LGBT rights in the Netherlands

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LGBT rights in the Netherlands
Location of  the Netherlands  (dark green)– in Europe  (light green & dark grey)– in the European Union  (light green)  —  [Legend]
Location of  the Netherlands  (dark green)

– in Europe  (light green & dark grey)
– in the European Union  (light green)  —  [Legend]

Same-sex sexual activity legal? Legal since 1811
Gender identity/expression Transsexual persons allowed to change legal gender, but only under certain conditions
Military service Gays and lesbians allowed to serve openly
Discrimination protections Sexual orientation protections (see below)
Family rights
Recognition of
relationships
Same-sex marriage since 2001
Adoption Same-sex couples may jointly adopt

The Netherlands is known for its liberal policies on matters such as sexual orientation. The public widely supports tolerance and equal rights for LGBT people,[1] although conservative Christians and Muslim immigrants tend to be more in opposition with their beliefs about gender and sexual equality. At least two-thirds of anti-gay hate crimes are attributed to Muslim immigrant youth,[2] the majority of whom are of either Moroccan or Turkish descent. As of October 2011, while 90% of ethnic Dutch people in the Netherlands view homosexuality as moral, only 30% of Turks and 25% Moroccans share this opinion.[3] Hindus of Indian origin are reported to be in line with ethnic Dutch in terms of acceptance.[4]

Contents

History [edit]

LGBT community [edit]

There is a strong LGBT community in the Netherlands, and several gay-owned or gay-friendly hotels, nightclubs and cafes and have become established. It is a popular destination for gay tourism, especially Amsterdam, where an LGBT gay pride festival occurs in early August.[5]

Summary table [edit]

Homosexual acts legal Yes (since 1811)
Equal age of consent Yes
Anti-discrimination laws in employment Yes
Anti-discrimination laws in the provision of goods and services Yes
Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas (incl. indirect discrimination, hate speech) Yes
Same-sex marriage(s) Yes (since 1 April 2001, first country in the world to legalise)
Recognition of same-sex couples Yes
Both joint and step adoption by same-sex couples Yes
Gays allowed to serve in the military Yes
Right to change legal gender Yes
Commercial surrogacy for gay male couples No
Access to IVF for lesbians Yes
MSM allowed to donate blood[6] No
Automatic parenthood for both spouses after birth Law pending

See also [edit]

References [edit]

External links [edit]