• Homosexuality
  • Marriage
  • Changing Gender
  • Adoption
  • Discrimination
  • Employment Discrimination
  • Housing Discrimination
  • Military
  • Donating
    Blood
  • Age of
    Consent
  • Conversion Therapy
Loading map of LGBT rights...

Homosexual Activity

Consensual sexual activity between individuals of the same sex.

  • Legal
  • Male illegal, female legal
  • Male illegal, female uncertain
  • Illegal (other penalty)
  • Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
  • Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment)
  • Illegal (death penalty as punishment)
  • Unknown, N/A, or ambiguous

Recent Changes

  • Sep 4 2017Became Legal in Republic of the Congo
  • Aug 10 2017Became Male illegal, female legal in Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Aug 10 2017Became Male illegal, female legal in Saint Lucia
  • Aug 8 2017Became Male illegal, female legal in Kiribati
  • May 19 2017Became Male illegal, female legal in Tuvalu
  • Mar 6 2017Became Illegal (imprisonment as punishment) in Maldives
  • Mar 5 2017Became Male illegal, female uncertain in Barbados
  • Feb 12 2017Became Male illegal, female legal in Palestine
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Status of LGBT Laws by Country

Homosexual activity

148
Legal
73
Illegal
Legal
148 countries (65%)
Illegal
73 countries (32%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (3%)
Legal
50 countries (100%)
Europe
Legal
17 countries (71%)
Illegal
7 countries (29%)
Oceania
Legal
13 countries (93%)
Illegal
1 countries (7%)
South America
Legal
27 countries (75%)
Illegal
9 countries (25%)
North America
Legal
22 countries (37%)
Illegal
35 countries (59%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (3%)
Africa
Legal
19 countries (41%)
Illegal
21 countries (46%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (13%)
Asia

Same-sex marriage

46
Legal
120
Somewhere in between
71
Illegal
Legal
46 countries (20%)
Somewhere in between
120 countries (52%)
Illegal
71 countries (31%)
Legal
15 countries (30%)
Somewhere in between
33 countries (66%)
Illegal
9 countries (18%)
Europe
Legal
9 countries (38%)
Somewhere in between
11 countries (46%)
Illegal
4 countries (17%)
Oceania
Legal
5 countries (36%)
Somewhere in between
7 countries (50%)
Illegal
2 countries (14%)
South America
Legal
9 countries (25%)
Somewhere in between
25 countries (69%)
Illegal
3 countries (8%)
North America
Legal
8 countries (14%)
Somewhere in between
22 countries (37%)
Illegal
31 countries (53%)
Africa
Somewhere in between
22 countries (48%)
Illegal
22 countries (48%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Asia

Right to change legal gender

105
Legal
46
Somewhere in between
49
Illegal
Legal
105 countries (46%)
Somewhere in between
46 countries (20%)
Illegal
49 countries (21%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
29 countries (13%)
Legal
17 countries (34%)
Somewhere in between
24 countries (48%)
Illegal
2 countries (4%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
7 countries (14%)
Europe
Legal
11 countries (46%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (13%)
Illegal
5 countries (21%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (21%)
Oceania
Legal
4 countries (29%)
Somewhere in between
5 countries (36%)
Illegal
5 countries (36%)
South America
Legal
14 countries (39%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (8%)
Illegal
16 countries (44%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (8%)
North America
Legal
39 countries (66%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (2%)
Illegal
10 countries (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
9 countries (15%)
Africa
Legal
20 countries (43%)
Somewhere in between
10 countries (22%)
Illegal
11 countries (24%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (11%)
Asia

Same-sex adoption

43
Legal
151
Somewhere in between
29
Illegal
Legal
43 countries (19%)
Somewhere in between
151 countries (66%)
Illegal
29 countries (13%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (3%)
Legal
13 countries (26%)
Somewhere in between
27 countries (54%)
Illegal
9 countries (18%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Europe
Legal
7 countries (29%)
Somewhere in between
15 countries (63%)
Illegal
1 countries (4%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Legal
6 countries (43%)
Somewhere in between
8 countries (57%)
South America
Legal
9 countries (25%)
Somewhere in between
26 countries (72%)
Illegal
1 countries (3%)
North America
Legal
6 countries (10%)
Somewhere in between
45 countries (76%)
Illegal
8 countries (14%)
Africa
Legal
2 countries (4%)
Somewhere in between
30 countries (65%)
Illegal
10 countries (22%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (9%)
Asia

LGBT discrimination

77
Protected
52
Some protections
100
No protections
Protected
77 countries (34%)
Some protections
52 countries (23%)
No protections
100 countries (44%)
Protected
31 countries (62%)
Some protections
13 countries (26%)
No protections
6 countries (12%)
Europe
Protected
12 countries (50%)
Some protections
7 countries (29%)
No protections
5 countries (21%)
Oceania
Protected
7 countries (50%)
Some protections
3 countries (21%)
No protections
4 countries (29%)
South America
Protected
15 countries (42%)
Some protections
8 countries (22%)
No protections
13 countries (36%)
North America
Protected
9 countries (15%)
Some protections
14 countries (24%)
No protections
36 countries (61%)
Africa
Protected
3 countries (7%)
Some protections
7 countries (15%)
No protections
36 countries (78%)
Asia

