Colombia

LGBTIQ people enjoy strong protection under the law. In 1999, the Constitutional Court issued rulings in two intersex-related cases that restricted physicians’ and parents’ ability to surgically “correct” the genitals of intersex children without their consent and that recognized intersex people as a minority group entitled to human rights protection. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Colombia since 2011, and in 2016, Colombia’s Constitutional Court made it illegal to refuse marriage registration for same-sex couples. Since 2015, same-sex couples have been allowed to adopt.

The process for legal gender recognition was simplified in 2015 following a favorable court decision. Additionally, in March 2022, the Colombian Constitutional Court recognized third gender classifications for nonbinary individuals. Colombia made further strides toward legal recognition through the courts in 2025, when the Constitutional Court ordered the Liga Antioqueña de Voleibol, a Colombian volleyball league regulator in Antioquia, to amend its policies that exclude trans people from its competitions.

Colombia has legal protections against discrimination and harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. However, these legal protections have yet to translate into better investigation and sentencing of perpetrators of hate crimes. After concluding a fact-finding mission in 2025, the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity emphasized the stark disconnect between institutional progress and queer people’s daily lived experiences. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights expressed concern about the 35 murders of LGBTI people documented by the Office of the Attorney General from January through May of 2025. 

In July 2023, Colombia broke ground when the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), a transitional justice tribunal, unveiled an indictment that charged 15 former rebels with war crimes and crimes against humanity targeting people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities during Colombia’s decades-long internal armed conflict. In doing so, Colombia acknowledged conflict-driven violence against sexual and gender minorities as gender persecution, a crime against humanity recognized by the International Criminal Court and the JEP. Colombia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (2024-2034) champions inclusion by integrating sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression as key components across all thematic areas. In April 2024, lesbian activist Marcela Sánchez, the executive director of the NGO Colombia Diversa, addressed the UN Security Council. Her statement marked the first time in its 78-year history that the Security Council received a full briefing in a regular session on issues impacting LGBTQ people in a conflict setting.

Public opinion and treatment of LGBTIQ people vary greatly across Colombia. The 2022 congressional election was a historic victory for representation as a record number of openly queer candidates won, increasing the number from two to seven.