Human rights in Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan's human rights record has been heavily criticized by various countries and scholars worldwide.

LGBT rights

Homosexuality is institutionally perceived as a form of mental disorder.

Male homosexuality is explicitly illegal and sodomy — defined as sexual intercourse between men — is punishable for a maximum term of five years under the Turkmen Legal code (Chapter 18; Section 35); prior to the 2019 amendment, the limit was two years under the 1997 code. No penal provisions exist for female homosexuality, who along with transsexuals are an invisible category in Turkmen law.