The parliament of Honduras has voted to change their country’s constitution to make it nearly impossible to reform previous bans on marriage equality. In the past, a two-thirds vote of the nation’s legislators was required to reform the constitution, but the new decree would increase that requirement to a three-quarters vote.

“It is worrying that Congress has passed this law, which represents an attempt to block the constitutional advances that we have seen in much of the Latin American region in sexual and reproductive rights and same-sex marriage…” said Cristian González Cabrera of Human Rights Watch, speaking to Out. “Honduras’s draconian laws already prohibit abortion and marriage equality so the reform attempts to prohibit future lawmakers from reconsidering the issue.”

The Honduran constitution was amended in 2005 to ban marriage equality and limit marriage to a biological male and female. Additionally, the country does not recognize the legitimacy of same-sex couples married in other countries. The country also bans adoptions by same-sex couples. These latest changes make it virtually impossible to reform these and other discriminatory laws.

“By seeking to permanently and comprehensively block any possibility of accessing marriage for same-sex couples, the Honduran Congress is entrenching state-sponsored homophobia…” said Cabrera.

What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Honduras?

What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Honduras? Let’s take a look at some of the key equality indicators.

Is homosexuality legal in Honduras?

Yes. Same-sex sexual activity was decriminalised in Honduras in 1899.

The age-of-consent is 15, regardless of sexuality.

Are there anti-discrimination protections in place for LGBTQ people in Honduras?

Yes. There are protections against discrimination on the grounds of sexuality.

Is there Marriage Equality in Honduras?

No. There is no legal recognition of same-sex relationships.

The country’s constitution specifically limits marriage to opposite-sex couples.

However, Honduras is legally bound by the 2018 Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling, which held that same-sex marriage is a human right protected by the American Convention on Human Rights. This means that a legal challenge could be the way that we see Marriage Equality introduced to Honduras.

What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Honduras?

Honduras is a socially conservative country.

Homophobia is systemic. It appears that LGBTQ people are at a higher risk of violent assault.