas (2017), Puebla (2017), Aguascalientes (2018), San Luis Potosi (2019), Hidalgo (2019), Yucatán (2021), Nayarit (2022), Quintana Roo (2022), Baja California Sur (2022), Zacatecas (2023), Tabasco (2024), Durango, Tamaulipas, and Nuevo León (the latter three never had adoption bans)^[50]^[51]	(ambiguous)	Bans all anti-gay discrimination^[52] Pathologization or attempted treatment of sexual orientation by mental health professionals illegal in Mexico City (2020), México (2020), Baja California Sur (2020), Colima (2021), Tlaxcala (2021), Oaxaca (2021), Yucatán (2021), Zacatecas (2021), Baja California (2022), Hidalgo (2022), Jalisco (2022), Puebla (2022), Sonora (2022), Nuevo León (2022), Querétaro (2023), Sinaloa (2023), Quintana Roo (2023), Morelos (2023), Guerrero (2024), Michoacán (2024), and nationwide (2024).	/ Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name in Mexico City (2008),^[53] Michoacán (2017), Nayarit (2017), Coahuila (2018), Hidalgo (2019), San Luis Potosí (2019), Colima (2019), Baja California (2019), Oaxaca (2019), Tlaxcala (2019), Chihuahua (2019), Sonora (2020), Jalisco (2020), Quintana Roo (2020), Puebla (2021), Baja California Sur (2021), México (2021), Morelos (2021), Sinaloa (2022), Zacatecas (2022), Durango (2023), Yucatán (2024), Campeche (2024), and Tabasco (2025).. ^[54]
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (Overseas collectivity of France)	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.^[23]	Civil solidarity pact since 1999^[55]	Legal since 2013^[56]	Legal since 2013^[57]		Bans all anti-gay discrimination^[58]	Under French law^[59]
United States	Legal in some states since 1962, nationwide since 2003 + UN decl. sign.^[23]	Domestic partnerships in California (1999), the District of Columbia (2002), Maine (2004), Washington (2007), Maryland (2008), Oregon (2008), Nevada (2009) and Wisconsin (2009). Civil unions in Vermont (2000), Connecticut (2005), New Jersey (2007), New Hampshire (2008), Illinois (2011), Rhode Island (2011), Delaware (2012), Hawaii (2012) and Colorado (2013).	Legal in some states since 2004, nationwide since 2015	Legal in some states since 1993, nationwide since 2016	/ Lesbians, gays, and bisexuals have been allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military since 2011, following the repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Transgender people previously allowed to serve openly,^[60] but restrictions have been placed on those with a history of gender dysphoria.^[61] "Transvestites" are currently banned from the military since 2012.^[62] Most openly Intersex people may be banned from the military under the Armed Forces ban of "hermaphrodites".^[62]	/ Employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is prohibited nationwide since 2020. More extensive protections exist in 23 states, DC, and some municipalities. Conversion therapy for minors is banned in 22 states, DC, and some municipalities. Sexual orientation is covered by the federal hate crime law since 2009.	/ Gender X became available and recognized formally on US passports in April 2022.^[63] This was rescinded in 2025 at the beginning of president Trump's second term.^[64] Gender change is legal on birth certificates (under varying conditions by state), in 48 states + DC. Nonbinary gender markers are available, under varying circumstances, in 25 states + DC. Employment discrimination on the basis of gender identity is prohibited nationwide since 2020. More extensive protections exist in 22 states, DC, and some municipalities.

