LGBT rights in Greenland

As is the case with Denmark, same-sex sexual activity is not a crime.[3] It was legalized by Denmark in 1933, and the age of consent equalized in 1977 at 15, two years prior to the Home Rule Act.

Greenland adopted Denmark's registered partnership law on 1 July 1996.[4] There was some opposition to registered partnerships from clergy and conservative lawmakers, who later chose to abstain from voting. The bill was passed in the Greenlandic Parliament 15–0 with 12 abstentions, and later by the Danish Parliament 104–1.[2] The first same-sex couple to register did so in 2002.[2] Registered partnerships are called nalunaarsukkamik inooqatigiinneq in Greenlandic.

In March 2015, MP Justus Hansen, from the Democrats, a centre-right political party, introduced a bill to legalise same-sex marriage in Greenland, which also included adoption rights and other changes to Greenlandic family law. The bill was approved unanimously (27-0) by the Parliament of Greenland on 26 May 2015, but required Danish approval before coming into effect. Initially, the bill was to come into effect on 1 October 2015, but lapsed due to the Danish general elections in June 2015. The parliamentary procedure therefore had to start over and the new Danish Liberal Government put an identical bill on the agenda for its first reading on 5 November 2015.[5] On 19 January 2016, the Folketing (Danish Parliament) approved the proposal 108-0 and the bill was given royal assent by Queen Margrethe II on 3 February 2016. The parts of the law relating to marriage went into effect on 1 April 2016.

Same-sex marriage became legal on 1 April 2016.[6][7] Application in Greenland of the registered partnership law was repealed the day the new marriage law took effect.

On 1 June 2009, stepchild adoption for same-sex couples became legal.[8] A law regarding IVF for female couples was approved in 2006. The parts of the same-sex marriage law allowing same-sex couples to adopt children went into effect on 1 July 2016.[9]

Since 2010, Greenland has outlawed hate speech and hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation.[3] Article 100 of the Criminal Code prohibits speech which may deprive, threaten or demean individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation, among other categories.[10]

Greenland possesses no anti-discrimination laws in employment, goods and services, health services or education. Danish anti-discrimination laws do not apply to Greenland. Greenland's only anti-discrimination law is Act no. 3 of November 29, 2013 on equality between men and women (Greenlandic: Angutit arnallu naligiissitaanissaat pillugu Inatsisartut inatsisaat nr. 3, 29. november 2013-meersoq; Danish: Inatsisartutlov nr. 3 af 29. november 2013 om ligestilling af mænd og kvinder) which bans gender-based discrimination only.[11]

The Human Rights Council of Greenland, funded by the state budget, promotes and protects human rights in Greenland. It is commissioned to participate in the strengthening and consolidation of human rights, and works closely with the Danish Institute for Human Rights.[12]

Other than taking a case to court or referring to the Greenlandic Ombudsman, no national complaints procedure exists in which one can bring forth legal complaints of discrimination.[13]

Nevertheless, reports of discrimination based on sexual orientation are very rare.[2]

There was an LGBT rights organization called "Qaamaneq" (Light), which had organized social events.[14] The organization was reestablished in 2014 as LGBT Qaamaneq.[15]

On 15 May 2010, Greenland held its first pride parade in Nuuk.[16][17][18] It was attended by about 1,000 people.[2]

• LGBT rights in Denmark
• LGBT rights in the Americas
• Nuuk Pride