Equaldex: LGBT rights in Tajikistan

The report states that Tajikistan has an Equality Index of 38 out of 100 and ranks #97 on the global Equality Rank for LGBT rights. It states that homosexual activity is legal in Tajikistan, with male same-sex relations decriminalised on 1 September 1998 (female same-sex relations were legal throughout) and that same-sex marriage has been banned since 1 January 2008. The report states that there is no legal censorship of LGBTQ+ topics, although there are reports of arrests for advocacy. It states that the right to change legal gender has been legal since April 1972 (dating back to the Soviet period) but requires surgery, and that gender-affirming care is restricted — not banned but rarely provided, with trans Tajiks typically travelling abroad for care. The report states that non-binary gender is not legally recognised. It states that there are no hate-crime protections, no general anti-discrimination protections, no employment-discrimination protections and no housing-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The report states that same-sex adoption is illegal, that serving openly in the military operates under a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy since 1992, that blood donations by men who have sex with men are banned with an indefinite deferral, and that conversion therapy is not banned and remains widespread. The report notes that Tajikistan is lacking public opinion data on LGBTQ+ issues.