Timor-Leste

Demographics

Estimated Total Population:

1.27 million

World Bank, 2018

Estimated SGM Population:

N/A

N/A

Estimated Total SGM Adult Population:

N/A

N/A

Estimated % of SGM Adults (18+):

N/A

N/A

Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, is relatively considered a leader on human rights including LGBTQ+ rights in Southeast Asia. Same sex sexual activity has been legal since 1975 (Itaborahy and Zhu,2013); however, there is still no legal recognition of same sex unions with same-sex couples not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite sex-married couples. Despite government secularity, the Roman Catholic Church has a strong influence in the country, leading to rampant discrimination and stigma in Timor-Leste. A 2017 survey of 57 young lesbian, bisexual and transgender women co-authored by activist Bella Galhos found that “86% of the respondents had experienced both physical and psychological violence, including domestic violence, forced marriages and attempts by family members to change their sexual orientation or gender identity” (Galhos, 2017)

Timor-Leste's Laws and Policies from ILGA World Report (2019)

RECOGNITION
Marriage for Same-Sex Couples
No
Civil Unions
No
Joint Adoption
No
Second Parent Adoption
No
PROTECTION
Employment Nondiscrimination Laws
No
Broad Protections
No
Criminalization of Violence
Yes
Ban of Conversion Therapy
No
CRIMINALIZATION
Consensual Same-Sex Acts are Legal?
Yes
Gender
Does Not Apply
Max Penalty (Yrs in Prison)
Does Not Apply

Selected Published Studies, Reports, and Other Documents

Anderson, J. E., & Kanters, S. (2015). Lack of sexual Minorities' rights as a barrier to HIV prevention among men who have sex with men and transgender women in Asia: a systematic review. LGBT health, 2(1), 16-26. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/lgbt.2014.0024

Cortes, R. N. (2017). P6. 02 A regional advocacy agenda on transgender health and sexual health among transgender people in the isean region. https://sti.bmj.com/content/93/Suppl_2/A248.3.abstract

Jose, H., Rawstorne, P., Gonzaga, P., & Nathan, S. (2015). P11. 26 The social and sexual dynamic between gay men/transgender people and their straight-identifying male partners in timor-leste. https://sti.bmj.com/content/91/Suppl_2/A182.3.abstract

Nasution, R. D. (2013). P5. 053 Challenges in Developing Social Media and Web-Based Communication Tools For HIV-AIDS and STI Intervention ForMSM and Transgender Communities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Timor Leste. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 89(Suppl 1),  A351-A351. https://sti.bmj.com/content/89/Suppl_1/A351.1.short

Niven, H., Jose, H., Rawstorne, P., & Nathan, S. (2018). ‘They love us just the way they love a woman’: gender identity, power and transactional sex between men who have sex with men and transgender women in Timor-Leste. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 20(8), 858-872. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13691058.2017.1388928

Norella, L. P. (2013). P4. 099 Development of Training Modules to Address Health Worker Stigma and Discrimination Against MSMs and Transgenders in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Timor Leste-The ISEAN-Hivos Program Approach. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 89(Suppl 1), A319-A319. https://sti.bmj.com/content/89/Suppl_1/A319.1.short

Norella, L. P. (2013). P4. 134 Strategies For Community Systems Strengthening in the ISEAN-Hivos Program Targeting MSMs and Transgenders in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Timor Leste-An Evaluation. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 89(Suppl 1), A329-A329. https://sti.bmj.com/content/89/Suppl_1/A329.3.short

Pisani, E., Purnomo, H., Sutrisna, A., Asy, A., Zaw, M., Bull, H., ... & Neilsen, G. (2009). HIV, STIs and risk behaviour in Dili, East Timor, 2003. https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.7910/DVN/W5ZHIE

World Health Organization. (2010). HIV/AIDS among men who have sex with men and transgender populations in South-East Asia: the current situation and national responses. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/205291