Lesbian , gay , bisexual , transgender , and queer LGBTQ rights in Sweden are regarded as some of the most progressive in Europe and the world. Sweden also became the first country in the world to allow transgender people to change their legal gender post- sex reassignment surgery in , whilst transvestism was declassified as an illness in Legislation allowing legal gender changes without hormone replacement therapy and sex reassignment surgery was passed in After allowing same-sex couples to register for partnership benefits in , Sweden became the seventh country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in Gay and lesbian couples can petition to adopt since , and lesbian couples have had equal access to IVF and assisted insemination since Sweden has been recognized as one of the most socially liberal European countries, with recent polls indicating that a large majority of Swedes support LGBTQ rights and same-sex marriage.
Sweden legalised same-sex sexual activity in , with the age of consent set at In , in order to combat the spread of HIV , the Riksdag passed a law against sex in gay saunas and against prostitution.
However, the requirements under the act for changing gender included being unmarried, a Swedish citizen and infertile. This was followed by an activist occupation of the main office of the National Board of Health and Welfare. In October , Sweden joined the few other countries in the world at the time to declassify homosexuality as an illness.
Same-sex couples in Sweden had the right to register their partnerships from onwards. These partnerships had all the rights of marriages except "as provided by sections 3β4" of the law. As well, all provisions of a statute or any other legislation related to marriage or spouses applied to registered partnerships and partners, except as under sections 3β4.
Since May , new registered partnerships can no longer be entered into due to the legalization of same-sex marriage. The status of existing partnerships remains unaltered, except that they can be converted to marriage if the couple so desires.
