• 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

40
Legal
123
Somewhere in between
74
Illegal
Legal
40 countries (17%)
Somewhere in between
123 countries (54%)
Illegal
74 countries (32%)
Legal
13 countries (26%)
Somewhere in between
35 countries (70%)
Illegal
9 countries (18%)
Europe
Legal
6 countries (25%)
Somewhere in between
11 countries (46%)
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
8 countries (22%)
Somewhere in between
25 countries (69%)
Illegal
4 countries (11%)
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

109
Legal
45
Somewhere in between
55
Illegal
Legal
109 countries (48%)
Somewhere in between
45 countries (20%)
Illegal
55 countries (24%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
20 countries (9%)
Legal
18 countries (36%)
Somewhere in between
23 countries (46%)
Illegal
7 countries (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Europe
Legal
12 countries (50%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (13%)
Illegal
8 countries (33%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
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
14 countries (39%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (8%)
North America
Legal
42 countries (71%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (2%)
Illegal
9 countries (15%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
7 countries (12%)
Africa
Legal
17 countries (37%)
Somewhere in between
10 countries (22%)
Illegal
12 countries (26%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
7 countries (15%)
Asia

Same-sex adoption

118
Legal
56
Somewhere in between
46
Illegal
Legal
118 countries (52%)
Somewhere in between
56 countries (24%)
Illegal
46 countries (20%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
9 countries (4%)
Legal
24 countries (48%)
Somewhere in between
16 countries (32%)
Illegal
10 countries (20%)
Europe
Legal
16 countries (67%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (13%)
Illegal
3 countries (13%)
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
10 countries (28%)
Illegal
4 countries (11%)
North America
Legal
29 countries (49%)
Somewhere in between
14 countries (24%)
Illegal
14 countries (24%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (3%)
Africa
Legal
18 countries (39%)
Somewhere in between
8 countries (17%)
Illegal
15 countries (33%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (11%)
Asia

LGBT discrimination

73
Protected
53
Some protections
101
No protections
Protected
73 countries (32%)
Some protections
53 countries (23%)
No protections
101 countries (44%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (1%)
Protected
31 countries (62%)
Some protections
12 countries (24%)
No protections
7 countries (14%)
Europe
Protected
11 countries (46%)
Some protections
7 countries (29%)
No protections
4 countries (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (8%)
Oceania
Protected
7 countries (50%)
Some protections
3 countries (21%)
No protections
4 countries (29%)
South America
Protected
13 countries (36%)
Some protections
10 countries (28%)
No protections
13 countries (36%)
North America
Protected
8 countries (14%)
Some protections
14 countries (24%)
No protections
37 countries (63%)
Africa
Protected
3 countries (7%)
Some protections
7 countries (15%)
No protections
36 countries (78%)
Asia

LGBT housing discrimination

96
Protected
6
Some protections
121
No protections
Protected
96 countries (42%)
Some protections
6 countries (3%)
No protections
121 countries (53%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (3%)
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
16 countries (44%)
Some protections
1 countries (3%)
No protections
17 countries (47%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (6%)
North America
Protected
10 countries (17%)
Some protections
1 countries (2%)
No protections
48 countries (81%)
Africa
Protected
10 countries (22%)
Some protections
1 countries (2%)
No protections
33 countries (72%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
2 countries (4%)
Asia

LGBT employment discrimination

87
Protected
32
Some protections
97
No protections
Protected
87 countries (38%)
Some protections
32 countries (14%)
No protections
97 countries (42%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
13 countries (6%)
Protected
29 countries (58%)
Some protections
12 countries (24%)
No protections
6 countries (12%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Protected
14 countries (58%)
Some protections
2 countries (8%)
No protections
12 countries (50%)
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
17 countries (47%)
Some protections
6 countries (17%)
No protections
13 countries (36%)
North America
Protected
7 countries (12%)
Some protections
7 countries (12%)
No protections
35 countries (59%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
10 countries (17%)
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

168
Legal
4
Somewhere in between
20
Illegal
Legal
168 countries (73%)
Somewhere in between
4 countries (2%)
Illegal
20 countries (9%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
37 countries (16%)
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
30 countries (65%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (2%)
Illegal
5 countries (11%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
10 countries (22%)
Asia

Equal age of consent

185
Equal
39
Unequal
Equal
185 countries (81%)
Unequal
39 countries (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 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
24 countries (67%)
Unequal
9 countries (25%)
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
6 countries (13%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
9 countries (20%)
Asia

Blood donations by MSMs

165
Legal
60
Illegal
Legal
165 countries (72%)
Illegal
60 countries (26%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (2%)
Legal
23 countries (46%)
Illegal
24 countries (48%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Legal
14 countries (58%)
Illegal
9 countries (38%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (4%)
Oceania
Legal
13 countries (93%)
Illegal
2 countries (14%)
South America
Legal
32 countries (89%)
Illegal
4 countries (11%)
North America
Legal
55 countries (93%)
Illegal
4 countries (7%)
Africa
Legal
28 countries (61%)
Illegal
17 countries (37%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Asia

Conversion therapy

29
Banned
187
Not banned
Banned
29 countries (13%)
Not banned
187 countries (82%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
13 countries (6%)
Banned
6 countries (12%)
Not banned
41 countries (82%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (6%)
Europe
Banned
3 countries (13%)
Not banned
17 countries (71%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (17%)
Oceania
Banned
5 countries (36%)
Not banned
9 countries (64%)
South America
Banned
4 countries (11%)
Not banned
29 countries (81%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (8%)
North America
Banned
2 countries (3%)
Not banned
53 countries (90%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (7%)
Africa
Banned
9 countries (20%)
Not banned
38 countries (83%)
Asia

Equaldex is tracking 7087 LGBT-related laws.

40
LAWS CHANGED
this year
147
LAWS CHANGED
last year
0
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
582 contributions
View More

Recent Edits

Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Homosexual activity in Kémo-Gribingui
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
Equal age of consent in Mambéré-Kadéï
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT employment discrimination in Mambéré-Kadéï
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