LGBT rights in Croatia
| LGBT rights in Croatia | |
|---|---|
Location of Croatia (dark green)
– in Europe (light green & dark grey) |
|
| Same-sex sexual activity legal? | Legal since 1977, age of consent equalized in 1998 |
| Gender identity/expression |
Changing legal gender is permitted by the law. Discrimination towards transgender people is banned. |
| Military service | Gays and lesbians allowed to openly serve |
| Discrimination protections | Sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression protection since 2003 (see below) |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships |
Unregistered cohabitation since 2003, Life partnership since 2014 |
|
Restrictions:
|
Constitution bans same-sex marriage since the 2013 referendum. |
| Adoption | As an individual, Partner-guardianship (de facto step-child adoption) since 2014 |
– in Europe (light green & dark grey)
– in the European Union (light green) – [Legend]
Changing legal gender is permitted by the law.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Croatia have expanded in recent years but LGBT persons may still face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Croatia since 1977.
The status of same-sex relationships were first formally recognized in 2003 under a law dealing with unregistered cohabitations. As a result of a 2013 referendum, Croatia's Constitution defines marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman, effectively reinforcing the prohibition on same-sex marriage. Nevertheless, since the introduction of the Life Partnership Act in 2014, same-sex couples in Croatia have effectively enjoyed rights equal to heterosexual married couples in everything except adoption rights. However, separate legislation does provide same-sex couples with an mechanism similar to step-child adoption called "partner-guardianship". Croatia bans all discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
Centre-left, centre, and green political parties have generally been the main proponents of LGBT rights, while right-wing, centre-right political parties and movements close to the Roman Catholic Church have been in opposition to the extension of rights.
In 2015, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) ranked Croatia 5th in terms of LGBT rights out of 49 observed European countries, which represented an improvement compared to the previous year's position of 12th place. Croatia is among 11 member countries that make up a LGBT Core Group at U.N. on Ending Violence and Discrimination.
...
Wikipedia