Skip to main content

Country Overview

Turkmenistan

At a glance

Same-sex Relations for Men Legal Throughout the Country?

No

Same-sex Relations for Women Legal Throughout the Country?

No

Legal Gender Recognition Possible?

No

LGBTI Orgs Able to Register?

No

View more for this country:

Same-sex relations between men continue to be criminalized in Turkmenistan in a Penal Code left over from the Soviet Union era. Although this law does not explicitly mention transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, law enforcement officials often conflate gender identity with sexual orientation. As such, this law is also used to target transgender women, and the government strongly suppresses civil society space. There have been reports of police physically and verbally attacking LGBTIQ individuals. Police and medical personnel subject people detained for same-sex relations to forced anal examinations, ostensibly to find evidence of “homosexual conduct.” “Homosexuality” is considered a mental disorder; punishment may include placement in a psychiatric institution to be “cured.” Societal opinion of the LGBTIQ community is negative. The media depicts the LGBTIQ community negatively and sensationalizes LGBTIQ issues, contributing to the pervasive anti-LGBTIQ sentiment in Turkmenistan. LGBTIQ people face violence, harassment, and discrimination and are often rejected by their families. 

 

Global Impact

Sub-Saharan Africa

Outright supports LGBTIQ organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa and works with mainstream human rights organizations to respect human rights and influence positive changes in laws, policies, attitudes and beliefs that cause discrimination against LGBTIQ people.

View this region

United Nations

Our work at the United Nations centers around advocating for the advancement of the rights of LGBTIQ people.

View this region

Asia

Our work in Asia promotes acceptance of sexual and gender diversity at all levels of society.

View this region

Middle East and North Africa

In the Middle East and North Africa, we partner with local groups in various countries as part of our international solidarity work. We also work with our local partners on different topics through capacity building, advocacy, research and holistic security.



View this region

Europe and Central Asia

Outright International partners with activists to fight for an end to human rights violations based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in Europe and Central Asia, where most of our work involves emergency responses to harassment, discrimination, violence, and most recently, Russia’s brutal and expanded invasion of Ukraine.

View this region

Americas

Our work in the Americas continues to build on the fundamental and positive transformation of human rights protections in recent years. We partner with groups in the Caribbean that focus on ending gender-based violence and eradicating discrimination against trans people.

View this region

Pacific

Our work in the Pacific aims to increase the visibility of activists, respond to human rights emergencies, and actively bridge local, regional, and international activism to achieve equality and justice.

View this region

Human Rights Research

Since 1990, we have partnered with activists from all over the world to produce hundreds of groundbreaking reports.

Read Our Reports