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 Information sourced online can be outdated or inaccurate.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 were decriminalised in Palau in 2014. However, an exclusionary national legal framework denies the equal rights and protections of LGBTQIA+ people. Since 2008, same-sex marriage and civil unions are not recognised by the state.
In 2011, Palau became a signatory of the United Nation’s Joint Statement on Ending Acts of Violence and Related Human Rights Violations Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. Decriminalisation of same-sex sexual acts followed the Universal Periodic Review in 2011, where the Palauan Government accepted recommendations to decriminalise homosexuality.
In 2019, former President Tommy Remengesau declared his support for same-sex marriage, stating:
'Those who are different doesn’t mean that they should be outcast, second class citizens, or that they can’t contribute to the community. So I want to make it clear that I don’t believe in the constitutional amendment that promote discrimination.'
Discrimination
No legal protections exist for LGBTQIA+ people in Palau. This includes a lack of constitutional protections and national laws that protect against 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 and sexual identities. There is no legislation that references inheritance, taxation or family rights for LGBTQIA+ people.
Cultural and societal attitudes
There is limited information available on the cultural and societal issues impacting LGBTQIA+ people.
'PRIDE is a celebration for everyone but it’s hard to celebrate when we are not free yet.' – Anonymous, in Palau.
Health and wellbeing
HIV treatment in state-run facilities has focused more on abstinence and the harm of same-sex activity than on providing treatment for HIV, although private clinics run by foreigners have been less judgmental.The Pride Guides were developed in 2022 and updated in 2025 by consultants and experts based in countries in which the program operates.
