• 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 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
  • Feb 11 2017Became Male illegal, female legal in Egypt
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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

43
Legal
115
Somewhere in between
79
Illegal
Legal
43 countries (19%)
Somewhere in between
115 countries (50%)
Illegal
79 countries (34%)
Legal
13 countries (26%)
Somewhere in between
34 countries (68%)
Illegal
10 countries (20%)
Europe
Legal
8 countries (33%)
Somewhere in between
9 countries (38%)
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

89
Legal
72
Somewhere in between
65
Illegal
Legal
89 countries (39%)
Somewhere in between
72 countries (31%)
Illegal
65 countries (28%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (1%)
Legal
16 countries (32%)
Somewhere in between
28 countries (56%)
Illegal
4 countries (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Europe
Legal
13 countries (54%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (13%)
Illegal
9 countries (38%)
Oceania
Legal
7 countries (50%)
Somewhere in between
5 countries (36%)
Illegal
2 countries (14%)
South America
Legal
10 countries (28%)
Somewhere in between
6 countries (17%)
Illegal
19 countries (53%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (3%)
North America
Legal
28 countries (47%)
Somewhere in between
16 countries (27%)
Illegal
16 countries (27%)
Africa
Legal
15 countries (33%)
Somewhere in between
14 countries (30%)
Illegal
15 countries (33%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Asia

Same-sex adoption

81
Legal
78
Somewhere in between
64
Illegal
Legal
81 countries (35%)
Somewhere in between
78 countries (34%)
Illegal
64 countries (28%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (3%)
Legal
17 countries (34%)
Somewhere in between
23 countries (46%)
Illegal
10 countries (20%)
Europe
Legal
14 countries (58%)
Somewhere in between
2 countries (8%)
Illegal
7 countries (29%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Legal
9 countries (64%)
Somewhere in between
5 countries (36%)
South America
Legal
13 countries (36%)
Somewhere in between
14 countries (39%)
Illegal
9 countries (25%)
North America
Legal
19 countries (32%)
Somewhere in between
20 countries (34%)
Illegal
20 countries (34%)
Africa
Legal
9 countries (20%)
Somewhere in between
14 countries (30%)
Illegal
18 countries (39%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (11%)
Asia

LGBT discrimination

69
Protected
42
Some protections
118
No protections
Protected
69 countries (30%)
Some protections
42 countries (18%)
No protections
118 countries (52%)
Protected
30 countries (60%)
Some protections
12 countries (24%)
No protections
8 countries (16%)
Europe
Protected
11 countries (46%)
Some protections
4 countries (17%)
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
8 countries (14%)
No protections
44 countries (75%)
Africa
Protected
3 countries (7%)
Some protections
7 countries (15%)
No protections
36 countries (78%)
Asia

LGBT housing discrimination

88
Protected
9
Some protections
127
No protections
Protected
88 countries (38%)
Some protections
9 countries (4%)
No protections
127 countries (55%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (2%)
Protected
39 countries (78%)
Some protections
3 countries (6%)
No protections
11 countries (22%)
Europe
Protected
11 countries (46%)
No protections
13 countries (54%)
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
14 countries (39%)
Some protections
2 countries (6%)
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

71
Protected
38
Some protections
123
No protections
Protected
71 countries (31%)
Some protections
38 countries (17%)
No protections
123 countries (54%)
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
10 countries (42%)
Some protections
5 countries (21%)
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
14 countries (39%)
Some protections
6 countries (17%)
No protections
18 countries (50%)
North America
Protected
6 countries (10%)
Some protections
6 countries (10%)
No protections
49 countries (83%)
Africa
Protected
6 countries (13%)
Some protections
5 countries (11%)
No protections
30 countries (65%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (11%)
Asia

Homosexuals serving openly in military

134
Legal
12
Somewhere in between
42
Illegal
Legal
134 countries (59%)
Somewhere in between
12 countries (5%)
Illegal
42 countries (18%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
41 countries (18%)
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
10 countries (42%)
Illegal
1 countries (4%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
13 countries (54%)
Oceania
Legal
12 countries (86%)
Illegal
1 countries (7%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (7%)
South America
Legal
20 countries (56%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (8%)
Illegal
3 countries (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
10 countries (28%)
North America
Legal
25 countries (42%)
Somewhere in between
7 countries (12%)
Illegal
20 countries (34%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
7 countries (12%)
Africa
Legal
24 countries (52%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (2%)
Illegal
14 countries (30%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
7 countries (15%)
Asia

Equal age of consent

160
Equal
67
Unequal
Equal
160 countries (70%)
Unequal
67 countries (29%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (1%)
Equal
50 countries (100%)
Europe
Equal
17 countries (71%)
Unequal
10 countries (42%)
Oceania
Equal
11 countries (79%)
Unequal
3 countries (21%)
South America
Equal
21 countries (58%)
Unequal
12 countries (33%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (8%)
North America
Equal
35 countries (59%)
Unequal
28 countries (47%)
Africa
Equal
26 countries (57%)
Unequal
14 countries (30%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (13%)
Asia

Blood donations by MSMs

137
Legal
89
Illegal
Legal
137 countries (60%)
Illegal
89 countries (39%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (1%)
Legal
22 countries (44%)
Illegal
25 countries (50%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Legal
8 countries (33%)
Illegal
16 countries (67%)
Oceania
Legal
13 countries (93%)
Illegal
2 countries (14%)
South America
Legal
20 countries (56%)
Illegal
16 countries (44%)
North America
Legal
48 countries (81%)
Illegal
11 countries (19%)
Africa
Legal
26 countries (57%)
Illegal
19 countries (41%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Asia

Conversion therapy

39
Banned
181
Not banned
Banned
39 countries (17%)
Not banned
181 countries (79%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
9 countries (4%)
Banned
11 countries (22%)
Not banned
36 countries (72%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Banned
9 countries (38%)
Not banned
14 countries (58%)
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
55 countries (93%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (3%)
Africa
Banned
8 countries (17%)
Not banned
38 countries (83%)
Asia

Equaldex is tracking 5886 LGBT-related laws.

146
LAWS CHANGED
this year
151
LAWS CHANGED
last year
59
LAWS ADDED
THIS WEEK
101.3% COUNTRIES WITH 1+ LAWS
100.9% COUNTRIES WITH 2+ LAWS
100.9% COUNTRIES WITH 3+ LAWS

Top Contributors (Month)

Ausyk Ausyk
516 contributions
b_ashh b_ashh
1 contribution
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Recent Edits

Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT employment discrimination in Alabama
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT discrimination in Latvia
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT discrimination in Estonia
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