• 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 Illegal (imprisonment as punishment) in Saint Lucia
  • Aug 8 2017Became Male illegal, female legal in Kiribati
  • Mar 5 2017Became Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment) in Barbados
  • Feb 12 2017Became Illegal (imprisonment as punishment) in Palestine
  • Feb 11 2017Became Male illegal, female legal in Egypt
  • Aug 10 2016Became Legal in Belize
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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

40
Legal
119
Somewhere in between
78
Illegal
Legal
40 countries (17%)
Somewhere in between
119 countries (52%)
Illegal
78 countries (34%)
Legal
13 countries (26%)
Somewhere in between
35 countries (70%)
Illegal
9 countries (18%)
Europe
Legal
5 countries (21%)
Somewhere in between
12 countries (50%)
Illegal
6 countries (25%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Legal
5 countries (36%)
Somewhere in between
7 countries (50%)
Illegal
2 countries (14%)
South America
Legal
9 countries (25%)
Somewhere in between
21 countries (58%)
Illegal
7 countries (19%)
North America
Legal
8 countries (14%)
Somewhere in between
22 countries (37%)
Illegal
32 countries (54%)
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

76
Legal
69
Somewhere in between
80
Illegal
Legal
76 countries (33%)
Somewhere in between
69 countries (30%)
Illegal
80 countries (35%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (2%)
Legal
17 countries (34%)
Somewhere in between
25 countries (50%)
Illegal
6 countries (12%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Europe
Legal
10 countries (42%)
Somewhere in between
4 countries (17%)
Illegal
10 countries (42%)
Oceania
Legal
4 countries (29%)
Somewhere in between
5 countries (36%)
Illegal
5 countries (36%)
South America
Legal
8 countries (22%)
Somewhere in between
6 countries (17%)
Illegal
21 countries (58%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (3%)
North America
Legal
26 countries (44%)
Somewhere in between
15 countries (25%)
Illegal
19 countries (32%)
Africa
Legal
11 countries (24%)
Somewhere in between
14 countries (30%)
Illegal
19 countries (41%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Asia

Same-sex adoption

69
Legal
69
Somewhere in between
85
Illegal
Legal
69 countries (30%)
Somewhere in between
69 countries (30%)
Illegal
85 countries (37%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (3%)
Legal
16 countries (32%)
Somewhere in between
23 countries (46%)
Illegal
11 countries (22%)
Europe
Legal
13 countries (54%)
Somewhere in between
2 countries (8%)
Illegal
8 countries (33%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Legal
8 countries (57%)
Somewhere in between
6 countries (43%)
South America
Legal
10 countries (28%)
Somewhere in between
10 countries (28%)
Illegal
16 countries (44%)
North America
Legal
15 countries (25%)
Somewhere in between
17 countries (29%)
Illegal
27 countries (46%)
Africa
Legal
7 countries (15%)
Somewhere in between
11 countries (24%)
Illegal
23 countries (50%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (11%)
Asia

LGBT discrimination

66
Protected
42
Some protections
120
No protections
Protected
66 countries (29%)
Some protections
42 countries (18%)
No protections
120 countries (52%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (0%)
Protected
29 countries (58%)
Some protections
13 countries (26%)
No protections
8 countries (16%)
Europe
Protected
10 countries (42%)
Some protections
5 countries (21%)
No protections
9 countries (38%)
Oceania
Protected
7 countries (50%)
Some protections
3 countries (21%)
No protections
4 countries (29%)
South America
Protected
11 countries (31%)
Some protections
8 countries (22%)
No protections
17 countries (47%)
North America
Protected
7 countries (12%)
Some protections
7 countries (12%)
No protections
45 countries (76%)
Africa
Protected
2 countries (4%)
Some protections
6 countries (13%)
No protections
37 countries (80%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Asia

LGBT housing discrimination

84
Protected
11
Some protections
128
No protections
Protected
84 countries (37%)
Some protections
11 countries (5%)
No protections
128 countries (56%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (3%)
Protected
38 countries (76%)
Some protections
4 countries (8%)
No protections
11 countries (22%)
Europe
Protected
9 countries (38%)
No protections
14 countries (58%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
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
13 countries (36%)
Some protections
3 countries (8%)
No protections
18 countries (50%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (6%)
North America
Protected
10 countries (17%)
Some protections
1 countries (2%)
No protections
50 countries (85%)
Africa
Protected
6 countries (13%)
Some protections
2 countries (4%)
No protections
33 countries (72%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (11%)
Asia

