• 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
  • May 19 2017Became Male illegal, female legal in Tuvalu
  • Mar 6 2017Became Illegal (imprisonment as punishment) in Maldives
  • Mar 5 2017Became Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment) 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

42
Legal
123
Somewhere in between
72
Illegal
Legal
42 countries (18%)
Somewhere in between
123 countries (54%)
Illegal
72 countries (31%)
Legal
13 countries (26%)
Somewhere in between
35 countries (70%)
Illegal
9 countries (18%)
Europe
Legal
6 countries (25%)
Somewhere in between
12 countries (50%)
Illegal
5 countries (21%)
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
10 countries (28%)
Somewhere in between
24 countries (67%)
Illegal
3 countries (8%)
North America
Legal
8 countries (14%)
Somewhere in between
23 countries (39%)
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

121
Legal
46
Somewhere in between
46
Illegal
Legal
121 countries (53%)
Somewhere in between
46 countries (20%)
Illegal
46 countries (20%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
16 countries (7%)
Legal
17 countries (34%)
Somewhere in between
24 countries (48%)
Illegal
7 countries (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Europe
Legal
13 countries (54%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (13%)
Illegal
5 countries (21%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (13%)
Oceania
Legal
4 countries (29%)
Somewhere in between
5 countries (36%)
Illegal
5 countries (36%)
South America
Legal
16 countries (44%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (8%)
Illegal
12 countries (33%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (14%)
North America
Legal
52 countries (88%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (2%)
Illegal
7 countries (12%)
Africa
Legal
19 countries (41%)
Somewhere in between
10 countries (22%)
Illegal
10 countries (22%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
7 countries (15%)
Asia

Same-sex adoption

123
Legal
59
Somewhere in between
39
Illegal
Legal
123 countries (54%)
Somewhere in between
59 countries (26%)
Illegal
39 countries (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (3%)
Legal
24 countries (48%)
Somewhere in between
16 countries (32%)
Illegal
10 countries (20%)
Europe
Legal
17 countries (71%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (13%)
Illegal
2 countries (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (8%)
Oceania
Legal
9 countries (64%)
Somewhere in between
5 countries (36%)
South America
Legal
22 countries (61%)
Somewhere in between
13 countries (36%)
Illegal
1 countries (3%)
North America
Legal
31 countries (53%)
Somewhere in between
14 countries (24%)
Illegal
14 countries (24%)
Africa
Legal
20 countries (43%)
Somewhere in between
8 countries (17%)
Illegal
12 countries (26%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (13%)
Asia

LGBT discrimination

75
Protected
52
Some protections
101
No protections
Protected
75 countries (33%)
Some protections
52 countries (23%)
No protections
101 countries (44%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (0%)
Protected
31 countries (62%)
Some protections
13 countries (26%)
No protections
6 countries (12%)
Europe
Protected
11 countries (46%)
Some protections
7 countries (29%)
No protections
5 countries (21%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Protected
7 countries (50%)
Some protections
3 countries (21%)
No protections
4 countries (29%)
South America
Protected
14 countries (39%)
Some protections
9 countries (25%)
No protections
13 countries (36%)
North America
Protected
9 countries (15%)
Some protections
13 countries (22%)
No protections
37 countries (63%)
Africa
Protected
3 countries (7%)
Some protections
7 countries (15%)
No protections
36 countries (78%)
Asia

LGBT housing discrimination

100
Protected
4
Some protections
121
No protections
Protected
100 countries (44%)
Some protections
4 countries (2%)
No protections
121 countries (53%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (2%)
Protected
41 countries (82%)
Some protections
2 countries (4%)
No protections
11 countries (22%)
Europe
Protected
11 countries (46%)
No protections
10 countries (42%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (13%)
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
18 countries (50%)
Some protections
1 countries (3%)
No protections
15 countries (42%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (6%)
North America
Protected
12 countries (20%)
No protections
48 countries (81%)
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
29
Some protections
96
No protections
Protected
90 countries (39%)
Some protections
29 countries (13%)
No protections
96 countries (42%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
14 countries (6%)
Protected
30 countries (60%)
Some protections
12 countries (24%)
No protections
5 countries (10%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Protected
15 countries (63%)
Some protections
1 countries (4%)
No protections
13 countries (54%)
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
18 countries (50%)
Some protections
5 countries (14%)
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
34 countries (58%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
12 countries (20%)
Africa
Protected
12 countries (26%)
Some protections
2 countries (4%)
No protections
30 countries (65%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Asia

Homosexuals serving openly in military

171
Legal
4
Somewhere in between
23
Illegal
Legal
171 countries (75%)
Somewhere in between
4 countries (2%)
Illegal
23 countries (10%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
31 countries (14%)
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
14 countries (58%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
10 countries (42%)
Oceania
Legal
12 countries (86%)
Illegal
1 countries (7%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (7%)
South America
Legal
27 countries (75%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (3%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (22%)
North America
Legal
42 countries (71%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (2%)
Illegal
11 countries (19%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (8%)
Africa
Legal
33 countries (72%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (2%)
Illegal
8 countries (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (9%)
Asia

Equal age of consent

186
Equal
39
Unequal
Equal
186 countries (81%)
Unequal
39 countries (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (2%)
Equal
50 countries (100%)
Europe
Equal
20 countries (83%)
Unequal
7 countries (29%)
Oceania
Equal
11 countries (79%)
Unequal
3 countries (21%)
South America
Equal
25 countries (69%)
Unequal
8 countries (22%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (8%)
North America
Equal
49 countries (83%)
Unequal
14 countries (24%)
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

167
Legal
56
Illegal
Legal
167 countries (73%)
Illegal
56 countries (24%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (3%)
Legal
23 countries (46%)
Illegal
24 countries (48%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Legal
15 countries (63%)
Illegal
9 countries (38%)
Oceania
Legal
12 countries (86%)
Illegal
2 countries (14%)
South America
Legal
32 countries (89%)
Illegal
4 countries (11%)
North America
Legal
55 countries (93%)
Illegal
2 countries (3%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (3%)
Africa
Legal
30 countries (65%)
Illegal
15 countries (33%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Asia

Conversion therapy

23
Banned
194
Not banned
Banned
23 countries (10%)
Not banned
194 countries (85%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
12 countries (5%)
Banned
3 countries (6%)
Not banned
43 countries (86%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (8%)
Europe
Banned
4 countries (17%)
Not banned
18 countries (75%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (8%)
Oceania
Banned
5 countries (36%)
Not banned
9 countries (64%)
South America
Banned
1 countries (3%)
Not banned
32 countries (89%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (8%)
North America
Banned
3 countries (5%)
Not banned
52 countries (88%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (7%)
Africa
Banned
7 countries (15%)
Not banned
40 countries (87%)
Asia

Equaldex is tracking 7792 LGBT-related laws.

45
LAWS CHANGED
this year
147
LAWS CHANGED
last year
209
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
721 contributions
View More

Recent Edits

Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Blood donations by MSMs in Texas
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT employment discrimination in Arkansas
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT discrimination in Tennessee
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