Gay Country Rank: 125/193

Gay persons in Peru may face legal challenges not experienced by non gay residents. Same-sex sexual activity among consenting adults is legal.However, households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex couples. In January 2017, a decree issued by President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski prohibiting all forms of discrimination and hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity took effect. In a landmark ruling published on 9 January 2017, the 7th Constitutional Court of Lima ruled in favor of recognizing and registering a same-sex marriage, between a Peruvian citizen and a Mexican citizen, performed in Mexico City in 2010. The National Registry of Identification and Civil Status has stated it will appeal the court ruling.

Peru is a strongly conservative, Catholic country. In 2015, the Peruvian Congress rejected a bill for gay and lesbian civil unions, despite the adoption of similar measures in neighboring countries in the Southern Cone. While many Peruvians will tolerate homosexuality on a ‘don’t ask; don’t tell’ level when dealing with foreign travelers, gay rights remain a struggle. As a result, many gays and lesbians in Peru don’t publicly identify as homosexual.

Peru is a strongly conservative, Catholic country. In 2015, the Peruvian Congress rejected a bill for gay and lesbian civil unions, despite the adoption of similar measures in neighboring countries in the Southern Cone. While many Peruvians will tolerate homosexuality on a ‘don’t ask; don’t tell’ level when dealing with foreign travelers, gay rights remain a struggle. As a result, many gays and lesbians in Peru don’t publicly identify as homosexual.