LGBT rights in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

LGBT rights in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Same-sex sexual activity legal?	Legal
Discrimination protections	Yes, since 2009

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is legal in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, but it is not clear if same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples.^[1]

Laws against homosexuality

Homosexuality is legal in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

Discrimination protections

The St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Constitution Order 2009 bans discrimination based on sexual orientation.^[2]

Recognition of same-sex relationships

Main article: Same-sex marriage in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

On 31 May 2016, the Ascension Island Council approved a new Marriage Ordinance to allow same-sex marriage, in a 5-0 vote. It was signed by the Governor and published in the official gazette on 20 June. The new ordinance would commence once the Saint Helena Legislative Council repealed the current ordinance from 1851.^[3]^[4]^[5]

On 27 April 2016, the Saint Helena Executive Council announced a public consultation on a draft of a new Marriage Ordinance, which, if approved, would allow same-sex couples to marry. The consultation lasted until 25 May.^[6]^[7] On 15 July, it was revealed that a majority of respondents was in favour of same-sex marriage.^[8]

Summary table

Same-sex sexual activity legal	(Since 2001)
Equal age of consent
Anti-discrimination laws in employment only	(Since 2009)
Anti-discrimination laws in the provision of goods and services	(Since 2009)
Anti-discrimination laws all other areas (incl. indirect discrimination, hate speech)	(Since 2009)
Same-sex marriage	/ (In Ascension from 2016 - not yet in effect)
Recognition of same-sex couples	/ (In Ascension from 2016 - not yet in effect)
Step-child adoption by same-sex couples
Joint adoption by same-sex couples
Gays and lesbians allowed to serve openly in the military	(Since 2000)
Right to change legal gender	(Since 2013)
Access to IVF for lesbians
Commercial surrogacy for gay male couples
MSMs allowed to donate blood

References

LGBT rights in Africa

Sovereign states	Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe

States with limited recognition	Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland

Dependencies and other territories	Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla / Plazas de soberanía (Spain) Madeira (Portugal) Mayotte / Réunion (France) Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Western Sahara

LGBT unions and rights in the territories of the United Kingdom

Timeline

Same-sex
marriage

United Kingdom	Same-sex marriage in the United Kingdom

Crown dependencies	Isle of Man Bailliwick of Guernsey Bailliwick of Jersey

British Overseas Territories	Existing in Akrotiri and Dhekelia British Antarctic Territory Pitcairn Islands Considered in Gibraltar Bermuda Falkland Islands Illegal in Cayman Islands (foreign same-sex marriage recognised for immigration purposes) Turks and Caicos Islands British Virgin Islands Anguilla Montserrat Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha See more: Recognition of same-sex unions in the British Overseas Territories

Same-sex
unions

United Kingdom	Civil partnership in the United Kingdom

Crown dependencies	Recognition of same-sex unions in the Isle of Man Bailliwick of Guernsey Bailliwick of Jersey

British Overseas Territories	Existing in Gibraltar No union in Pitcairn Islands Bermuda Cayman Islands Turks and Caicos Islands British Virgin Islands Anguilla Montserrat Falkland Islands Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Same-sex marriages
or unions irrelevant in

LGBT rights

United Kingdom	LGBT rights in the United Kingdom ( LGBT rights in Scotland )

Crown dependencies	Isle of Man Bailliwick of Guernsey Bailliwick of Jersey

British Overseas Territories	LGBT rights in Gibraltar Akrotiri and Dhekelia Bermuda Cayman Islands Turks and Caicos Islands British Virgin Islands Anguilla Montserrat Falkland Islands South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha British Antarctic Territory British Indian Ocean Territory Pitcain Islands

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