The legal position of LGBT persons and same-sex couples in Cyprus

Historically, Cyprus was greatly lagging behind other European countries in the recognition and protection of the rights of LGBT persons and same-sex couples. However, from the 1990s, when male-to-male consensual sex was decriminalised, to 2015 when (same-sex and opposite-sex) civil partnerships were introduced, Cyprus has gone a long way – legally – in the recognition of same-sex relationships and the protection of the rights of LGB persons, although, admittedly, some important gaps still persist. As regards trans persons, things are not equally encouraging, as the legal system – still – makes no systematic provision for them. The aim of this article is to take stock of the protection and rights that LGBT persons and same-sex couples have come to enjoy under the Cypriot legal system. It will also seek to highlight the gaps that still remain in the protection that Cyprus offers to LGBT persons and same-sex couples and to briefly suggest ways for filling these gaps. It will be concluded that although some important steps in the right direction have been made, especially in recent years, there is still a long way to go for achieving complete equality under the law between LGBT persons and their heterosexual and cisgender brothers and sisters