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 Information sourced online can be outdated or inaccurate.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 the Philippines in 1870, however an exclusionary national legal framework denies the equal rights and protections of LGBTQIA+ people. Same-sex marriage and civil unions are not recognised by the state. Transgender people are prevented from changing their status of sex to align with their gender identity. Efforts to pass a bill banning discrimination on the grounds of gender identity and sexual orientation have not progressed since 2001.
Discrimination
No legal protections exist at a national level for LGBTQIA+ people in the Philippines. Like many countries, 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 a person’s gender and sexual identities.
However, in the cities Dumaguete, Ilagan, Manila, Marikina, Valenzuela, and Zamboanga, local ordinances prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, including in employment. Six provinces have passed local ordinances prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. In schools, students are protected by law from violence and discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Cultural and societal attitudes
Filipino society is largely tolerant of homosexuality, with 73% of Filipinos stating homosexuality should be accepted. However, many families are not accepting of their LGBTQIA+ relatives, which can result in psychological or physical violence. Underreporting of hate crimes and violence toward LGBTQIA+ people can be attributed to feelings of guilt or shame surrounding their identities.
Health and wellbeing
Basic sexual and reproductive health services do not incorporate the needs of LGBTQIA+ people, and discrimination from healthcare workers can deter them from seeking assistance.
The Philippines has one of the fastest growing rates of HIV/AIDS infection in the world. Men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women are more vulnerable to HIV infection. Stigma toward people with HIV/AIDS, coupled with negative perceptions of LGBTQIA+ people, limits willingness to get tested or receive treatment. Government health institutions, the primary mechanism for HIV-related healthcare delivery, often lack resources. There is a recognition of the role CSOs play in offering HIV-related services that cater toward the needs of queer communities.
There are few public health services for transgender people seeking hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and gender-affirming surgeries are not possible through the healthcare system. As a result, self-medicating with HRT and other hormone medications is practised, creating a risk of negative health outcomes.
Mental health services are provided in over 50 medical centres in the Philippines, however these remain geographically inaccessible, and are not LGBTQIA+ specific. There are protections against mental health service users being discriminated based on their sexual orientation, but many healthcare professionals do not respect and accept their clients’ identities.
Pre-existing health conditions, higher poverty rates, and discriminatory practices can also hinder LGBTQIA+ people’s ability to cope with and recover from climate-related disasters.
'It’s not HIV that kills; it’s stigma. Health and wellbeing shouldn’t depend on who you love, how you look, or who you sleep with. Discrimination against people with diverse SOGIESC is the real epidemic. 🏳️🌈✊🏽' — Nikos Dacanay, LGBTQI Activist, Philippines
Media
National media broadcasting outlets are used by LGBTQIA+ rights activists and allies to bring awareness to issues in the Philippines. However, religious groups also monopolise media outlets to promote negative messaging about the queer community.
The media landscape of the Philippines is starting to better represent LGBTQIA+ Filipinos. The Internet has provided LGBTQIA+ people with new ways to tell their stories outside the realm of traditional media, such as through the web-based magazine, Outrage.
The prominence of the genre ’boys love’ and the increased representation of stories about women loving women, transwomen and transmen creates space for Filipinos to move towards acceptance. International platforms like Netflix are sharing more authentic stories about LGBTQIA+ Filipinos.
The Pride Guides were developed in 2022 and updated in 2025 by consultants and experts based in countries in which the program operates.
