LGBT rights in Oceania

Oceania is, like other continents, quite diverse in its laws regarding homosexuality. This ranges from significant rights granted to the LGBT community in e.g. Australia and New Zealand to remaining criminal penalties for homosexual activity in e.g. Kiribati and Nauru.

Legislation by country or territory

Main article: LGBT rights by country or territory

Australasia

LGBT rights in:	Homosexual acts legal?	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Australia (incl. Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Norfolk Island)	✔ Legal since 1994 in all Australian states and territories + UN decl. sign.	✔ Unregistered cohabitation in all states; registered partnerships in ACT, Tasmania and Victoria	✘ Only transsexual persons allowed to marry (All States)	✔ ACT, Western Australia. In Tasmania same-sex couples are permitted to adopt a child who is related to a member of the couple only.✘ other states and territories	✔ Yes, since 1992	✔ Bans most anti-gay discrimination	✔ Yes, Covered by all state and territory laws only
New Zealand	✔ Legal since 1986 + UN decl. sign.	✔ Yes, since 2004	✘	✘ Single gay persons may adopt	✔	✔ Bans all anti-gay discrimination	✔ Covered under the 'sex discrimination' provision of the Human Rights Act 1993 since 2006.

Melanesia

LGBT rights in:	Homosexual acts legal?	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
East Timor (terminology "Oceania" varies on border defintions)	✔ Legal + UN decl. sign	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Fiji	✘ Male illegal ✔ Female legal	Unknown	✘	Unknown	Unknown	✘ 1997 constitution that banned all anti-gay discrimination has been suspended	Unknown
New Caledonia (overseas collectivity of France)	✔ Legal	Civil union	No	Unknown	✔ Yes since?	Unknown
Papua New Guinea	✘ Illegal	Unknown	✘	✘	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Solomon Islands	✘ Illegal	Unknown	✘	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Vanuatu	✔ Legal	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

Micronesia

LGBT rights in:	Homosexual acts legal?	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Guam (unincorporated territory of the United States)	✔ Legal since 1979	✘ Currently debated	✘	✘	Unknown	✔ Bans all anti-gay discrimination
Federated States of Micronesia	✔ Yes, according to most reports	✘	✘	Unknown	✘ Defense responsibility of the US, which has "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."	✘	✘
Kiribati	✘ Male illegal ✔ Female legal	Unknown	✘	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Marshall Islands	✔ Legal since?	✘	✘	✘	Unknown	✘
Nauru	✘ Male illegal ✔ Female legal	Unknown	✘	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Northern Mariana Islands	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Palau	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown

Polynesia

LGBT rights in:	Homosexual acts legal?	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
American Samoa (unincorporated territory of the United States)	✔ Legal since 1899	✘	✘	✘	✘ US military has "Don't ask, don't tell" policy	Unknown
Chile (Easter Island/Rapa Nui only)	✔ Legal since 1998	✘	✘	✘	Unknown	✘
Cook Islands (part of the realm of New Zealand)	✘ Male illegal ✔ Female legal	Unknown	✘	Unknown	Has no military forces	Unknown	Unknown
French Polynesia (overseas collectivity of France)	✔ Legal since ?	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	✔	Unknown
Niue (part of the realm of New Zealand)	✔ Legal since 2007	Unknown	✘	✘	Has no military forces	Unknown
Pitcairn Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	✔ Legal since 1967	✔ Civil partnerships since 2005	✘	✔	✔	✔ Bans most anti-gay discrimination
Samoa	✘	Unknown	✘	Unknown	Has no military forces	Unknown	Unknown
Tokelau (part of the realm of New Zealand)	✔ Legal since 2007	Unknown	✘	✘	Has no military forces	Unknown
Tonga	✘ Male illegal ✔ Female legal	Unknown	✘	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Tuvalu	✘ Male illegal ✔ Female legal	Unknown	✘	Unknown	Has no military forces	Unknown	Unknown
Wallis and Futuna (overseas collectivity of France)	✔ Legal since ?	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	✔	Unknown

See also

• LGBT rights by country or territory

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