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Serving openly in military

LGBTQ+ people are banned from serving openly in the military in 111 countries.

Loading map of LGBT rights...
  • Legal
  • Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
  • Don't Ask, Don't Tell
  • Illegal
  • Varies by region or ambiguous
  • Unknown or N/A

Recent Changes

  • Mar 16 2023Became Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned in Venezuela
  • Jan 1 2022Became Legal in Zhambyl oblysy
  • Jan 1 2022Became Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned in Kazakhstan
  • Dec 17 2021Became Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned in Ukraine
  • Sep 15 2021Became Illegal in Kābul
  • Aug 5 2021Became Illegal in Kandahār
  • Feb 26 2021Became Legal in United States
  • Jan 26 2021Became Legal in Texas

Serving openly in military

The ability for homosexuals to serve in the military and be open about their sexuality.

Summary

50
Legal
50 regions (25%)
Legal
63
Somewhere in between
63 regions (32%)
Somewhere in between
48
Illegal
48 regions (24%)
Illegal
37
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
37 regions (19%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
Europe
38%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
19 regions (38%)
Somewhere in between
26 regions (52%)
Illegal
1 regions (2%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
4 regions (8%)
Oceania
29%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
4 regions (29%)
Somewhere in between
regions (0%)
Illegal
regions (0%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
10 regions (71%)
South America
75%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
9 regions (75%)
Somewhere in between
3 regions (25%)
Illegal
regions (0%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
regions (0%)
North America
39%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
9 regions (39%)
Somewhere in between
4 regions (17%)
Illegal
2 regions (9%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
8 regions (35%)
Africa
0%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
regions (0%)
Somewhere in between
20 regions (37%)
Illegal
27 regions (50%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
7 regions (13%)
Asia
21%
LEGAL EQUALITY
Legal
9 regions (21%)
Somewhere in between
10 regions (23%)
Illegal
18 regions (41%)
No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous
7 regions (16%)

Progress Over Time

Number of countries with equality for serving openly in military over the past 60 years.
There are no recent changes about Serving openly in military.

Serving openly in military by Country

Legal

Serving openly in military is legal in 50 regions.

  1. Asia (9)
  2. Bhutan
  3. Israel 1992
  4. Japan 1947
  5. Mongolia
  6. Nepal 2007
  7. Philippines 2009
  8. Singapore
  9. Thailand 2005
  10. Vietnam 1992
  11. Europe (19)
  12. Austria
  13. Belgium
  14. Cyprus 2004
  15. Czech Republic
  16. Denmark 1987
  17. Estonia
  18. Finland
  19. France
  20. Germany 2000
  21. Greece
  22. Hungary
  23. Ireland 2007
  24. Luxembourg
  25. Malta 2002
  26. Netherlands 1974
  27. Norway 2001
  28. Spain 1977
  29. Sweden 2009
  30. United Kingdom 2000
  31. North America (9)
  32. Antigua and Barbuda
  33. Bahamas 1998
  34. Barbados
  35. Canada 1992
  36. Cuba 1993
  37. Jamaica
  38. Saint Kitts and Nevis
  39. Trinidad and Tobago 1962
  40. United States 2021
  41. Oceania (4)
  42. Australia 1992
  43. New Zealand 1994
  44. Papua New Guinea
  45. Tonga
  46. South America (9)
  47. Argentina 2020
  48. Bolivia 2002
  49. Brazil 2013
  50. Chile 2012
  51. Colombia
  52. Ecuador
  53. Guyana 2012
  54. Suriname
  55. Uruguay 2009

Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned

Serving openly in military is lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned in 48 regions.

