In April, an LGBTI-phobic display was reported at the Church of Saint George Havouzas in Limassol, where the acronym “LGBT” was placed on a traditional Easter bonfire (lampratzia) in the position typically reserved for an effigy of Judas. The incident prompted political and institutional reactions: AKEL Secretary-General Stefanos Stefanou contacted Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis and Police Chief Themistos Arnaoutis, urging that the matter be investigated. In the aftermath, calls were made for public vigilance and solidarity, with warnings that the incident could signal heightened risks of anti-LGBTI violence ahead of Cyprus Pride 2025.

In May, Cypriot police arrested one individual in connection with the assault and verbal abuse of a 17-year-old in Nicosia. The incident occurred when the teenager was approached by two individuals who allegedly insulted and physically attacked him. While reports suggested possible homophobic or racist motives, police stated that the case is being investigated solely as an incident of assault and verbal abuse.

In May, the House Human Rights Committee in Cyprus reported a rise in racially motivated crimes. Deputy Police Chief Ioannis Georgiou stated that over the past two years, 51 attacks were recorded against food delivery drivers, while 54 racist incidents were documented in 2023. Georgiou also noted an increase in reported crimes against LGBTI people, with 14 incidents recorded in 2022 and 17 in 2023.

In June, a group of Cypriot secondary school students visiting the city were involved in a homophobic and transphobic incident, as reported by Thessaloniki Pride. According to an open letter sent to Cyprus’s Education Minister Athena Michaelidou, around 20 students verbally attacked a trans woman and a gay man. Following the report, Minister Michaelidou requested an official account of the incident, with the Ministry’s Director of Secondary Education, Nicholas Yiasoumi, confirming that an inquiry was underway.

In March, a gay couple reported being stranded in Cyprus after the birth of their twins via a surrogacy arrangement, due to ongoing delays in obtaining passports for their children. Despite submitting all necessary documents and applying for the passports in January, their application has been repeatedly delayed by administrative errors, including miscommunication and misplaced documents.

In May, a group dressed in black disrupted a pre-Pride march gathering, chanting homophobic slogans. The individuals carried flags featuring double-headed eagles as well as Enosis flags.

In September, the annual United by Pride event brought together LGBTI people and allies in Nicosia for a march dedicated to peace, justice, and queer liberation. Now in its fourth year, the event featured two simultaneous marches from opposite sides of the divided city, converging for a joint celebration. The organisers described United by Pride 2025 as “a beacon of hope,” reaffirming their commitment to multicultural coexistence, human rights, tolerance, and the continued struggle for peace, reunification, and queer liberation in Cyprus.

In November, new figures from the Interior Ministry showed that 51 people in Cyprus have changed their gender marker and name on official ID since 2021.

In September, a court ruling highlighted serious shortcomings in the police response to online hate speech targeting the LGBTI community, finding that authorities had failed to conduct an effective investigation into harassment related to a Pride march.

The court stressed that law enforcement has a clear obligation to respond promptly and thoroughly to anti-LGBTI hate incidents.

In late 2025, local authorities announced plans to declare 2026 the “Year of the Family,” explicitly stating that the initiative would draw on Turkey’s 2025 campaign of the same name.

As Turkey’s “Year of the Family” had been widely criticised for promoting exclusionary and anti-LGBTI interpretations of “family values,” the announcement prompted concern among civil society.

In 2025, Human Rights Platform together with Queer Cyprus Association continued to highlight the need for legal recognition of LGBTI relationships and of partnership rights.

In May, Human Rights Platform organised a public panel addressing anti-gender and anti-LGBTI rethorics within the framework of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).

According to Queer Cyprus Solidarity Line, significant requests for information submitted in 2025 concerned HIV status, access to treatment, PrEP/ PEP information, psychological support, gender-affirming hormone treatments, trans-specific healthcare.