LGBTQ rights in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Same-sex sexual acts were expressly decriminalised under the United Kingdom's Caribbean Territories (Criminal Law) Order, 2000, which took effect on 1 January 2001. The law received considerable local media coverage. The two largest newspapers (one of each belongs to the two largest political parties) described the law as "an affront to our country" and "the sissy law". ==Recognition of same-sex relationships==

Same-sex marriages and civil unions are not legal in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Only opposite-sex marriage is constitutionally protected as Article 10 of the Constitution reads: :Every unmarried man and woman of marriageable age (as determined by or under any law) has the right to marry a person of the opposite sex and found a family. :On October 27, 2025, the Court of Appeal ruled that the government must interpret the term "spouse" in the Immigration Act to include same-sex partners legally married in other jurisdictions, finding that it could not discriminate based on sexual orientation. This is the first time the courts have found an obligation to recognize same-sex partners. ==Discrimination protections==

Article 16 of the Constitution bans discrimination based on sexual orientation: :In this section, "discriminatory" means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions such as by race, national or social origin, political or other opinion, colour, religion, language, creed, association with a national minority, property, sex, sexual orientation, birth or other status whereby persons of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another such description are not made subject or are accorded privileges or advantages which are not accorded to persons of another such description. ==Living conditions==

The Turks and Caicos Islands are considered a safe destination for LGBT tourists. LGBT people tend to face no discrimination issues in resorts and very touristic areas. Most Turks and Caicos inhabitants are quite tolerant of same-sex relationships. Homophobia in the Turks and Caicos Islands is mostly religious-based. Following the passage of Proposition 8 in California, several religious preachers called on same-sex marriage to be constitutionally banned in island law. Religious groups have also opposed greater awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS, erroneously claiming that straight men and women cannot get infected. ==Summary table==