LGBT employment discrimination

69
Protected
38
Some protections
125
No protections
Protected
69 countries (30%)
Some protections
38 countries (17%)
No protections
125 countries (55%)
Protected
27 countries (54%)
Some protections
13 countries (26%)
No protections
7 countries (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Protected
9 countries (38%)
Some protections
6 countries (25%)
No protections
17 countries (71%)
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
13 countries (36%)
Some protections
6 countries (17%)
No protections
19 countries (53%)
North America
Protected
6 countries (10%)
Some protections
7 countries (12%)
No protections
48 countries (81%)
Africa
Protected
6 countries (13%)
Some protections
3 countries (7%)
No protections
32 countries (70%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (11%)
Asia

Homosexuals serving openly in military

108
Legal
17
Somewhere in between
61
Illegal
Legal
108 countries (47%)
Somewhere in between
17 countries (7%)
Illegal
61 countries (27%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
43 countries (19%)
Legal
43 countries (86%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (2%)
Illegal
3 countries (6%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Legal
8 countries (33%)
Illegal
2 countries (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
14 countries (58%)
Oceania
Legal
12 countries (86%)
Illegal
1 countries (7%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (7%)
South America
Legal
17 countries (47%)
Somewhere in between
4 countries (11%)
Illegal
3 countries (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
12 countries (33%)
North America
Legal
16 countries (27%)
Somewhere in between
10 countries (17%)
Illegal
26 countries (44%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
7 countries (12%)
Africa
Legal
12 countries (26%)
Somewhere in between
2 countries (4%)
Illegal
26 countries (57%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (13%)
Asia

Equal age of consent

142
Equal
84
Unequal
Equal
142 countries (62%)
Unequal
84 countries (37%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (1%)
Equal
50 countries (100%)
Europe
Equal
16 countries (67%)
Unequal
10 countries (42%)
Oceania
Equal
11 countries (79%)
Unequal
3 countries (21%)
South America
Equal
20 countries (56%)
Unequal
13 countries (36%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (8%)
North America
Equal
24 countries (41%)
Unequal
39 countries (66%)
Africa
Equal
21 countries (46%)
Unequal
19 countries (41%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (13%)
Asia

Blood donations by MSMs

120
Legal
105
Illegal
Legal
120 countries (52%)
Illegal
105 countries (46%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (2%)
Legal
20 countries (40%)
Illegal
27 countries (54%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Legal
5 countries (21%)
Illegal
18 countries (75%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Legal
13 countries (93%)
Illegal
2 countries (14%)
South America
Legal
17 countries (47%)
Illegal
19 countries (53%)
North America
Legal
45 countries (76%)
Illegal
14 countries (24%)
Africa
Legal
20 countries (43%)
Illegal
25 countries (54%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Asia

Conversion therapy

34
Banned
187
Not banned
Banned
34 countries (15%)
Not banned
187 countries (82%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (3%)
Banned
11 countries (22%)
Not banned
36 countries (72%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Banned
4 countries (17%)
Not banned
19 countries (79%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Banned
6 countries (43%)
Not banned
8 countries (57%)
South America
Banned
3 countries (8%)
Not banned
30 countries (83%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (8%)
North America
Banned
2 countries (3%)
Not banned
56 countries (95%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Africa
Banned
8 countries (17%)
Not banned
38 countries (83%)
Asia

Equaldex is tracking 5376 LGBT-related laws.

74
LAWS CHANGED
this year
134
LAWS CHANGED
last year
12
LAWS ADDED
THIS WEEK
100.9% COUNTRIES WITH 1+ LAWS
100.9% COUNTRIES WITH 2+ LAWS
100.9% COUNTRIES WITH 3+ LAWS

Top Contributors (Month)

Ausyk Ausyk
311 contributions
eliakimpinheiro eliakimpinheiro
1 contribution
View More

Recent Edits

Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT housing discrimination in Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT employment discrimination in Canada
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Blood donations by MSMs in Ontario
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