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 Information sourced online can be outdated or inaccurate.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.
There is little information on the language used by and for queer communities in Laos. The term LGBTQIA+ may not be appropriate, particularly when talking to government officials, who associate this initialism with Western ideology. However, the term may be used by younger generations and those engaged with global media.
Legal and policy context
Same-sex sexual acts have never been criminalised in Laos. However, same-sex marriage and civil unions are not recognised by the state and there are laws and policies that discriminate against queer communities. Government policy that recognises LGBTQIA+ communities is almost exclusively focused on HIV/AIDS services, where transgender women and men who have sex with men (MSM) are identified as at-risk groups.
Activists who want to reform the current policy landscape feel they are unable to speak directly to the government. Instead, they seek international support to advocate for the community and encourage the government to understand the issues LGBTQIA+ people face.
Discrimination
No specific legal protections exist for LGBTQIA+ people in Laos. This includes a lack of constitutional protections and national laws against LGBTQIA+ discrimination, laws that protect against discrimination in employment, and laws that protect against hate crimes, incitement to hatred, violence or discrimination based on one’s gender or sexual identities.
One study found that bisexual and lesbian workers who did not reveal their sexuality did not face issues in the workplace, but knowledge of their sexuality could lead to harassment and termination of employment. Gay men and trans men faced hostility in the workplace and transgender women faced severe harassment. In lowland Laos, despite growing tolerance, most diverse LGBTQIA+ individuals do not apply for government or high-level private sector jobs because they believe employers will be unwilling to hire them.
Cultural and societal attitudes
In Laos, the predominant religion is Theravada Buddhism, which is practiced by more than 70% of the population. Theravada Buddhism does not hold explicit ideas about one’s gender or sexual orientation, however, some sources note that religion plays a role in shaping negative attitudes towards LGBTQIA+ people.
Laos is a patriarchal society, and marriage and traditional family values are viewed as important to the economic prosperity of the family unit. With 60% of the population dependent on agriculture, there are strong gender divisions based on the farming roles of people assigned female at birth and people assigned male at birth. LGBTQIA+ children and youth have a difficult time sharing their identities with their families, and many community members hold negative stereotypes about LGBTQIA+ people.
The government has recently become more open to allowing CSOs to work on LGBTQIA+ issues. Proud To Be Us organised the first pride event in 2017 and Community Health and Inclusion Association organisations deliver health support.
Health and wellbeing
All Lao citizens can access healthcare for a small out-of-pocket payment, and poorer households identified by their village chief are exempt from payments. However, a person can only access this care if they have an identity card, posing barriers to transgender communities who do not identify with their gender assigned at birth. Fear of stigmatisation and discrimination also limit the queer community’s access to health services, and many do not know where to go to access healthcare.
The government recognises MSM and transgender women as key risk populations for HIV/AIDS. Lesbian and trans men have access to general health care, but not specific care for HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI).
Gender-affirming surgery is not possible in Laos, so some transgender women travel to Thailand for surgery. LGBTQIA+ groups in Laos identify the barriers to accessing healthcare as poverty, discriminatory behaviour by healthcare professionals and lack of LGBTQIA+-specific knowledge and care from healthcare professionals.
Most schools in Laos teach life skills to students, including lessons on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, STIs, gender equality and violence in relationships, but without mention of the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Media
LGBTQIA+ inclusion and representation is severely lacking in Laos’ state-controlled media. However, in 2015, celebrations for International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia were broadcast on national television for the first time.
The Pride Guides were developed in 2022 and updated in 2025 by consultants and experts based in countries in which the program operates.
