The research highlights how legal recognition of marriage equality would not only affirm the dignity and equal rights of all families — it would also contribute to a more dynamic, inclusive, innovative, and resilient Cambodian economy.
The research highlights the potential economic benefits of marriage equality, drawing on evidence from global studies, Cambodian data, stakeholder interviews, and scenario modelling adapted from internationally recognised methodologies. The figures presented are illustrative and denote the possible magnitude and direction of economic impact.
The potential economic benefits of marriage equality are across the following 5 key areas:
- BOOSTING TOURISM
- ATTRACTING INVESTMENT & TALENT
- GROWING THE WEDDING INDUSTRY
- STRENGTHENING HOUSEHOLDS
- ADVANCING HEALTH, PRODUCTIVITY AND BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
RoCK and Future Forum, Unlocking Potential: The Economic Benefits of Legal Marriage Equality for Cambodia(2026):
– Full Report: KH/ENG
Rainbow Community Kampuchea Organisation (RoCK) is hiring a Media and Communication Officer to join our passionate team.
Please send your resume and cover letter via email to [email protected]
- Closing Date: Friday, 10th October 2025, at 5:30 PM.
- Click the link for more details: Job Announcement
This is the story of an older sister’s journey of accepting her younger transgender sibling, starting from not being supportive at all, to being fully supportive and even becoming the one who convinces other family members to also fully accept her brother.
I asked myself, “who am I to not support my own younger sibling? ”
Read Full Story : Khmer/English
This is a report summary of Celebrating the month of love and dialogue on continuing to support and promote the diversity and equality of love of the LGBT+ community in Cambodia, under the theme “Solidarity for Love” on 13th February 2025 that organized by Rainbow Community Kampuchea Organisation (RoCK) together with a network of civil society organizations and youth volunteer groups working on LGBT+ equality, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) rights, sexual reproductive health rights, and gender equality in Cambodia.
Report summary of Celebrating the month of love and dialogue: KH |ENG
Rainbow Community Kampuchea Organisation (RoCK) together with a network of civil society organizations and youth volunteer groups working on LGBT+ equality, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) rights, sexual reproductive health rights, and gender equality in Cambodia[1] are celebrating the “month of love” by organizing a dialogue to continue supporting and promoting the diversity and equality of love of the LGBT+ community in Cambodia, along with uplifting art performances by talented Cambodian artists, which will take place on Thursday, 13 February 2025 from 2:00pm to 5:30pm at the Cambodiana Hotel. This event aims at:
- Sharing and learning from the beautiful and sincere love stories and experiences of Cambodian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) couples and families.
- Sharing and learning from the inspiring experiences of supportive parents and family members in recognizing, accepting and supporting their children, relatives and friends who are LGBT+.
- Showcasing the contributions of the Cambodian LGBT+ community and its allies, including artists and media, to continue to raise awareness about the potentials, talents, situations, and priority needs of the LGBT+ community in Cambodian society.
- Providing the opportunity for LGBT+ community members from across Cambodia to continue to meet with and engage in dialogue with supportive stakeholders, including representatives of Cambodian Government institutions, parents, journalists and other stakeholders to demonstrate their shared willingness to continue supporting and promoting the diversity and equality of love for all couples (including same-sex couples and different-sex couples), love for parents, relatives, friends, community and universal love within communities, societies and humanity worldwide with equality, tolerance and harmony, in line with the teachings of the Brahmavihara (loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity).
- Highlighting the contributions of all stakeholders to continue promoting further progress on LGBT+ people’s equal rights protection, including legal marriage equality for same-sex couples. This is also in line with progressing the commitment of all stakeholders, especially the Royal Government of Cambodia, along with the active role of civil society, LGBT+ community and allies, as well as support from United Nations agencies and several Embassies in Cambodia, to contribute to implementing the recommendations on LGBT+ rights which Cambodia accepted during the fourth cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
Press Announcement: Khmer Languag/ English Language
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[1] 1.Rainbow Community Kampuchea Organisation (RoCK), 2. LoveisDiversity LGBT+ youth volunteer group, 3. Beautiful Life Organisation, 4. Micro Rainbow International Foundation, 5. Klahaan Organization, 6. Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia (RHAC), 7. Cambodian Center for Human Rights, 8. Gender and Development for Cambodia (GADC), 9. Women Peace Makers, 10. SILAKA Cambodia.
Rainbow Community Kampuchea would like to share with all of you the article “The journey towards marriage equality in Cambodia is full of hope,” which reflects on the journey and progress made towards achieving the priority goal of recognizing legal marriage equality for same-sex couples, as defined by Cambodian LGBT+ communities.
One of the most recent progress is that in October 2024, Cambodia officially accepted all 12 recommendations on continuing to progress LGBT+ equal rights of the 4th cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, including seven recommendations specifically to continue progress towards recognizing legal marriage equality for same-sex couples.
The Cambodian LGBT+ community and supporters in all parts of Cambodia are committed to continue working together with all relevant stakeholders, with growing hope that in the near future, same-sex couples in Cambodia will be able to marry equally under the law, so that we could marry the person we love most and register our marriage certificates, so that our families could be equally recognized and protected fully by the law, guaranteeing full equality, non-discrimination and social inclusion in a harmonious Cambodian society, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals principle of “leaving no one behind”.
The journey towards marriage equality in Cambodia is full of hope:
– Article in Khmer
– Article in English
Thoamada III is a series of photo stories of people who are the supportive allies of LGBT people – parents, friends, children, local authorities, teachers as well as institutions such as the workplace, religion and the government. From individuals to the groups have different ways of supporting their LGBT+ peers depending on their roles and social status, which bring happiness and harmony to the community as a whole.
