Ecuador

In 2019, Ecuador legalized same-sex marriage, but adoption for same-sex couples remains illegal due to a constitutional ban. Legal gender recognition has been possible since 2016, but it is not currently available to individuals under 18. Ecuador prohibits some forms of conversion practices that aim to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, with the law explicitly criminalizing conversion practices involving torture. 

Ecuador’s constitution bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or “any other distinguishing feature [which might] result in the diminishment or annulment of recognition, enjoyment or exercise of rights,” although gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics are not explicitly mentioned. Despite this prohibition, LGBTIQ people suffer discrimination from both private individuals and government officials. Police and prosecutors often fail to investigate hate crimes committed due to the actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of the victim. At a regional level, according to a 2024 survey, Ecuador is among the Latin American countries with the lowest levels of support for “laws prohibiting discrimination against LGBT people in terms of employment, access to education, housing, social services, etc.” 

In 2025, Ecuador conducted its first official national survey on the living conditions, social inclusion, and human rights of LGBTI people, led by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC). The study found that 70.9 percent of respondents had experienced discrimination, control, or violence within their family environment, while public spaces were identified as the most common setting for discrimination and violence.

In 2025, Ecuador’s high court ruled in favor of a trans girl whose school failed to support her during her transition. The court ordered the Ministry of Education to develop and implement a mandatory protocol to ensure respect for the rights of LGBT children in schools within six months.