page_title: LGBT rights in Kerala
hierarchical_section_title: LGBT rights in Kerala
context_page_description: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Kerala face legal and social difficulties not experienced by non-LGBT persons. However, Kerala has been at the forefront of LGBT issues in India. It became one of the first states in India to establish a welfare policy for the transgender community and in 2016, introduced free sex reassignment surgery through government hospitals.
  Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 2018, following the Supreme Court ruling in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India. In addition, numerous LGBT-related events have been held across Kerala, including in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
context_section_description: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Kerala face legal and social difficulties not experienced by non-LGBT persons. However, Kerala has been at the forefront of LGBT issues in India. It became one of the first states in India to establish a welfare policy for the transgender community and in 2016, introduced free sex reassignment surgery through government hospitals.
  Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 2018, following the Supreme Court ruling in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India. In addition, numerous LGBT-related events have been held across Kerala, including in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
caption: Kerala