The Australian Volunteers Program strives to provide a safe, supportive and equitable environment for LGBTQIA+ volunteers, approved accompanying dependents, partner organisations and all program staff. The Australian Volunteers Program has supported queer volunteers in all program countries and has ongoing connections with community organisations in many countries and regions in which the program operates.
This guide introduces a snapshot of the local context for queer and gender diverse people. LGBTQIA+ program participants must be aware of the country context before undertaking an assignment. If you are an LGBTQIA+ volunteer, you will need to:
- do your own research and understand what the local law says you can and can't do when in-country
- follow the local laws, even if you disagree with them
- be aware of the legal protections for LGBTQIA+ people in your destinations
- consider if you’re comfortable living and working in a place where you may not be able to live as openly as you can in some parts of Australia.
Language
Terminology may differ across urban and rural contexts, provinces or ethnic and cultural groups. Information sourced online can be outdated or inaccurate. For current and accurate information, please confirm with an appropriate civil society organisation (CSO) or ask your in-country team.
Legal and policy context
Same-sex sexual acts have never been criminalised in Cambodia. However, the national legal framework denies the equal rights and protections of LGBTQIA+ communities. The Cambodian Constitution guarantees equal rights 'regardless of race, color, sex […] or other status', yet it does not mention equal rights or protections for LGBTQIA+ people. Similarly, discriminatory behaviour against the queer community is not prohibited.
Heteronormative values are enshrined in Cambodian law. The Cambodian Constitution does not recognise same-sex marriage, determining marriage to be between a husband and wife. However, LGBTQIA+ people can hold traditional marriage with little to no trouble from authorities. There is no legislation that supports or prohibits transgender people’s right to be legally recognised in accordance with their gender identity, making the administration of legal gender identities subject to the decision making of local officials.
Discrimination
No legal protections exist for LGBTQIA+ people in Cambodia. This includes a lack of constitutional protection and national laws against discrimination, laws that protect against discrimination in employment, and laws that protect against incitement to hatred, hate crimes or discrimination based on gender and sexuality. There is no legislation that refers to inheritance, taxation or family rights for LGBTQIA+ people. However, Rainbow Community Kampuchea (RoCK) has developed a Declaration of Family Relationships, which is a formal contract for LGBTQIA+ couples as an interim strategy to protect property and assets, biological and adopted children and family.
There are laws and policies that disproportionately harm queer communities. For example, Non-Government Organisations claim that the Village Commune Safety Policy is disproportionately implemented against LGBTQIA+ people.
Cultural and societal attitudes
The dominant religion of Cambodia is Theravada Buddhism, which does not present ideas about gender or sexual orientation. However, some Buddhists claim that LGBTQIA+ people are the result of bad karma from a previous life.
The strong patriarchal values that govern Cambodia often translate into discrimination toward LGBTQIA+ people. Bisexual women and transgender persons are among the most vulnerable to experiencing discrimination, stigma and gender-based violence (GBV). The term 'intersex' is not commonly known in Cambodia and there are no formal or well-known intersex communities.
Families often play a negative or unsupportive role in the lives of diverse SOGIESC Cambodians. Many teenagers who diverge from heteronormative behaviours or sexual activity may be forced to leave their homes, which can lead to physical violence. This is particularly the case for transgender youth. Transgender men, bisexual women and lesbians have been known to enter forced marriages.
Some studies suggest that society is generally tolerant of men who have sex with men (MSM) if their behaviour is discreet and does not affect the family structure.
Pride celebrations have taken place in Cambodia since 2009, with increasing visibility and participation.
Health and wellbeing
Cambodia has had one of Asia’s most acute HIV epidemics, and the government has committed to ending AIDS by 2025. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (an HIV prevention medication) is now widely available in Cambodia.
However, a lack of access to information and resources as well as social stigma mean LGBTQIA+ people are disproportionately at risk of acquiring HIV, in addition to not receiving adequate care. The most at-risk populations include entertainment workers, the MSM community, transgender women and people who inject drugs. Minors under 18 require written informed consent from a legal guardian to access HIV testing. If obtaining such consent is not feasible, the guidelines allow for testing if it is deemed in the best interest of the minor and the minor provides written consent.
While there are some organisations providing free condoms and health centres offering STI and HIV testing and treatment, healthcare practitioner’s generally have little knowledge about the queer community.
Some health centres offer gender-affirming care, such as hormone therapy. However, there are no laws or policies around gender-affirming healthcare. There is little information available on reproductive health and safe and legal abortion routes for lesbians, bisexual women, intersex persons and transgender men. Marie Stopes Cambodia is working to increase understanding in this area.
Public school curriculums provide basic lessons on sexual health, gender, family planning, sexual orientation, non-discrimination of LGBTQIA+ people and self-determination in decisions surrounding romantic partners.
Media
Cambodia’s Khmer national media has portrayed LGBTQIA+ people negatively, in particular transgender women. Generalisations and biased information about the queer community appear in local news. However, there has been some improvement in recent years, with the first film focussing on LGBTQIA+ themes — the documentary Lotus Sports Club — airing on national TV in 2023.
Boys love/Girls love (BL/GL) is a popular genre of books, with a strong fan base beyond Cambodia’s queer community.
There has been action to combat negative stereotyping of LGBTQIA+ Cambodians, notably with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen publicly urging Cambodians to end discrimination against LGBTQIA+ individuals in 2012.
The Cambodian Centre for Human Rights uses electronic media for its LGBTQIA+ advocacy work, hosting an online ‘Rainbow Portal’ with information and resources. Queer youth use social media such as Facebook to find resources and connect to one another.
The Pride Guides were developed in 2022 and updated in 2025 by consultants and experts based in countries in which the program operates.
