New Zealand Events & Hotspots
Gay Country Rank: 21/193
New Zealand society is generally accepting of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (lgbtq+) peoples. The lgbtq+-friendly environment is epitomised by the fact that there are several members of Parliament who belong to the lgbtq+ community, lgbtq+ rights are protected by the Human Rights Act, and same-sex couples are able to marry as of 2013. Sex between men was decriminalised in 1986. New Zealand has an active lgbtq+ community, with well-attended annual gay pride festivals in most cities.
The 2020 Household Economic survey, conducted by Statistics New Zealand, estimated there to be 160,600 lgbtq++ people aged 18 and over in New Zealand, 4.2 percent of the adult population.
The visitor experience here is quite unlike any other – combining the ease and convenience of travelling in a highly developed economy with the natural un-spoilt beauty and wilderness of some the world’s most pristine and breathtaking landscapes – welcome to New Zealand.
From the Bay of Islands, Auckland and Wellington on the North Island to Christchurch, Queenstown and the awe inspiring Fiordland on the South, a trip to New Zealand is a trip of a life time, and will leave you with a memory bank of razor sharp images and experiences of the people and landscapes of these remarkable islands.
Over the past few decades, New Zealand has changed the laws that discriminated against lgbtq+QIA+ people. Same-sex couples can marry, and they have the same immigration rights as straight (heterosexual) couples. The age of consent (the age people are legally allowed to have sex) is 16 for everyone, and lgbtq+QIA+ people have the same rights as anyone else to adopt children.
There are high-profile lgbtq+QIA+ people in all types of jobs in New Zealand, including politics. New Zealand had the world’s first openly transgender Member of Parliament and was the first country to fly the intersex flag at its parliament.
The rainbow community is visible in New Zealand, and most lgbtq+QIA+ people feel free to be themselves here. However, while New Zealand is generally a welcoming country for the rainbow community, there are still incidents of discrimination and prejudice here. For example, lgbtq+QIA+ students are more likely to be bullied at school, and some people use the word ‘gay’ as an insult. This is never OK. It is against the law to be abused, humiliated or treated unfairly because of your gender identity or sexual orientation.