• 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

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Lesbain,
Gay,
Bisexual,
Transgender,
Questioning,
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Data is supplied with sources and verified by other users.

Status of LGBT Laws by Country

Homosexual activity

150
Legal
71
Illegal
Legal
150 regions (66%)
Illegal
71 regions (31%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 regions (3%)
Legal
50 regions (100%)
Europe
Legal
17 regions (71%)
Illegal
7 regions (29%)
Oceania
Legal
13 regions (93%)
Illegal
1 regions (7%)
South America
Legal
28 regions (78%)
Illegal
8 regions (22%)
North America
Legal
22 regions (37%)
Illegal
35 regions (59%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 regions (3%)
Africa
Legal
20 regions (43%)
Illegal
20 regions (43%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 regions (13%)
Asia

Same-sex marriage

43
Legal
112
Somewhere in between
71
Illegal
Legal
43 regions (19%)
Somewhere in between
112 regions (49%)
Illegal
71 regions (31%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (1%)
Legal
15 regions (30%)
Somewhere in between
26 regions (52%)
Illegal
9 regions (18%)
Europe
Legal
9 regions (38%)
Somewhere in between
10 regions (42%)
Illegal
4 regions (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (4%)
Oceania
Legal
5 regions (36%)
Somewhere in between
7 regions (50%)
Illegal
2 regions (14%)
South America
Legal
9 regions (25%)
Somewhere in between
24 regions (67%)
Illegal
3 regions (8%)
North America
Legal
5 regions (8%)
Somewhere in between
23 regions (39%)
Illegal
31 regions (53%)
Africa
Somewhere in between
22 regions (48%)
Illegal
22 regions (48%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 regions (4%)
Asia

Right to change legal gender

89
Legal
45
Somewhere in between
20
Illegal
Legal
89 regions (39%)
Somewhere in between
45 regions (20%)
Illegal
20 regions (9%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
75 regions (33%)
Legal
18 regions (36%)
Somewhere in between
23 regions (46%)
Illegal
1 regions (2%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 regions (16%)
Europe
Legal
9 regions (38%)
Somewhere in between
3 regions (13%)
Illegal
2 regions (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
10 regions (42%)
Oceania
Legal
3 regions (21%)
Somewhere in between
5 regions (36%)
Illegal
2 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (29%)
South America
Legal
13 regions (36%)
Somewhere in between
3 regions (8%)
Illegal
1 regions (3%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
19 regions (53%)
North America
Legal
29 regions (49%)
Somewhere in between
1 regions (2%)
Illegal
6 regions (10%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
23 regions (39%)
Africa
Legal
17 regions (37%)
Somewhere in between
10 regions (22%)
Illegal
8 regions (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
11 regions (24%)
Asia

Same-sex adoption

44
Legal
153
Somewhere in between
27
Illegal
Legal
44 regions (19%)
Somewhere in between
153 regions (67%)
Illegal
27 regions (12%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 regions (2%)
Legal
14 regions (28%)
Somewhere in between
27 regions (54%)
Illegal
9 regions (18%)
Europe
Legal
7 regions (29%)
Somewhere in between
16 regions (67%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (4%)
Oceania
Legal
6 regions (43%)
Somewhere in between
8 regions (57%)
South America
Legal
8 regions (22%)
Somewhere in between
27 regions (75%)
Illegal
1 regions (3%)
North America
Legal
6 regions (10%)
Somewhere in between
45 regions (76%)
Illegal
8 regions (14%)
Africa
Legal
3 regions (7%)
Somewhere in between
30 regions (65%)
Illegal
9 regions (20%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (9%)
Asia

LGBT discrimination

77
Protected
50
Some protections
101
No protections
Protected
77 regions (34%)
Some protections
50 regions (22%)
No protections
101 regions (44%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (0%)
Protected
31 regions (62%)
Some protections
13 regions (26%)
No protections
6 regions (12%)
Europe
Protected
12 regions (50%)
Some protections
6 regions (25%)
No protections
6 regions (25%)
Oceania
Protected
7 regions (50%)
Some protections
3 regions (21%)
No protections
4 regions (29%)
South America
Protected
15 regions (42%)
Some protections
8 regions (22%)
No protections
13 regions (36%)
North America
Protected
9 regions (15%)
Some protections
13 regions (22%)
No protections
36 regions (61%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (2%)
Africa
Protected
3 regions (7%)
Some protections
7 regions (15%)
No protections
36 regions (78%)
Asia

