• 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 6 2018Became Legal in India
  • Jan 1 2018Became Illegal (imprisonment as punishment) in Terengganu
  • 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
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Status of LGBT Laws by Country

Homosexual activity

149
Legal
72
Illegal
Legal
149 countries (65%)
Illegal
72 countries (31%)
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
20 countries (43%)
Illegal
20 countries (43%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (13%)
Asia

Same-sex marriage

46
Legal
121
Somewhere in between
71
Illegal
Legal
46 countries (20%)
Somewhere in between
121 countries (53%)
Illegal
71 countries (31%)
Legal
15 countries (30%)
Somewhere in between
33 countries (66%)
Illegal
9 countries (18%)
Europe
Legal
9 countries (38%)
Somewhere in between
11 countries (46%)
Illegal
4 countries (17%)
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

89
Legal
45
Somewhere in between
21
Illegal
Legal
89 countries (39%)
Somewhere in between
45 countries (20%)
Illegal
21 countries (9%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
74 countries (32%)
Legal
18 countries (36%)
Somewhere in between
23 countries (46%)
Illegal
1 countries (2%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (16%)
Europe
Legal
9 countries (38%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (13%)
Illegal
3 countries (13%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
9 countries (38%)
Oceania
Legal
3 countries (21%)
Somewhere in between
5 countries (36%)
Illegal
2 countries (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (29%)
South America
Legal
13 countries (36%)
Somewhere in between
3 countries (8%)
Illegal
1 countries (3%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
19 countries (53%)
North America
Legal
29 countries (49%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (2%)
Illegal
6 countries (10%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
23 countries (39%)
Africa
Legal
17 countries (37%)
Somewhere in between
10 countries (22%)
Illegal
8 countries (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
11 countries (24%)
Asia

Same-sex adoption

44
Legal
152
Somewhere in between
27
Illegal
Legal
44 countries (19%)
Somewhere in between
152 countries (66%)
Illegal
27 countries (12%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
6 countries (3%)
Legal
14 countries (28%)
Somewhere in between
27 countries (54%)
Illegal
9 countries (18%)
Europe
Legal
7 countries (29%)
Somewhere in between
16 countries (67%)
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
8 countries (22%)
Somewhere in between
27 countries (75%)
Illegal
1 countries (3%)
North America
Legal
6 countries (10%)
Somewhere in between
44 countries (75%)
Illegal
8 countries (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Africa
Legal
3 countries (7%)
Somewhere in between
30 countries (65%)
Illegal
9 countries (20%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (9%)
Asia

LGBT discrimination

77
Protected
51
Some protections
100
No protections
Protected
77 countries (34%)
Some protections
51 countries (22%)
No protections
100 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
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
15 countries (42%)
Some protections
8 countries (22%)
No protections
13 countries (36%)
North America
Protected
9 countries (15%)
Some protections
14 countries (24%)
No protections
35 countries (59%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (2%)
Africa
Protected
3 countries (7%)
Some protections
7 countries (15%)
No protections
36 countries (78%)
Asia

LGBT housing discrimination

101
Protected
4
Some protections
109
No protections
Protected
101 countries (44%)
Some protections
4 countries (2%)
No protections
109 countries (48%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
15 countries (7%)
Protected
40 countries (80%)
Some protections
2 countries (4%)
No protections
11 countries (22%)
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
19 countries (53%)
Some protections
1 countries (3%)
No protections
15 countries (42%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
1 countries (3%)
North America
Protected
11 countries (19%)
No protections
44 countries (75%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (7%)
Africa
Protected
11 countries (24%)
No protections
27 countries (59%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (17%)
Asia

LGBT employment discrimination

92
Protected
28
Some protections
91
No protections
Protected
92 countries (40%)
Some protections
28 countries (12%)
No protections
91 countries (40%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
18 countries (8%)
Protected
29 countries (58%)
Some protections
12 countries (24%)
No protections
4 countries (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (10%)
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
20 countries (56%)
Some protections
4 countries (11%)
No protections
12 countries (33%)
North America
Protected
7 countries (12%)
Some protections
6 countries (10%)
No protections
32 countries (54%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
14 countries (24%)
Africa
Protected
13 countries (28%)
Some protections
2 countries (4%)
No protections
28 countries (61%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (7%)
Asia

Homosexuals serving openly in military

174
Legal
6
Somewhere in between
20
Illegal
Legal
174 countries (76%)
Somewhere in between
6 countries (3%)
Illegal
20 countries (9%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
29 countries (13%)
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
15 countries (63%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (4%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (33%)
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
2 countries (6%)
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
36 countries (78%)
Somewhere in between
1 countries (2%)
Illegal
5 countries (11%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 countries (9%)
Asia

Equal age of consent

180
Equal
45
Unequal
Equal
180 countries (79%)
Unequal
45 countries (20%)
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
23 countries (64%)
Unequal
10 countries (28%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
3 countries (8%)
North America
Equal
46 countries (78%)
Unequal
17 countries (29%)
Africa
Equal
30 countries (65%)
Unequal
8 countries (17%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 countries (17%)
Asia

Blood donations by MSMs

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

Conversion therapy

21
Banned
73
Not banned
Banned
21 countries (9%)
Not banned
73 countries (32%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
135 countries (59%)
Banned
2 countries (4%)
Not banned
28 countries (56%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
20 countries (40%)
Europe
Banned
7 countries (29%)
Not banned
2 countries (8%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
15 countries (63%)
Oceania
Banned
3 countries (21%)
Not banned
6 countries (43%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
5 countries (36%)
South America
Banned
1 countries (3%)
Not banned
9 countries (25%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
26 countries (72%)
North America
Banned
2 countries (3%)
Not banned
8 countries (14%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
49 countries (83%)
Africa
Banned
6 countries (13%)
Not banned
20 countries (43%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
20 countries (43%)
Asia

Equaldex is tracking 9458 LGBT-related laws.

65
LAWS CHANGED
this year
154
LAWS CHANGED
last year
110
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
240 contributions
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Recent Edits

Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT employment discrimination in South Dakota
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT housing discrimination in Arkansas
Ausyk
Ausyk added an entry.
LGBT housing discrimination in Virginia
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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