  1. Asia (3)
  2. Cambodia
  3. Kazakhstan 2022
  4. Taiwan 2002
  5. Europe (23)
  6. Albania 2013
  7. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  8. Bulgaria 2004
  9. Croatia
  10. Georgia
  11. Italy 1986
  12. Kosovo
  13. Latvia
  14. Lithuania
  15. Moldova
  16. Montenegro
  17. North Macedonia
  18. Poland 1991
  19. Portugal 1999
  20. Romania
  21. Russia 2003
  22. San Marino
  23. Serbia
  24. Slovakia
  25. Slovenia
  26. Switzerland 1992
  27. Ukraine 2021
  28. Vatican City
  29. North America (3)
  30. Guatemala
  31. Honduras
  32. Mexico 2012
  33. Africa (17)
  34. Angola
  35. Benin
  36. Botswana 2010
  37. Burkina Faso
  38. Equatorial Guinea
  39. Gabon 2020
  40. Guinea-Bissau
  41. Lesotho
  42. Madagascar
  43. Mali
  44. Mozambique
  45. Republic of the Congo
  46. Rwanda
  47. Sao Tome and Principe
  48. Seychelles
  49. South Africa 1996
  50. Zimbabwe
  51. South America (2)
  52. Peru 2009
  53. Venezuela 2023

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Serving openly in military is don't ask, don't tell in 15 regions.

  1. Asia (7)
  2. India
  3. Jordan
  4. Kyrgyzstan 1991
  5. Lebanon 2019
  6. Maldives
  7. North Korea 1948
  8. Tajikistan 1992
  9. Europe (3)
  10. Armenia 2004
  11. Azerbaijan
  12. Belarus
  13. North America (1)
  14. El Salvador
  15. Africa (3)
  16. Côte d’Ivoire
  17. Liberia
  18. Zambia
  19. South America (1)
  20. Paraguay 2010

Illegal

Serving openly in military is illegal in 48 regions.

  1. Asia (18)
  2. Afghanistan
  3. Bangladesh
  4. Brunei
  5. Indonesia
  6. Iran
  7. Iraq 2007
  8. Kuwait
  9. Malaysia
  10. Myanmar
  11. Pakistan
  12. Qatar 1915
  13. Saudi Arabia
  14. South Korea
  15. Sri Lanka
  16. Turkmenistan
  17. United Arab Emirates
  18. Uzbekistan
  19. Yemen
  20. Europe (1)
  21. Turkey
  22. North America (2)
  23. Dominican Republic
  24. Nicaragua
  25. Africa (27)
  26. Algeria 1966
  27. Burundi
  28. Cameroon
  29. Chad
  30. Comoros
  31. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  32. Egypt
  33. Eritrea 1957
  34. Ethiopia
  35. Gambia
  36. Ghana
  37. Guinea
  38. Kenya 1941
  39. Libya 1953
  40. Malawi
  41. Mauritania 1983
  42. Morocco
  43. Namibia
  44. Nigeria
  45. Senegal
  46. Sierra Leone
  47. Somalia
  48. South Sudan 2011
  49. Sudan
  50. Tanzania 1998
  51. Togo
  52. Uganda

No data, no laws, N/A, or ambiguous

Data on serving openly in military is unclear, not applicable, or missing in 37 regions.

  1. Asia (7)
  2. Bahrain
  3. China
  4. Laos
  5. Oman
  6. Palestine
  7. Syria
  8. Timor-Leste
  9. Europe (4)
  10. Andorra
  11. Iceland
  12. Liechtenstein
  13. Monaco
  14. North America (8)
  15. Belize
  16. Costa Rica
  17. Dominica
  18. Grenada
  19. Haiti
  20. Panama
  21. Saint Lucia
  22. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  23. Africa (7)
  24. Cape Verde
  25. Central African Republic
  26. Djibouti
  27. Eswatini
  28. Mauritius
  29. Niger
  30. Tunisia
  31. Oceania (10)
  32. Federated States of Micronesia
  33. Fiji
  34. Kiribati
  35. Marshall Islands
  36. Nauru
  37. Palau
  38. Samoa
  39. Solomon Islands
  40. Tuvalu
  41. Vanuatu
  42. Antarctica (1)
  43. Antarctica

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