Is homosexuality legal in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

The country of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a fairly broken history, and its governmental structures are fairly complex.

Keeping things simple, we can take it that homosexuality was no longer illegal from 1996 when the country as we know it today was formed.

The age of consent for everyone is 14 years old.

Are there anti-discrimination protections in place for LGBTQ people in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Anti-discrimination provisions that were adopted by Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2003 include protections based on sexuality.

These protections have been strengthened by subsequent amendments.

In 2016, further protections were added by the adoption of laws to punish hate crimes based on sexuality.

Is there Marriage Equality in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

There is not currently any legal recognition of same-sex relationships in Bosnia and Herzegovina. There are some pieces of legislation in place that specifically refer to marriage as being between opposite-sex couples.

There does seem to be an acceptance from political leaders that the country needs to put in place some level of legal recognition for same-sex couples, so hopefully that isn’t too far away.

What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

As a socially conservative country, homosexuality is generally seen as a taboo subject.

There is pressure for people to conceal their sexuality, and there have been a number of high-profile homophobic attacks against the LGBTQ community.

However, attitudes do seem to be slowly changing and progress is being made in Bosnia and Herzegovina.