LGBT housing discrimination

100
Protected
4
Some protections
123
No protections
Protected
100 countries (44%)
Some protections
4 countries (2%)
No protections
123 countries (54%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (1%)
Protected
40 countries (80%)
Some protections
2 countries (4%)
No protections
12 countries (24%)
Europe
Protected
12 countries (50%)
No protections
10 countries (42%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (8%)
Oceania
Protected
8 countries (57%)
Some protections
1 countries (7%)
No protections
2 countries (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (21%)
South America
Protected
19 countries (53%)
Some protections
1 countries (3%)
No protections
15 countries (42%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (3%)
North America
Protected
11 countries (19%)
No protections
49 countries (83%)
Africa
Protected
10 countries (22%)
No protections
35 countries (76%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Asia

LGBT employment discrimination

90
Protected
28
Some protections
92
No protections
Protected
90 countries (39%)
Some protections
28 countries (12%)
No protections
92 countries (40%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
19 countries (8%)
Protected
29 countries (58%)
Some protections
12 countries (24%)
No protections
4 countries (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (10%)
Europe
Protected
15 countries (63%)
Some protections
1 countries (4%)
No protections
12 countries (50%)
Oceania
Protected
8 countries (57%)
Some protections
3 countries (21%)
No protections
2 countries (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (7%)
South America
Protected
19 countries (53%)
Some protections
4 countries (11%)
No protections
12 countries (33%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (3%)
North America
Protected
7 countries (12%)
Some protections
6 countries (10%)
No protections
33 countries (56%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
13 countries (22%)
Africa
Protected
12 countries (26%)
Some protections
2 countries (4%)
No protections
29 countries (63%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (7%)
Asia

Homosexuals serving openly in military

103
Legal
76
Somewhere in between
20
Illegal
Legal
103 countries (45%)
Somewhere in between
76 countries (33%)
Illegal
20 countries (9%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
30 countries (13%)
Legal
35 countries (70%)
Somewhere in between
8 countries (16%)
Illegal
3 countries (6%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (8%)
Europe
Legal
13 countries (54%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (13%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (33%)
Oceania
Legal
11 countries (79%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (7%)
Illegal
1 countries (7%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (7%)
South America
Legal
23 countries (64%)
Somewhere in between
5 countries (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (22%)
North America
Legal
10 countries (17%)
Somewhere in between
33 countries (56%)
Illegal
11 countries (19%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (8%)
Africa
Legal
11 countries (24%)
Somewhere in between
26 countries (57%)
Illegal
5 countries (11%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (9%)
Asia

Equal age of consent

180
Equal
45
Unequal
Equal
180 countries (79%)
Unequal
45 countries (20%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (2%)
Equal
50 countries (100%)
Europe
Equal
21 countries (88%)
Unequal
6 countries (25%)
Oceania
Equal
11 countries (79%)
Unequal
3 countries (21%)
South America
Equal
23 countries (64%)
Unequal
10 countries (28%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (8%)
North America
Equal
44 countries (75%)
Unequal
19 countries (32%)
Africa
Equal
31 countries (67%)
Unequal
7 countries (15%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (17%)
Asia

Blood donations by MSMs

157
Legal
56
Illegal
Legal
157 countries (69%)
Illegal
56 countries (24%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
16 countries (7%)
Legal
22 countries (44%)
Illegal
24 countries (48%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (8%)
Europe
Legal
15 countries (63%)
Illegal
8 countries (33%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Legal
11 countries (79%)
Illegal
2 countries (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (7%)
South America
Legal
27 countries (75%)
Illegal
4 countries (11%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (14%)
North America
Legal
53 countries (90%)
Illegal
2 countries (3%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (7%)
Africa
Legal
29 countries (63%)
Illegal
16 countries (35%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Asia

Conversion therapy

17
Banned
130
Not banned
Banned
17 countries (7%)
Not banned
130 countries (57%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
82 countries (36%)
Banned
2 countries (4%)
Not banned
14 countries (28%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
34 countries (68%)
Europe
Banned
5 countries (21%)
Not banned
17 countries (71%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (8%)
Oceania
Banned
2 countries (14%)
Not banned
8 countries (57%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (29%)
South America
Banned
1 countries (3%)
Not banned
25 countries (69%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
10 countries (28%)
North America
Banned
2 countries (3%)
Not banned
37 countries (63%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
20 countries (34%)
Africa
Banned
5 countries (11%)
Not banned
29 countries (63%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
12 countries (26%)
Asia

Equaldex is tracking 9216 LGBT-related laws.

52
LAWS CHANGED
this year
156
LAWS CHANGED
last year
5
LAWS ADDED
THIS WEEK
100.9% COUNTRIES WITH 1+ LAWS
100.4% COUNTRIES WITH 2+ LAWS
100.4% COUNTRIES WITH 3+ LAWS

Top Contributors (Month)

Ausyk Ausyk
300 contributions
FCBSIX FCBSIX
2 contributions
Adonya Adonya
1 contribution
View More

Recent Edits

Adonya
Adonya added an entry.
Right to change legal gender in Jamaica
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Right to change legal gender in Bujumbura Mairie
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Same-sex marriage in Bujumbura Mairie
View More

LGBT Rights by Country

Explore the status and timelines of LGBT rights in each country, state, province, and region; same-sex marriage, adoption, serving openly in the military, discrimination protections, age of consent differences, blood donation restrictions, gender changing restrictions, and gay conversion therapy bans.

Asia

46 Regions

Europe

50 Regions

North America

36 Regions

Africa

59 Regions

Oceania

24 Regions

South America

14 Regions

Antarctica

1 Region