Countries map

Countries

Asia

Bangladesh

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
Maximum punishment:

Life imprisonment

More info

Brunei

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
  • Criminalises the gender expression of trans people
  • Imposes the death penalty
Maximum punishment:

Death by stoning

More info

Malaysia

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
  • Criminalises the gender expression of trans people
Maximum punishment:

Twenty years imprisonment and whipping

More info

Maldives

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
Maximum punishment:

Eight years imprisonment and 100 lashes

More info

Pakistan

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Imposes the death penalty
Maximum punishment:

Death by stoning

More info

Sri Lanka

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
  • Criminalises the gender expression of trans people
Maximum punishment:

Ten years imprisonment and a fine

More info

Africa

Cameroon

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
Maximum punishment:

Five years imprisonment and a fine of 200,000 West African CFA Francs

More info

Eswatini

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
Maximum punishment:

Imprisonment

More info

Ghana

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
Maximum punishment:

Three years imprisonment

More info

Kenya

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
Maximum punishment:

Fourteen years imprisonment

More info

Malawi

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
  • Criminalises the gender expression of trans people
Maximum punishment:

Fourteen years imprisonment with corporal punishment

More info

Nigeria

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
  • Criminalises the gender expression of trans people
  • Imposes the death penalty
Maximum punishment:

Death by stoning

More info

Sierra Leone

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
Maximum punishment:

Life imprisonment

More info

Tanzania

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
Maximum punishment:

Life imprisonment

More info

The Gambia

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
  • Criminalises the gender expression of trans people
Maximum punishment:

Life imprisonment

More info

Togo

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
Maximum punishment:

Three years imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 West African CFA Francs

More info

Uganda

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
  • Imposes the death penalty
Maximum punishment:

Life imprisonment

More info

Zambia

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
Maximum punishment:

Life imprisonment

More info

Caribbean and the Americas

Grenada

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
Maximum punishment:

Ten years imprisonment

More info

Guyana

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
Maximum punishment:

Life imprisonment

More info

Jamaica

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
Maximum punishment:

Ten years imprisonment with hard labour

More info

Saint Lucia

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
Maximum punishment:

Ten years imprisonment

More info

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
Maximum punishment:

Ten years imprisonment

More info

Pacific

Kiribati

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
Maximum punishment:

Fourteen years imprisonment

More info

Papua New Guinea

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
Maximum punishment:

Fourteen years imprisonment

More info

Samoa

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
Maximum punishment:

Five years imprisonment

More info

Solomon Islands

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
  • Criminalises sexual activity between females
Maximum punishment:

Fourteen years imprisonment

More info

Tonga

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
Maximum punishment:

Ten years imprisonment

More info

Tuvalu

Criminalisation:
  • Criminalises LGBT people
  • Criminalises sexual activity between males
Maximum punishment:

Fourteen years imprisonment

More info

Key Facts

  • 63

    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.

  • 40

    countries 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.

  • 12

    countries have 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, UAE and Uganda.

  • 14

    countries 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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