 |
LGBTQ rights in Papua New Guinea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status | Male illegal, female legal |
| Penalty | Up to 14 years' imprisonment (law rarely enforced, legalization proposed) |
| Gender identity | No |
| Military | No |
| Discrimination protections | No |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No |
| Adoption | No |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Papua New Guinea face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Male same-sex sexual activity is illegal, punishable by up to 14 years' imprisonment. The law is rarely enforced, but arrests still do happen, having occurred in 2015 and 2022. There are no legal restrictions against lesbian sex in the country.
Attitudes towards LGBT people are greatly influenced by Christian churches, as a majority of Papua New Guineans are Christian. Historically, gay men had certain societal roles. They would take on traditional female roles such as cooking and would participate with women in traditional festivals. However, some tribes were observed to have practiced ritual homosexuality such as the Etoro people and the Sambia people.[1]
A lot of the attitudes towards LBGT people are also influenced by Australia's early occupation of Papua New Guinea. The Australian criminal law, originally derived from the Queensland Criminal Code created during British colonization, was extended to Papua New Guinea. Despite the Australian states starting to decriminalize same-sex sexual activity in 1975, Papua New Guinea retained this provision due to gaining independence in the same year, resulting in the continued criminalization of such activity there. [2]
In the 21st century, LGBT people tend to be more tolerated and accepted in coastal areas than in the New Guinea Highlands.[3]
- ^ Giles, James (August 2004). "Book Reviews Sambia Sexual Culture: Essays From the Field. By Gilbert Herdt. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, 1999, 327 pp., $20.00". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 33 (4): 413–417. doi:10.1023/b:aseb.0000029074.36846.30. S2CID 144233780.
- ^ "Papua New Guinea". Human Dignity Trust. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
- ^ "Being Gay in Papua New Guinea".