LGBT rights in Azmara

LGBT rights in Azmara
Location of  Azmara  (dark green) in Euclean Community  (light green)  –  [Legend]
Status	Legal since 1855, age of consent equalised in 1974
Gender identity	Right to change legal gender since 1989; self-identification since 2017
Military	LGBT people allowed to serve openly in the military
Discrimination protections	Sexual orientation and gender identity/expression protections
Family rights
Recognition of relationships	Same-sex marriage since 2004
Adoption	Full adoption rights since 2004

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in the Commonwealth of Azmara are considered some of the most progressive in the world. Same-sex sexual activity was decriminalised in 1855 in the new republican legal code, yet laws against public indecency were often used to persecute LGBT individuals before 1974 when the age of consent was equalised. Since 1989, transgender individuals have been allowed to change their legal gender, with requirements for surgery being removed in 2009 and gender self-identification being introduced in 2017.

In 1992 the third government of Aarne Leifssun passed a law granting cohabitation rights to same-sex couples living together, yet this would be superseded in 2004 as Niina's Law was signed by President Liis Helmutsdohter, granting full marriage and adoption rights to same-sex couples. Since 1995, discrimination in employment and the provision of goods and services on the grounds of sexual orientation has been prohibited, with this being extended to gender identity and expression in 2009.

Polling has shown consistent support for LGBT rights in Azmara in the 21st century, with 85% of respondents responding in support of same-sex marriage in a 2017 JuGov poll. Aalmsted, especially the boroughs of Eleinasburg and Lilijenburg, has gained a reputation as being an LGBT-friendly city in recent years.

Laws regarding same-sex sexual activity

Between 1578 and 1794 under the jurisdiction of the Union of Groonbank-Westmaark under the Rudolphine Confederation and the Azmaran Confederation sodomy was defined as a crime with punishment often consisting of hanging or imprisonment. Briefly during the Weranian Republic's invasion and the creation of the Republic of Westmaark the anti-sodomy law was removed from the books, yet was reinstated after the Kingdom of Azmara was created in 1802 as Clause 193.

After the Revolution of 1855 created the Commonwealth of Azmara, a new legal code was created inspired by ideas of rationalism and secularism, with many laws regulating private sexual activity being removed from the code including Clause 193. However, laws criminalising indecency remained in the code as Clause 194 and were varyingly used to prosecute LGBT individuals, especially during the National Coalition government of 1923-1932. Furthermore, as no official law existed specifying an age of consent for same-sex sexual activity, homosexuals were sometimes arrested on charges of statutory rape.

This situation was addressed by the Radical minority government of Aleksaander Mâþijassun, with the government proposing a reform of laws regulating sexual conduct to officially set the age of consent for homosexual activity to 16 as it was for heterosexual activity and remove Clause 194 from the code to remove any legal grounds for the prosecution of consenting homosexual adults.

Summary table

	Yes/No	Notes
Same-sex sexual activity
Same-sex sexual activity legal		Since 1855
Equal age of consent (16)		Since 1974
Discrimination laws
Anti-discrimination laws in employment only		Since 1995 (sexual orientation)
Anti-discrimination laws in the provision of goods and services		Since 1995 (sexual orientation)
Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas (incl. indirect discrimination, hate speech)		Since 1995 for sexual orientation and since 2009 for gender identity
Anti-discrimination laws concerning gender identity		Since 2009
Hate crime law includes sexual orientation and gender identity		Since 1995 for sexual orientation and since 2009 for gender identity
Same-sex unions
Same-sex marriages		Since 2004
Recognition of same-sex couples		Since 1992
Adoption and children
Stepchild adoption by same-sex couples		Since 2000
Joint adoption by same-sex couples		Since 2004
Access to IVF for lesbians and automatic parenthood for both spouses after birth		Since 2004
Commercial surrogacy for gay male couples		Illegal for heterosexual couples as well
Military service
LGBT people allowed to serve openly in the military		Since 1974
Transgender rights
Right to change legal gender		Since 1989, no surgery required since 2009
Transgender identity declassified as an illness		Since 1989
Ability to change legal gender without a psychiatric or psychological evaluation		Since 2017
Ability to change legal gender without court approval		Since 2017
Ability to change legal gender for minors	/	Parental consent required
Third legal gender		Since 2022
Other
LGBT sex education and relationships taught in schools		Sex and relationships education compulsory in schools
Conversion therapy banned on minors		Since 2018
Homosexuality declassified as an illness		Since 1974
MSMs allowed to donate blood	/	If in a stable monogamous relationship