Homosexual activity

Being gay is illegal in 61 countries and punishable by death in 7.

DATE

Homosexual activity

Homosexual activity refers to consensual sexual activity between individuals of the same sex. While homosexual activity is legal in most countries around the world, there are several countries — mostly in Africa and the Middle East — where it is criminalized to a varying degree. Penalties can range from imprisonment all the way up to death penalty.

Homosexuality is commonly criminalized through sodomy laws (sometimes called a "buggery law" in British territories), which are laws that define sexual acts of crimes. Sodomy laws can sometimes prevent sexual activity between two individuals of the same sex. While some of these laws are not specific to homosexual sex (such as when referring to anal sex), they are usually used to target or criminalize gay people. In practice, these laws are difficult to actually enforce.

In some countries, the language of the criminal codes specifically refers to two men, meaning that lesbian sex is technically legal.

Some sodomy laws and penal codes date back to the 1700s and 1800s. Throughout the 1900s, many countries, US states, and other regions began decriminalizing homosexuality and removing references to homosexuality or sodomy from their criminal codes. This has continued over the past few decades.

Summary

132
Legal
132 regions (67%)
Legal
61
Illegal
61 regions (31%)
Illegal
5
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
5 regions (3%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
Europe
98%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
49 regions (98%)
Illegal
regions (0%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
1 regions (2%)
Oceania
57%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
8 regions (57%)
Illegal
6 regions (43%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
regions (0%)
South America
92%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
11 regions (92%)
Illegal
1 regions (8%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
regions (0%)
North America
83%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
19 regions (83%)
Illegal
4 regions (17%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
regions (0%)
Africa
43%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
23 regions (43%)
Illegal
30 regions (56%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
1 regions (2%)
Asia
50%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
22 regions (50%)
Illegal
20 regions (46%)
Varied, unclear, or unknown laws
2 regions (5%)

Timeline of homosexual activity

Number of countries to legalize homosexuality over the past 61 years.

Recent Changes

Homosexual activity by Country

Legal

Homosexual activity is legal in 132 regions.

  1. South America (11)
  2. Argentina 1903
  3. Bolivia 1831
  4. Brazil 1830
  5. Chile 1999
  6. Colombia 1980
  7. Ecuador 1997
  8. Paraguay 1990
  9. Peru 1924
  10. Suriname 1869
  11. Uruguay 1933
  12. Venezuela

Male illegal, female legal

Homosexual activity is male illegal, female legal in 16 regions.

  1. Asia (3)
  2. Lebanon 1943
  3. Turkmenistan 1997
  4. Uzbekistan 1994
  5. North America (3)
  6. Grenada 1987
  7. Jamaica 1864
  8. Trinidad and Tobago 2025
  9. Africa (4)
  10. Eswatini 1907
  11. Ghana 1960
  12. Sierra Leone 1861
  13. Zimbabwe 1891
  14. Oceania (5)
  15. Kiribati 1892
  16. Papua New Guinea 1899
  17. Samoa 1961
  18. Tonga 1988
  19. Tuvalu 2018
  20. South America (1)
  21. Guyana 1894

Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)

Homosexual activity is illegal (imprisonment as punishment) in 32 regions.

  1. Asia (10)
  2. Brunei 2019
  3. Iraq 2024
  4. Kuwait 1960
  5. Malaysia 1989
  6. Maldives 2015
  7. Myanmar 1861
  8. Oman 1974
  9. Qatar
  10. Sri Lanka 1995
  11. Syria 1949
  12. North America (1)
  13. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1989
  14. Africa (20)
  15. Algeria 1966
  16. Burundi 2009
  17. Cameroon 1972
  18. Chad 2017
  19. Comoros 1982
  20. Egypt 1937
  21. Eritrea 1957
  22. Ethiopia 1958
  23. Guinea 1988
  24. Kenya 1930
  25. Liberia 1978
  26. Libya 1953
  27. Malawi 2011
  28. Mali 2024
  29. Mauritania 1987
  30. Morocco 1962
  31. Senegal 1966
  32. South Sudan 2008
  33. Togo 1980
  34. Tunisia 1913
  35. Oceania (1)
  36. Solomon Islands 1990

Illegal (up to life in prison as punishment)

Homosexual activity is illegal (up to life in prison as punishment) in 6 regions.

  1. Asia (2)
  2. Bangladesh 1860
  3. Pakistan 1860
  4. Africa (4)
  5. Gambia 2014
  6. Sudan 2020
  7. Tanzania 1998
  8. Zambia 2005

Illegal (death penalty as punishment)

Homosexual activity is illegal (death penalty as punishment) in 7 regions.

  1. Africa (2)
  2. Somalia 2012
  3. Uganda 2023

Varied, unclear, or unknown laws

Data on homosexual activity is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 5 regions.

  1. Asia (2)
  2. Indonesia Varies by Region
  3. Palestine Varies by Region
  4. Europe (1)
  5. Russia Varies by Region
  6. Africa (1)
  7. Nigeria Varies by Region
  8. Antarctica (1)
  9. Antarctica N/A

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