Switzerland gay rights
LGBTQ+ rights in Switzerland
LGBTQI rights
Government & Law
From gay marriage to societal attitudes and recent laws, scout all there is to know about LGBT+ rights in Switzerland.
By Sarah May Grunwald
Updated 26-5-2025
When it comes to LGBT+ rights and policies, Switzerland has historically lagged behind most of Western Europe. That said, since the 1940s, the country has been liberalizing civil rights for LGBT+ people, making it one of the safer countries in the world for the community.
In the past decade, there possess been marked changes in the civil rights afforded to lesbian, gay, trans person, bisexual, and intersex people. In 2020, the Swiss Parliament overwhelmingly passed legislation on gay marriage and adoption rights.
To help you realize the landscape of LGBT+ rights in Switzerland, this article provides the accompanying information:
Ground News
Get every side of the story with Ground News, the biggest source for breaking news around the world. This news aggregator lets you compare reporting on the similar stories. Use data-driven media bias ratings to uncover political leanings and fetch the full picture. Stay informed on stories that matter wi
Marriage Equality Around the World
The Human Rights Campaign tracks developments in the legal recognition of same-sex marriage around the nature. Working through a worldwide network of HRC global alumni and partners, we lift up the voices of society, national and regional advocates and contribute tools, resources, and lessons learned to empower movements for marriage equality.
Current State of Marriage Equality
There are currently 38 countries where same-sex marriage is legal: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the Combined Kingdom, the Together States of America and Uruguay.
These countries have legalized marriage equality through both legislation and court decisions.
Countries that Legalized Marriage Equality in 2025
Liechtenstein: On May 16, 2024, Liechtenstein's government passed a bill in favor of marriage equality. The law went into effe
Switzerland
LGBTIQ people experience some protections in Switzerland. Same-sex couples can marry and adopt. Transgender people are allowed to modify their legal gender markers on the basis of self-determination, although there is no legal recognition for nonbinary people. A majority of people in Switzerland endorse same-sex marriage, but express stronger prejudice toward trans and intersex people. Several LGBTIQ Pride events are held annually, and there have been openly gay and lesbian politicians across the political spectrum. In 2020, Swiss voters approved a law criminalizing homophobic hate speech and discrimination, extending protections based on sexual orientation that are similar to existing protections for race and religion. However, anti-LGBTIQ hate speech and discrimination remain serious issues, and the cases of hate crimes increased by 50 percent between 2020 and 2021. Conversion practices have been documented in Switzerland, and efforts to legislate against them have been undertaken in some cities but not at a national level. Nonconsensual medical interventions on intersex children are still legal; a 2022 motion to ban them was ultimately not adopted by the Federal Coun
Switzerland votes in favour of LGBT protection bill
BBC News, Bern
Voters in Switzerland have backed a proposal to make discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and sexual identity illegal.
The result - 63.1% in favour to 36.9% against - is a huge boost for Switzerland's LGBT community.
It had argued Swiss law on the issue lagged far behind other countries in Europe. Opponents of the new law argued it could restrict free speech.
In Switzerland, discrimination because of race or religion is already illegal.
In the run up to the vote, campaigners had said they thought the outcome would be tight, and that a yes vote of more than 60% was unlikely.
Sunday's outcome shows public opinion is far more receptive to strengthening anti-discrimination legislation than analysts had predicted.
Pink Cross Switzerland said: "The result proves a strong sign of acceptance for lesbians, gays and bisexuals. After the clear yes, the LGBTI community will use this momentum to achieve the consistent implementation of the penal code and to enforce marriage equality."
A bill to legalise same-sex marriage is currentl