Public opinion

Same-sex marriage

Indicates the country/territory has legalized same-sex marriage nationwide

Indicates that same-sex marriage is legal in certain parts of the country

Indicates that the country has civil unions or registered partnerships

Indicates that same-sex sexual activity is illegal

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Opinion polls for same-sex marriage by country
Country	Pollster	Year	For	Against	Neutral^[a]	Margin of error	Source
Antigua and Barbuda	AmericasBarometer	2017	12%	-	-		^[201]
Argentina	Ipsos	2023	70%	16% [8% support some rights]	14% not sure	±3.5%	^[202]
Aruba		2021	46%				^[203]
Bahamas	AmericasBarometer	2014	11%	-	-		^[204]
Belize	AmericasBarometer	2014	8%	-	-		^[204]
Bolivia	AmericasBarometer	2017	35%	-	-		^[201]
Brazil	Ipsos	2023	51%	29% [15% support some rights]	20% not sure	±3.5% ^[b]	^[202]
Canada	Ipsos	2023	69%	17% [7% support some rights]	15% not sure	±3.5%	^[202]
Chile	Ipsos	2023	65%	24% [18% support some rights]	12%	±3.5%	^[202]
Colombia	Ipsos	2023	49%	33% [21% support some rights]	18%		^[202]
Costa Rica	CIEP	2018	35%	64%	1%		^[205]
Cuba	Gallup	2019	63.1%	36.9%			^[206]
Dominica	AmericasBarometer	2017	10%	-	-		^[201]
Dominican Republic	CDN 37	2018	45%	55%	-		^[207]
Ecuador	AmericasBarometer	2019	22.9%	51.3%	25.8%		^[208]
El Salvador	Universidad Francisco Gavidia	2021		82.5%			^[209]
Grenada	AmericasBarometer	2017	12%	-	-		^[201]
Guatemala	AmericasBarometer	2017	23%	-	-		^[201]
Guyana	AmericasBarometer	2017	21%	-	-		^[204]
Haiti	AmericasBarometer	2017	5%	-	-		^[201]
Honduras	CID Gallup	2018	17%	75%	8%		^[210]
Jamaica	AmericasBarometer	2017	16%	-	-		^[201]
Mexico	Ipsos	2023	58%	28% [17% support some rights]	14% not sure	±4.8% ^[b]	^[202]
Nicaragua	AmericasBarometer	2017	25%	-	-		^[201]
Panama	AmericasBarometer	2017	22%	-	-		^[201]
Paraguay	AmericasBarometer	2017	26%	-	-		^[201]
Peru	Ipsos	2023	41%	40% [24% support some rights]	19%	±3.5% ^[b]	^[202]
Saint Kitts and Nevis	AmericasBarometer	2017	9%	-	-		^[201]
Saint Lucia	AmericasBarometer	2017	11%	-	-		^[201]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	AmericasBarometer	2017	4%	-	-		^[201]
Suriname	AmericasBarometer	2014	18%	-	-		^[204]
Trinidad and Tobago	AmericasBarometer	2014	16%	-	-		^[204]
United States	Marquette	2022	72%	28%	–		^[211]
	Selzer	2022	74% (83%)	13% (17%)	13% not sure		^[212]^[213]
	Quinnipiac	2022	68% (77%)	22% (23%)	10%		^[214]
	Ipsos	2023	54%	31% [14% support some rights]	15% not sure	±3.5%	^[202]
Uruguay	Equipos Consultores	2019	59%	28%	13%		^[215]
Venezuela	Equilibrium Cende	2023	55% (63%)	32% (37%)	13%		^[216]

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Opinion polls for same-sex marriage by dependent territory and sub-national entities
Country	Pollster	Year	For	Against	Neutral^[a]	Source
Aguascalientes	INEGI	2017	-	35.9%	-	^[217]
Baja California	INEGI	2017	-	30.7%	-	^[217]
Baja California Sur	INEGI	2017	-	42.1%	-	^[217]
Bermuda	OUTBermuda	2020	53%	35%	11%	^[218]
Campeche	INEGI	2017	-	56.1%	-	^[217]
Chiapas	INEGI	2017	-	58.7%	-	^[217]
Chihuahua	INEGI	2017	-	36.4%	-	^[217]
Coahuila	INEGI	2017	-	46.8%	-	^[217]
Colima	INEGI	2017	-	39.2%	-	^[217]
Durango	INEGI	2017	-	38.8%	-	^[217]
Guanajuato	INEGI	2017	-	38.7%	-	^[217]
Guerrero	INEGI	2017	-	54%	-	^[217]
Hidalgo	INEGI	2017	-	41.7%	-	^[217]
Jalisco	INEGI	2017	-	34.2%	-	^[217]
Mexico City	INEGI	2017	-	28.6%	-	^[217]
Michoacán	INEGI	2017	-	46%	-	^[217]
Morelos	INEGI	2017	-	38.5%	-	^[217]
Nayarit	INEGI	2017	-	38.8%	-	^[217]
Nuevo León	INEGI	2017	-	44.4%	-	^[217]
Oaxaca	INEGI	2017	-	52.2%	-	^[217]
Puebla	INEGI	2017	-	37.1%	-	^[217]
Puerto Rico	Pew Research Center	2014	33%	55%	12%	^[219]
Querétaro	INEGI	2017	-	32.4%	-	^[217]
Quintana Roo	INEGI	2017	-	37.9%	-	^[217]
San Luis Potosí	INEGI	2017	-	38.6%	-	^[217]
Sinaloa	INEGI	2017	-	37.7%	-	^[217]
Sonora	INEGI	2017	-	31.4%	-	^[217]
State of Mexico	INEGI	2017	-	33.8%	-	^[217]
Tabasco	INEGI	2017	-	56.5%	-	^[217]
Tamaulipas	INEGI	2017	-	44.4%	-	^[217]
Tlaxcala	INEGI	2017	-	43.9%	-	^[217]
Veracruz	INEGI	2017	-	54.3%	-	^[217]
Yucatán	INEGI	2017	-	43%	-	^[217]
Zacatecas	INEGI	2017	-	37.4%	-	^[217]