LGBT rights in Greenland
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Greenland are some of the most extensive in the Americas and the world, relatively similar to those in Denmark proper in Europe. Same-sex sexual activity is legal, with an equal age of consent, and there are some anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBT people. Same-sex couples had access to registered partnerships, which provided them with nearly all of the rights provided to married opposite-sex couples, from 1996 to 2016. On 1 April 2016, a law repealing the registered partnership act and allowing for same-sex marriages to be performed came into effect.
LGBT rights in Greenland | |
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Location of Greenland
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| Status | Never criminalised in Greenlandic law. Legal since 1933, age of consent equalized in 1977 (Danish law) |
| Gender identity | Transgender persons allowed to change legal gender without a diagnosis, hormone therapy, surgery or sterilization |
| Military | LGBT people allowed to serve openly |
| Discrimination protections | Some sexual orientation protections (see below) |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | Same-sex marriage since 2016 |
| Adoption | Full adoption rights since 2016 |
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In 1979, Denmark granted Greenland home rule and in 2009 extended self-government, although it still influences the island's culture and politics. Greenland is considered to be very socially liberal towards LGBT people. Acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex relationships is high, and reports of discrimination against LGBT people are rare. Nonetheless, due to Greenland's small and scattered population, many Greenlandic LGBT people have moved to Copenhagen in Denmark.