Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Tuvalu face legal difficulties not experienced by non-LGBT residents.

Sections 153, 154 and 155 of the Penal Code outlaw male homosexual intercourse with a penalty of up to 14 years in prison, but the law is not enforced.

Tuvalu is home to a traditional transgender population, called the pinapinaaine, or pina, who historically played certain societal and communal roles.

[6] Prejudices towards same-sex relationships and transgender people are not documented before the arrival of Christian missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th century.

[7] In Tuvalu, people who are assigned male at birth but live and behave as women are called pinapinaaine, or pina, and historically had certain societal roles, such as basket weaving.

The Marriage Act (Cap 29) (Tuvaluan: Tulafono Lasi i te Faiga o Avaga (Napa 29)) does not expressly prohibit the recognition of same-sex unions, but generally assumes the parties to be male and female.