Countries map
This map uses the Peters Projection which presents countries in their true proportion to one another.
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Countries

Asia

Afghanistan

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

Death penalty

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

Iran

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

Death penalty

More info

Pakistan

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

Death by stoning

More info

Qatar

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

Death by stoning

More info

Saudi Arabia

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 penalty

More info

United Arab Emirates

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 penalty

More info

Yemen

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

Death penalty

More info

Africa

Mauritania

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

Death by stoning

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

Somalia

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

Death penalty

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

Key Facts

  • 66

    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.

  • 41

    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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Find out about the research

Across the world lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are criminalised for who they are and who they love.

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Find out about the research

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