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)
Marriage for Same-Sex Couples
| |
Civil Unions
| |
Joint Adoption
| |
Second Parent Adoption
|
Employment Nondiscrimination Laws
| |
Broad Protections
| |
Criminalization of Violence
| |
Ban of Conversion Therapy
|
Consensual Same-Sex Acts are Legal?
| |
Gender
| |
Max Penalty (Yrs in Prison)
|
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