LGBTQ rights in Mato Grosso do Sul
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Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul enjoy many of the same legal protections available to non-LGBTQ people. Homosexuality is legal in the state.
LGBTQ rights in Mato Grosso do Sul | |
|---|---|
| |
| Legal status | Legal since 1830,[1] age of consent equalised |
| Gender identity | Gender change allowed,[2] official standard for altering legal sex doesn't require surgery since 2018 |
| Military | Allowed to serve openly[3] |
| Discrimination protections | Yes, since 1989 for sexual orientation and since 2019 for gender identity |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | Same-sex marriage since 2011[4][5] |
| Adoption | Legal since 2010[6] |
Laws against discrimination
Recognition of same-sex unions
On 2 April 2013, the Court of Mato Grosso do Sul authorizes marriage between same-sex couples in the state.[8][9]
Gender identity and expression
In March 2026, the Campo Grande City Council approved, by a vote of 13–11, a bill prohibiting transgender women from using women's public restrooms.[10] On April 22, the city's mayor, Adriane Lopes (PP), signed the bill into law.[11][12] On March 28, the law was reported to the Public Prosecutor's Office of Mato Grosso do Sul.[13] On April 29, the Public Defender's Office of Mato Grosso do Sul opened an investigation to examine the city's law.[14] On May 5th, Congresswoman Erika Hilton denounced the law to the Brazilian Federal Prosecution Office.[15]
On 18 July 2026, the Public Defender's Office of Mato Grosso do Sul announced that non-binary people could change their documents to reflect their gender identity through court decisions.[16]
Education
On 21 July 1995, Mato Grosso do Sul passed a law making the subject of "sexual orientation" mandatory for 5th and 6th grade students in state schools.[17]
On 8 December 2021, the Legislative Assembly of Mato Grosso do Sul approved a bill prohibiting the teaching of gender-neutral language in schools.[18] The state governor, Reinaldo Azambuja (PSDB), signed the bill into law on 30 December.[18]
In 2023, Supreme Federal Court (STF) revoked several bills, and suspended the MS law that forbidding gender-neutral neologisms in state schools.[19][20] In 2024, STF kept the suspensions,[21][22] and expanded the vetos from 2025 to 2026.[23][24]
Summary table
| Same-sex sexual activity legal |  (Since 1830) |
| Equal age of consent | (Since 1830) |
| Anti-discrimination laws in employment only | (Since 1989 for sexual orientation;[7] Since 2019 for gender identity) |
| Anti-discrimination laws in the provision of goods and services | (Since 1989 for sexual orientation;[7] Since 2019 for gender identity) |
| Anti-discrimination laws in all other areas (Incl. indirect discrimination, hate speech) | (Since 1989 for sexual orientation;[7] Since 2019 for gender identity) |
| LGBTQ anti-bullying law in public and private schools | / (Teaching gender-neutral language has been banned since 2021)[18] |
| Transgender people allowed to use restrooms and other gender-segregated spaces that correspond with their gender identity | / (Banned in Campo Grande since 2026)[11] |
| Same-sex marriages | (Since 2013) |
| Recognition of same-sex couples | (Since 2011) |
| Stepchild adoption by same-sex couples | (Officially permitted since 2010) |
| Joint adoption by same-sex couples | (Officially permitted since 2010) |
| LGBTQ people allowed to serve openly in the military | |
| Right to change legal gender | (Since 2008; gender self-identification since 2018) |
| Third gender option | (Since 2026 through a court decision)[16] |
| Conversion therapy by medical professionals banned | (Since 1999 for homosexuals and since 2018 for transgender people)[25][26] |
| Access to IVF for lesbians | (Since 2013)[27] |
| Commercial surrogacy for gay male couples | (Banned for any couple regardless of sexual orientation) |
| MSMs allowed to donate blood | (Since 2020)[28] |