LGBT employment discrimination

92
Protected
28
Some protections
93
No protections
Protected
92 regions (40%)
Some protections
28 regions (12%)
No protections
93 regions (41%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
16 regions (7%)
Protected
29 regions (58%)
Some protections
12 regions (24%)
No protections
5 regions (10%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (8%)
Europe
Protected
15 regions (63%)
Some protections
1 regions (4%)
No protections
13 regions (54%)
Oceania
Protected
8 regions (57%)
Some protections
3 regions (21%)
No protections
2 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (7%)
South America
Protected
20 regions (56%)
Some protections
4 regions (11%)
No protections
12 regions (33%)
North America
Protected
7 regions (12%)
Some protections
6 regions (10%)
No protections
33 regions (56%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
13 regions (22%)
Africa
Protected
13 regions (28%)
Some protections
2 regions (4%)
No protections
28 regions (61%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (7%)
Asia

LGBT housing discrimination

101
Protected
4
Some protections
112
No protections
Protected
101 regions (44%)
Some protections
4 regions (2%)
No protections
112 regions (49%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
12 regions (5%)
Protected
40 regions (80%)
Some protections
2 regions (4%)
No protections
11 regions (22%)
Europe
Protected
12 regions (50%)
No protections
10 regions (42%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 regions (8%)
Oceania
Protected
8 regions (57%)
Some protections
1 regions (7%)
No protections
2 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (21%)
South America
Protected
19 regions (53%)
Some protections
1 regions (3%)
No protections
15 regions (42%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (3%)
North America
Protected
11 regions (19%)
No protections
44 regions (75%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (7%)
Africa
Protected
11 regions (24%)
No protections
30 regions (65%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 regions (11%)
Asia

Homosexuals serving openly in military

175
Legal
5
Somewhere in between
20
Illegal
Legal
175 regions (76%)
Somewhere in between
5 regions (2%)
Illegal
20 regions (9%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
29 regions (13%)
Legal
43 regions (86%)
Somewhere in between
1 regions (2%)
Illegal
3 regions (6%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (6%)
Europe
Legal
15 regions (63%)
Somewhere in between
1 regions (4%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 regions (33%)
Oceania
Legal
12 regions (86%)
Illegal
1 regions (7%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (7%)
South America
Legal
27 regions (75%)
Somewhere in between
1 regions (3%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 regions (22%)
North America
Legal
42 regions (71%)
Somewhere in between
1 regions (2%)
Illegal
11 regions (19%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 regions (8%)
Africa
Legal
36 regions (78%)
Somewhere in between
1 regions (2%)
Illegal
5 regions (11%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (9%)
Asia

Equal age of consent

180
Equal
45
Unequal
Equal
180 regions (79%)
Unequal
45 regions (20%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (2%)
Equal
50 regions (100%)
Europe
Equal
20 regions (83%)
Unequal
7 regions (29%)
Oceania
Equal
11 regions (79%)
Unequal
3 regions (21%)
South America
Equal
23 regions (64%)
Unequal
10 regions (28%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (8%)
North America
Equal
46 regions (78%)
Unequal
17 regions (29%)
Africa
Equal
30 regions (65%)
Unequal
8 regions (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 regions (17%)
Asia

Blood donations by MSMs

160
Legal
57
Illegal
Legal
160 regions (70%)
Illegal
57 regions (25%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
12 regions (5%)
Legal
22 regions (44%)
Illegal
25 regions (50%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 regions (6%)
Europe
Legal
16 regions (67%)
Illegal
7 regions (29%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (4%)
Oceania
Legal
11 regions (79%)
Illegal
2 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (7%)
South America
Legal
29 regions (81%)
Illegal
5 regions (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 regions (6%)
North America
Legal
53 regions (90%)
Illegal
2 regions (3%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (7%)
Africa
Legal
29 regions (63%)
Illegal
16 regions (35%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (2%)
Asia

Conversion therapy

22
Banned
90
Not banned
Banned
22 regions (10%)
Not banned
90 regions (39%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
117 regions (51%)
Banned
2 regions (4%)
Not banned
33 regions (66%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
15 regions (30%)
Europe
Banned
7 regions (29%)
Not banned
2 regions (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
15 regions (63%)
Oceania
Banned
3 regions (21%)
Not banned
10 regions (71%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 regions (7%)
South America
Banned
2 regions (6%)
Not banned
12 regions (33%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
22 regions (61%)
North America
Banned
2 regions (3%)
Not banned
11 regions (19%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
46 regions (78%)
Africa
Banned
6 regions (13%)
Not banned
22 regions (48%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
18 regions (39%)
Asia

Equaldex is tracking 9458 LGBT-related laws.

LAWS CHANGED
this year
65
LAWS CHANGED
last year
0
LAWS ADDED
THIS WEEK
100% COUNTRIES WITH 1+ LAWS
100% COUNTRIES WITH 2+ LAWS
100% COUNTRIES WITH 3+ LAWS

Top Contributors (Month)

Recent Edits

Masterlee
Masterlee added an entry.
Homosexual activity in United Arab Emirates
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Blood donations by MSMs in Harare
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Equal age of consent in Harare
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