Map of Countries that Criminalise LGBT People
The map below provides an overview of the countries across the world where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are criminalised.

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Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Imposes the death penalty -
Maximum punishment:
Death penalty - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Three years imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 Dinars - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Fifteen years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Life imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Life imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Criminalises the gender expression of trans people
Imposes the death penalty -
Maximum punishment:
Death by stoning - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Two years imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 Burundian Francs - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Five years imprisonment and a fine of 200,000 West African CFA Francs - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Two years imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 West African CFA Francs - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Five years imprisonment and a fine of 1,000,000 Comorian Francs - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Seven years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Twelve years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Three years imprisonment and a fine of 3,000 Lira - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Three years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
One year imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Three years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Ten years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Three years imprisonment and a fine of 1,000,000 Guinean Francs - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Life imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Criminalises the gender expression of trans people -
Maximum punishment:
Eight years imprisonment and 100 lashes - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Imposes the death penalty -
Maximum punishment:
Death penalty - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
- View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Ten years imprisonment with hard labour - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Fourteen years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Fourteen years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Seven years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises the gender expression of trans people -
Maximum punishment:
Six years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
One year imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Five years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Criminalises the gender expression of trans people -
Maximum punishment:
Fourteen years imprisonment with corporal punishment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Criminalises the gender expression of trans people -
Maximum punishment:
Twenty years imprisonment and whipping - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Eight years imprisonment and 100 lashes - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Imposes the death penalty -
Maximum punishment:
Death by stoning - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Five years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Three years imprisonment and a fine of 1,000 Dirhams - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises the gender expression of trans people -
Maximum punishment:
Ten years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Unclear - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Criminalises the gender expression of trans people
Imposes the death penalty -
Maximum punishment:
Death by stoning - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Criminalises the gender expression of trans people -
Maximum punishment:
Three years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Imposes the death penalty -
Maximum punishment:
Death by stoning - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Ten years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Fourteen years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Imposes the death penalty -
Maximum punishment:
Death by stoning - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Ten years imprisonment with hard labour - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Ten years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Ten years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Five years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Criminalises the gender expression of trans people
Imposes the death penalty -
Maximum punishment:
Death penalty - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Five years imprisonment and a fine of 1,500,000 West African CFA Francs - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Life imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Two years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Fourteen years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Imposes the death penalty -
Maximum punishment:
Death penalty - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises the gender expression of trans people -
Maximum punishment:
Fourteen years imprisonment and a fine - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Criminalises the gender expression of trans people -
Maximum punishment:
Ten years imprisonment and a fine - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Life imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Three years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Life imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Criminalises the gender expression of trans people -
Maximum punishment:
Life imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Three years imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 West African CFA Francs - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Ten years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Three years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Two years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Fourteen years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Life imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Criminalises the gender expression of trans people
Imposes the death penalty -
Maximum punishment:
Death penalty - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
Three years imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women
Imposes the death penalty -
Maximum punishment:
Death penalty - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men
Criminalises sex between women -
Maximum punishment:
Life imprisonment - View country info
-
Criminalisation:
Criminalises LGBT people
Criminalises sex between men -
Maximum punishment:
One year imprisonment and a fine - View country info
Key Facts
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71
jurisdictions criminalise private, consensual, same-sex sexual activity. The majority of these jurisdictions explicitly criminalise sex between men via ‘sodomy’, ‘buggery’ and ‘unnatural offences’ laws. Almost half of them are Commonwealth jurisdictions.
.
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43
jurisdictions criminalise private, consensual sexual activity between women using laws against ‘lesbianism’, ‘sexual relations with a person of the same sex’ and ‘gross indecency’. Even in jurisdictions that do not explicitly criminalise women, lesbians and bisexual women have been subjected to arrest or threat of arrest.
-
11
jurisdictions in which the death penalty is imposed or at least a possibility for private, consensual same-sex sexual activity. At least 6 of these implement the death penalty – Iran, Northern Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen – and the death penalty is a legal possibility in Afghanistan, Brunei, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar and UAE.
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15
jurisdictions criminalise the gender identity and/or expression of transgender people, using so-called ‘cross-dressing’, ‘impersonation’ and ‘disguise’ laws. In many more countries transgender people are targeted by a range of laws that criminalise same-sex activity and vagrancy, hooliganism and public order offences.
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