Gay and bisexual people living in the island nation

Island nation

An island country is a state whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islands. As of 2011, 47 of the 193 UN member states are island countries.-Politics:...

 Nauru

Nauru

Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...

 face certain unique legal and social challenges. Male-male homosexual acts

Homosexuality

Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...

 remain illegal and there is no legal recognition of same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....

s, civil union

Civil union

A civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...

s or domestic partnership benefits. Under law, male homosexuality may be punished with up to 14 years imprisonment at hard labour

Penal labour

Penal labour is a form of unfree labour in which prisoners perform work, typically manual labour. The work may be light or hard, depending on the context. Forms of sentence which involve penal labour include penal servitude and imprisonment with hard labour...

.

Nauru announced in 2011 its intention to decriminalize homosexual activity between mutually consenting adults.

History

Homosexuality has been illegal in Nauru since 1899 when the island was part of Australia. The current sodomy law

Sodomy law

A sodomy law is a law that defines certain sexual acts as crimes. The precise sexual acts meant by the term sodomy are rarely spelled out in the law, but are typically understood by courts to include any sexual act deemed unnatural. It also has a range of similar euphemisms...

s were introduced by colonial powers in 1921, and were retained following Nauruan independence in 1968.

In January 2011, Mathew Batsiua

Mathew Batsiua

Mathew Jansen Batsiua is a Nauruan politician. Batsiua, a former health minister, was named Foreign Minister of Nauru on November 10, 2011, replacing Kieren Keke.-Parliamentary role:...

, Minister for Health, Justice and Sports, stated that the decriminalisation of "homosexual activity between consenting adults" was "under active consideration".

Law

According to Section 208 of the Penal Code, homosexual acts may be punished with imprisonment of up to 14 years:
Section 213 punishes "acts of indecency" with three years imprisonment:
There is no specific law that prohibits female/female sex

Women who have sex with women

Women who have sex with women is a term used to identify women who engage in sexual activities with other women, whether or not they identify themselves as lesbian or bisexual...

.

International reaction

has commended Nauru for its commitment in its National Report to decriminalise homosexuality.

has recommended the Government of Nauru recognize the principle of non-discrimination which prohibits discrimination on any ground, including sexual orientation

Sexual orientation

Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...

, and to abolish the law that criminalizes homosexuality.

External links

• Nauru at Wikitravel Includes Nauru travel advice for LGBT tourists