This photo book aims to highlight some positive stories to encourage openness and acceptance for the diversity of love and humanity, and to present real stories of recognition. LGBT+ people are Thoamada (normal) like anyone else; they need respect and get the same opportunity. In addition, we also want to express our admiration for the strength, time, effort and mutual support from the elderly LGBT+ people and other supporters. We hope that this book can be a source of inspiration for readers to have hope and optimism in achieving their dreams.
Thoamada III Book both khmer and English
Rainbow admits the rain is title of comic book that narrative about the real story of LGBT+ community who are RoCK members that had experienced at school and family. This comic book was created under the collaboration between RoCK and two other artists, drawn by Ms. Sov Sreymoa and handwritten by Alex Lyhour. This story narrates the life journey of a youth in a rural area who is Sopheap. Since Sopheap leaves hometown to pursuing education in Phnom Penh city. This journey in the city is not easy for Sophea, he faced a lot of challenges but luckily Sopheap didn’t go through these challenges alone. Sopheap’s journey story shows about the real experience of young Cambodian citizens. In adolescence, all people start to question, find out the recognition and express their gender identity.
More detail about the story:
Declaration of Family Relationship (DoFR) Guideline is a document that introduces the definition on how to use and the criteria which this form is the civil contract to support stakeholders in the process of register this contract such as same sex couple, local authorities, RoCK’s active members as well as RoCK’s staffs.
More information:
– DoFR Guidelines Book in Khmer language
– DoFR Leaflet in Khmer language
– Video about DoFR with English Subtitle
This is the first research study to document personal stories of family violence who are the perpetrate against lesbian and bisexual women and transgender men (LBT) in Cambodia. Many LBT people in Cambodia faced discrimination and violence based on their sexual orientation or/and gender identity and expression, and this study focuses exclusively on forms of violence that have been overlooked in mainstream discourse: violence by family members.
Totally, sixty-one LBT people (23 lesbian women, 4 bisexual women and 34 transgender man) were met, and among them thirty-one LBT people (51%) were under 35 years old. Additionally, seventeen stakeholders (3 parents of LBT people, 8 local authorities and governor official, 3 UN staff members, 3 academics and 3 NGOs staff members) were interviewed across eight provinces and the research was conducted from February to April 2019.
The research was conducted by an external independent research team, led by Kasumi Nakagawa, gender academic from Pannasastra University of Cambodia. For the research process is co-designed with RoCK staff members, logistics, and analysis to produce the report.
Khmer citizens are equal before the law, enjoying the same rights, liberties and duties which guaranteed by Constitution(article 31 of Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia, 1993). LGBT+ citizens and their family need and receiving public service and civil status documents such as birth certificate, marriage certificate and other social protection services. Due to absence the law and specific regulations to recognize (1) legal marriage for same sex couple, (2) legal gender recognition for trans person which respond of current needs of LGBT+ person and their family.
Therefore, “public service and social protection services that LGBT+ person and their family need” will provide the key information about public services and civil statue documents that LGBT+ community receiving as well as level of getting public services and social protection services. This book will be visualized by description, photos and explain about the diverse gender identity of LGBT+ individual, their partner and their family. After understanding the specific context, we will be able to archive the receiving public services and social that LGBT+ community need based on their identity and their family.
Caring and supporting system of LGBT+ community in Cambodia through of experience work of Rainbow Community Kampuchea (RoCK) was documented for reflection, find out, learn and share about issues, needs and base practice of LGBT+ community. Therefore, RoCK hopes this booklet will be useful to continuously take care, selfcare and reciprocate support in the family, community as well as in society according to existing resources, ability and social supporting system.
Warm Shelter is a collection of photo stories depicting lived reality of LGBT+ families in Cambodia. Captured by documentarian artist Prum Ero and texted by RoCK team, this photographic series introduces us to some of the most remarkable stories of perseverance, kindship, family making, and love.
Each family presents themselves through two images, showing how multifaceted their roles are in their respective families and communities through their intimate domestic lives and a glimpse into their immediate neighborhoods.
RoCK Senior Members Book is a story to recall the journey for building the LGBT+ community in Cambodia and creating the pathways to continue progressing LGBT+ equality, through the stories and testimonies of 12 RoCK senior LGBT+ community members who volunteered their time, energy, and personal resources to help organize and mobilize the LGBT+ community across Cambodia’s 25 provinces and capital, and have been supporting each other “like a bunch of chopsticks”. RoCK has supported building the courage and confidence of LGBT+ people to accept themselves, to live their lives with happiness as their themselves, and have the courage to come-out to their parents, families, friends and communities at their own appropriate times.
Many LGBT+ communities and supporters in Cambodia have been congratulating LGBT+ and supporters in Thailand, as our neighboring country after the senate voted to recognise legal marriage equality on 18 June 2024. This victory made us more delightful and hopeful thinking that soon same-sex couples in Cambodia will be able to get married equally and legally. Marriage certificates are very important to help protect spouses and families under the law.
On this occasion, Rainbow Community Kampuchea would like to share with all of you below article, reflecting the journey and context to achieve priority goal that LGBT+ communities have defined, is legal marriage equality.
The journey towards marriage equality in Cambodia is full of hope:
– Article in Khmer
– Article in English
By: Rainbow Community Kampuchea (RoCK), 10 February 2023
Rainbow Community Kampuchea (RoCK) is pleased that the UN Independent Expert on protection from violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (IE SOGI) stated in the conclusion of his visit to Cambodia the importance of “legal recognition of LGBT families is key to social integration.” Read full Khmer article 
OHCHR Press release on IE SOGI visit
Related news coverage :
“LGBT families need legal recognition for social integration in Cambodia, says UN Expert” : KH|ENG
Radio France International- Khmer: Available in Khmer only
