• 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 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

44
Legal
122
Somewhere in between
72
Illegal
Legal
44 countries (19%)
Somewhere in between
122 countries (53%)
Illegal
72 countries (31%)
Legal
15 countries (30%)
Somewhere in between
33 countries (66%)
Illegal
9 countries (18%)
Europe
Legal
7 countries (29%)
Somewhere in between
12 countries (50%)
Illegal
5 countries (21%)
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
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

110
Legal
47
Somewhere in between
51
Illegal
Legal
110 countries (48%)
Somewhere in between
47 countries (21%)
Illegal
51 countries (22%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
21 countries (9%)
Legal
17 countries (34%)
Somewhere in between
24 countries (48%)
Illegal
4 countries (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (10%)
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
13 countries (36%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (8%)
Illegal
17 countries (47%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (8%)
North America
Legal
46 countries (78%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (2%)
Illegal
9 countries (15%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (5%)
Africa
Legal
19 countries (41%)
Somewhere in between
11 countries (24%)
Illegal
11 countries (24%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (11%)
Asia

Same-sex adoption

47
Legal
147
Somewhere in between
29
Illegal
Legal
47 countries (21%)
Somewhere in between
147 countries (64%)
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
13 countries (36%)
Somewhere in between
22 countries (61%)
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

76
Protected
51
Some protections
102
No protections
Protected
76 countries (33%)
Some protections
51 countries (22%)
No protections
102 countries (45%)
Protected
31 countries (62%)
Some protections
13 countries (26%)
No protections
6 countries (12%)
Europe
Protected
12 countries (50%)
Some protections
6 countries (25%)
No protections
6 countries (25%)
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

99
Protected
4
Some protections
123
No protections
Protected
99 countries (43%)
Some protections
4 countries (2%)
No protections
123 countries (54%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 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
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
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
29
Some protections
93
No protections
Protected
90 countries (39%)
Some protections
29 countries (13%)
No protections
93 countries (41%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
17 countries (7%)
Protected
30 countries (60%)
Some protections
12 countries (24%)
No protections
4 countries (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (8%)
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
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

166
Legal
6
Somewhere in between
24
Illegal
Legal
166 countries (72%)
Somewhere in between
6 countries (3%)
Illegal
24 countries (10%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
33 countries (14%)
Legal
40 countries (80%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (6%)
Illegal
3 countries (6%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (8%)
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
26 countries (72%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (3%)
Illegal
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
32 countries (70%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (2%)
Illegal
8 countries (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (11%)
Asia

Equal age of consent

183
Equal
42
Unequal
Equal
183 countries (80%)
Unequal
42 countries (18%)
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
47 countries (80%)
Unequal
16 countries (27%)
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

168
Legal
55
Illegal
Legal
168 countries (73%)
Illegal
55 countries (24%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (3%)
Legal
24 countries (48%)
Illegal
23 countries (46%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Legal
16 countries (67%)
Illegal
8 countries (33%)
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
29 countries (63%)
Illegal
16 countries (35%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Asia

Conversion therapy

17
Banned
196
Not banned
Banned
17 countries (7%)
Not banned
196 countries (86%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
16 countries (7%)
Banned
2 countries (4%)
Not banned
42 countries (84%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (12%)
Europe
Banned
5 countries (21%)
Not banned
18 countries (75%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Banned
2 countries (14%)
Not banned
11 countries (79%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (7%)
South America
Banned
1 countries (3%)
Not banned
31 countries (86%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (11%)
North America
Banned
2 countries (3%)
Not banned
54 countries (92%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (5%)
Africa
Banned
5 countries (11%)
Not banned
40 countries (87%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Asia

Equaldex is tracking 9035 LGBT-related laws.

54
LAWS CHANGED
this year
151
LAWS CHANGED
last year
169
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
1153 contributions
ruperttrepur ruperttrepur
4 contributions
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Recent Edits

Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Same-sex marriage in Laos
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT housing discrimination in Montana
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Same-sex adoption in Qatar
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