LGBT rights in Israel
| LGBT rights in Israel | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Same-sex sexual activity legal? | Legal since 1988 (but no record of enforcement of "buggery" law before this and the attorney general declared that laws against homosexuality would not be enforced in 1963) |
| Gender identity/expression | Legal sex change possible without the need for surgery |
| Military service | Gays and lesbians allowed to serve openly |
| Discrimination protections | Sexual orientation protection in employment and other services; both sexual orientation and gender identity protections in schools (see below) |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships |
Unregistered cohabitation since 1994; Same-sex marriages performed outside of Israel recognized since 2006 civil unions for non-religious couples since 2010 |
|
Restrictions:
|
Only marriages sanctioned by the religious authorities may be performed within Israel (this applies to opposite-sex couples who are not eligible for religious weddings also) |
| Adoption | Same-sex couples may adopt jointly |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Israel are the most advanced in the Middle East and one of the most advanced in Asia. Same-sex sexual activity was legalized in 1988, although the former law against sodomy had not been enforced since a court decision of 1963. Israel became the first in Asia to recognize unregistered cohabitation between same-sex couples, making it the only country in Asia to recognize any same-sex union thus far. Although same-sex marriages are not performed in the country, Israel recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, making it the first and only country in Asia to do so. Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation was prohibited in 1992. Same-sex couples are allowed to jointly adopt after a court decision in 2008, while previously allowing stepchild adoptions and limited co-guardianship rights for non-biological parents. Gays and lesbians are also allowed to serve openly in the military.
Recent polls have indicated that a majority of Israelis support same-sex marriage, despite some social conservatism.Tel Aviv has frequently been referred to by publishers as one of the most gay friendly cities in the world, famous for its annual Pride Parade and gay beach, earning it the nickname "the gay capital of the Middle East" by Out magazine. According to LGBT travelers, it was ranked as the best gay city in 2011, despite reports of some LGBT violence during the 2000s, which were criticized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. A monument dedicated to the gay victims of the Holocaust was erected in Tel Aviv in 2014.
The State of Israel inherited the Buggery Act of 1533 as part of the British Mandate's legal code. There is no known record that it was ever enforced against homosexual acts that took place between consenting adults in private. In certain cases defendants were found guilty of "sodomy" (which according to Israeli law includes oral sex as well), apparently by way of plea bargains: those defendants had been indicted for more serious sexual offences. It was also used as "aggravating circumstances" for other sexual offences. There were also several cases of soldiers tried for homosexual acts in military courts. The Attorney General decided in the early 1960s, and the Israeli Supreme Court ruled in 1963, that the law should not be applied to acts between consenting adults in private. The ban on consensual same-sex sexual acts was formally repealed by the national legislative assembly (Knesset) in 1988. The age of consent for both heterosexuals and homosexuals is 16 years of age.
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Wikipedia