LGBT rights in Portugal

Legality of same-sex sexual activity

Same-sex sexual activity was first decriminalised in 1852, under Mary II and Ferdinand II, but it was made a crime again in 1886, under Louis I, and Portugal gradually became more oppressive of homosexuals until and throughout the dictatorship years. It wasn't until 1982 that same-sex sexual activity was decriminalised again, and the age of consent was equalized with different-sex activity at 14 years of age in 2007.

Recognition of same-sex relationships

Portugal has recognized unregistered cohabitation since 5 May 2001, and same-sex marriage since 5 June 2010. Same-sex marriage was legalized under the second term of the Socrates Socialist Government, and passed the Portuguese Parliament with the support of other leftist parties. Same-sex married couples are granted all of the rights of different-sex married couples. The Penal Code was amended in 2007 to equalize the age of consent and to criminalize domestic violence in same-sex relationships, thus equalising treatment with opposite-sex couples.

Adoption and family planning

Since 2016, Portuguese law has allowed adoption of children by same-sex couples. Prior to that reform, same-sex couples were barred from adoption rights and informally forbidden of receiving children in a refuge family or of any legal kind, although there have been several court rulings sending children to live with same-sex family couples.

In the past, Portugal has been forced to pay a fine due to homophobic statements from a court that ruled against a gay father's right for his daughter's custody. The European Court of Human Rights received the case and ruled in favour of the father in 1999, demanding the custody back to him and issuing a penalty for the country.

In March 2011, the President ratified the new Law of Gender Identity, which, among other things, does not impose sterility for transsexuals, thus recognizing biological LGBT parenting, concerning cases of lesbian or bisexual transwomen who keep their semen before therapy and surgery to be able to later conceive with their spouses, creating a perfectly legal and recognized case of children with biological same-sex parents. This will certainly open discussion for the legal contemplation of other LGBT parenting rights.

On 17 May 2013, Parliament rejected a bill allowing same-sex couples to adopt children, in a 104-77 vote. On the same day, Parliament approved a bill, in its first reading, allowing same-sex married couples to adopt their partner's children (i.e. step-child adoption). However, a bill was rejected in its second reading on 14 March 2014, in a 107-112 vote. Another bills granting adoption rights to same-sex parents and carers, as well as in-vitro fertilisation for lesbian relationships, were introduced in Parliament by the current opposition Socialist and Left Block parties on 16 January 2015. On 22 January, Parliament rejected the proposals.

On 23 September 2015, parties from the Left majority in Parliament submitted bills to grant same-sex couples full adoption rights as well as access to intro-vitro fertilisation. On 20 November 2015, 5 proposals regarding adoption rights were approved by Parliament in their first readings. The bills were then moved to the Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees Committee where they were merged into one project and approved on 16 December 2015. On 18 December 2015, the bill was approved by Parliament. On 25 January 2016, one day after the presidential election, the outgoing President Aníbal Cavaco Silva vetoed the adoption bill. The Left majority in Parliament announced their intention to override the veto. On 10 February 2016, the veto from outgoing President was overturned by Parliament. The President begrudgingly signed the bill into law on 19 February 2016. It was published in the official journal on 29 February. The law took effect the first day of the first month after its publication (i.e. 1 March 2016).

On 13 May 2016, Parliament adopted a bill to give female same-sex couples access to medically assisted reproduction. It was signed by the President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on 7 June. The law was published in the official journal on 20 June and took effect the first day of the second month after publication (i.e. 1 August 2016).

Discrimination protections and hate crime laws

In 2003, laws against discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment came into effect concerning three particular measures: access to work and employment, protection against discrimination in work and against sexual harassment. Since 2004, the Constitution prohibits any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation, making Portugal one of the only countries in the world to enshrine a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation in its constitution. A new Penal Code in 2007 came in force which strengthened the anti-discrimination legislation much further, containing several provisions that relate to sexual orientation in three aspects: recognition of same-sex relationships through protection in the same means as to different-sex relationships, such as against domestic violence and murder; equal age of consent between same-sex and different-sex relationships; and sexual orientation being considered an aggravating circumstance relating to homicide, thus, organizing, supporting or encouraging discrimination and violence towards persons or groups based on sexual orientation (like other discriminations such as race and religious beliefs) is criminalized.

In 2013, the Portuguese Parliament passed a law that adds "gender identity" to the hate crimes provision in the Penal Code - that already includes "sexual orientation" since 2007.

