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

Is homosexuality legal in Mongolia?

Yes. Same-sex sexual activity was decriminalised in 1993.

The age of consent is 16, regardless of sexuality.

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

There are specific protections against hate crimes motivated by sexuality, but comprehensive anti-discrimination protections are not yet in place.

Is there Marriage Equality in Mongolia?

No. There is no legal recognition of same-sex relationships. The constitution explicitly limits marriage to opposite-sex couples.

What’s life like for LGBTQ people in Mongolia?

Mongolia is a socially conservative country.

There is little visibility of LGBTQ people.

What’s the history of homosexuality in Mongolia?

Genghis Khan banned same-sex sexual activity in the Mongol Empire and made it a crime punishable by death. His driving motivation was a desire to expand the Mongolian population. At that time, the population of Mongolia was about 1.5 million, while their rival, the Song Dynasty, was 100 million strong.

The Khalkha Mongols – like many early Siberian peoples – placed a high regard on heterosexual fertility, love, and intercourse. In this context, same-sex sexual activity was viewed negatively.

At the end of the 17th century, the Khalkha Mongols came under the control of the Qing Dynasty. The legal system of the Qing Dynasty – which was imposed on Mongolioa – punished same-sex sexual activity with a year in prison and 100 strikes with heavy bamboo.

An updated criminal code in 1961 explicitly criminalised same-sex sexual activity.

Homosexuality was decriminalised in 1993.