In 2015, the Portuguese Parliament unanimously approved a measure to formally adopt 17 May as the 'National Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia'. In doing so, the Parliament committed to "engage in fulfilling national and international commitments to combat homophobic and transphobic discrimination".

Gender identity/expression

Discrimination based on gender expression is illegal in Portugal. Sex reassignment surgery

In March 2011, the President ratified the new Law of Gender Identity, which allows transgender persons to change their legal gender on their birth certificates.

On 19 January 2015, the Portuguese Parliament voted for the inclusion of gender identity as a protected ground of discrimination in the field of employment. Gender identity was added to sexual orientation and several other grounds in the non-discrimination clauses of the Portuguese Labour Code. Additionally, since 2013, hate crimes on the basis of gender identity are outlawed.

On 24 May 2016, the Left Bloc introduced a bill to allow a person aged 16 or more to change his or her legal gender solely based on self-determination. A person under 16 would be able to change gender with parental consent. The bill also gives a possibility of sex reassignment surgery funded by the public health system.

Living conditions

Although there are several cases of public prejudice against LGBT people, there is a dynamic gay scene in Lisbon, Porto and in the main touristic cities in the Algarve region, like Faro, Lagos, Albufeira and Tavira, with gay bars, pubs, nightclubs and beaches (in the Algarve). Other smaller cities and regions such as Aveiro, Leiria, Coimbra, Braga, Évora and Madeira have more discreet gay communities, not very visible to the public eye. In Lisbon, most LGBT-oriented businesses are grouped around the bohemian Bairro Alto and the adjacent Príncipe Real and Chiado neighbourhoods. In both Lisbon and Porto there are also annual Gay Pride Parades that attract thousands of participants and spectators. Lisbon is also host to one of the largest LGBT film festivals in Europe – Queer Lisboa – the Lisbon Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. Some Portuguese beaches are popular among LGBT population, like 19 Beach, near Costa da Caparica, and Barril Naturist Beach (an official naturist beach) or Cacela Velha beach, both of them near Tavira.

Public opinion

A Eurobarometer survey published in late 2006 showed that only 29% of Portuguese surveyed support same-sex marriage and 19% recognise same-sex couple's right to adopt (EU-wide average 44% and 33%).

Opinions on same-sex marriage have considerably changed in 2009 with the discussion of the same-sex marriage bill. A survey by the Universidade Catolica reveals that 42% of the inquired citizens were in favour of same-sex marriage and another recent survey by Eurosondagem, Radio Renascenca, SIC TV, and the Expresso newspaper stated that about 52% of the Portuguese are in favour of same sex marriages. An Angus Reid poll on 11 January 2010, showed that 45.5% of those polled were in support of same-sex marriage, but this was less than the 49.3% that opposed. A Eurobarometer survey published in 2015 showed that support for same sex marriage had risen significantly to 61%.

Views on adoption had not been changed significantly at the time same-sex marriage was passed into law: only 21.7% favor adoption while 68.4% oppose allowing same-sex couples to adopt. However, in 2014, during the debate on Parliament's initiative to legalize step-child adoption for same sex-couples, polls showed the majority of the population supported both step-child adoption and full adoption rights.

Eurobarometer

Below is the share of respondents in Portugal who agreed with the following statements in the 2015 Special Eurobarometer on discrimination. The last column is the change from the 2006 Eurobarometer where respondents were presented the slightly different statement "Homosexual marriages should be allowed throughout Europe".

Military service

Portugal allows all citizens to serve openly in the military regardless of sexual orientation, as the Constitution explicitly forbids any discrimination on that basis. Lesbians and gay or bisexual men and women are therefore able to serve in the military on the same basis as heterosexual men and women.

In April 2016, Portugal's armed forces chief General Carlos Jerónimo resigned, days after being summoned to explain comments about gay soldiers made by the deputy head of the military college. President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa accepted the resignation of Jerónimo, who took up the post of chief of staff in 2014. The resignation came after António Grilo, deputy head of the military college, admitted advising parents of young military students in the Portuguese army to withdraw their sons if they were gay "to protect them from the other students". Defence Minister Azeredo Lopes considered any discrimination "absolutely unacceptable".

Asylum recognition

Since 30 August 2008, sexual orientation and gender identity are recognised as grounds to apply for asylum.

Blood donation

In 2010, Parliament unanimously approved a Left Bloc petition to allow gay and bisexual men to be allowed to donate blood. The motion was to finally be implemented by the Portuguese Blood Institute in October 2015, and a six month or one year deferral period was to be enacted. However, as of August 2016, the motion's implementation is delayed until at least 2017.