list of countries which permit or outlaw homosexual behavior

This is a list of laws from around the world permitting or outlawing homosexual behaviour (see sodomy laws). The list is arranged alphabetically by continent (with the Middle East listed separately). It should be noted that this list should not be nessisarily assumed to represent a standard for measuring a nation's homosexual tolerance, per se. Many nations which retained sodomy laws for a lengthy period of time, or even retain them today may in practice be societies that are tolerant of homosexuality, with such laws simply being unenforced anachronisms. Similarly, a country which lacks formal sodomy laws yet posesses a culture which is openly hostile to homosexuals may chose to persecute gay and lesbian individuals by other means.

List of Homosexuality Laws

Africa

idth=150\|Country!!Gay Male!!Lesbian!!Max Penalty!!width=400\|Comments
a href="/encyclopedia/Algeria" title="Algeria">Algeria	Illegal	Illegal	3 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Angola" title="Angola">Angola	Illegal	Illegal	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Benin" title="Benin">Benin	Illegal	Illegal	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Botswana" title="Botswana">Botswana	Illegal	Legal	7 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Burkina-Faso" title="Burkina Faso">Burkina Faso	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Burundi" title="Burundi">Burundi	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Cameroon" title="Cameroon">Cameroon	Illegal	Illegal	5 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Cape-Verde" title="Cape Verde">Cape Verde	Illegal	Illegal	Bail
a href="/encyclopedia/Central-African-Republic" title="Central African Republic">Central African Republic	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Chad" title="Chad">Chad	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Comoros" title="Comoros">Comoros	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Cte-d'Ivoire" title="Cte d'Ivoire">Cte d'Ivoire	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Republic-of-the-Congo" title="Republic of the Congo">Congo	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Djibouti" title="Djibouti">Djibouti	Illegal	Illegal	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo" title="Democratic Republic of the Congo">DR Congo	Unknown	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Equatorial-Guinea" title="Equatorial Guinea">Equatorial Guinea	Unknown	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Eritrea" title="Eritrea">Eritrea	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Ethiopia" title="Ethiopia">Ethiopia	Illegal	Illegal	3 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Gabon" title="Gabon">Gabon	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Gambia" title="Gambia">Gambia	Illegal	Unknown	14 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Gambia" title="Gambia">Gambia	Illegal	Legal	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Guinea" title="Guinea">Guinea	Illegal	Illegal	3 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Guinea-Bissau" title="Guinea Bissau">Guinea Bissau	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Kenya" title="Kenya">Kenya	Illegal	Unknown	14 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Lesotho" title="Lesotho">Lesotho	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Liberia" title="Liberia">Liberia	Illegal	Illegal	Misdemeanor
a href="/encyclopedia/Libya" title="Libya">Libya	Illegal	Illegal	5 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Madagascar" title="Madagascar">Madagascar	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Malawi" title="Malawi">Malawi	Illegal	Illegal	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Mali" title="Mali">Mali	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Mauritania" title="Mauritania">Mauritania	Illegal	Illegal	Death
a href="/encyclopedia/Mauritius" title="Mauritius">Mauritius	Illegal	Illegal	5 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Morocco" title="Morocco">Morocco	Illegal	Illegal	3 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Mozambique" title="Mozambique">Mozambique	Illegal	Legal	3 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Namibia" title="Namibia">Namibia	Illegal	Legal	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Niger" title="Niger">Niger	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Nigeria" title="Nigeria">Nigeria	Illegal	Legal	Death
a href="/encyclopedia/Rwanda" title="Rwanda">Rwanda	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/So-Tom-and-Prncipe" title="So Tom and Prncipe">So Tom and Prncipe	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Senegal" title="Senegal">Senegal	Illegal	Illegal	5 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Seychelles" title="Seychelles">Seychelles	Illegal	Unknown	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Sierra-Leone" title="Sierra Leone">Sierra Leone	Unknown	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Somalia" title="Somalia">Somalia	Illegal	Illegal	3 years
a href="/encyclopedia/South-Africa" title="South Africa">South Africa	Legal	Legal		SA has Constitutional prohibition discrimination based on sexual orientation (since 1996, first in world)
a href="/encyclopedia/Sudan" title="Sudan">Sudan	Illegal	Illegal	Death
a href="/encyclopedia/Swaziland" title="Swaziland">Swaziland	Illegal	Illegal	Prison
a href="/encyclopedia/Tanzania" title="Tanzania">Tanzania	Illegal	Illegal	25 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Togo" title="Togo">Togo	Illegal	Illegal	3 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Tunisia" title="Tunisia">Tunisia	Illegal	Illegal	3 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Uganda" title="Uganda">Uganda	Illegal	Legal	Life
a href="/encyclopedia/Zambia" title="Zambia">Zambia	Illegal	Legal	14 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Zimbabwe" title="Zimbabwe">Zimbabwe	Illegal	Legal	3 years

America, North & Central

idth=150\|Country!!Gay Male!!Lesbian!!Max Penalty!!width=400\|Comments
a href="/encyclopedia/Antigua-and-Barbuda" title="Antigua and Barbuda">Antigua and Barbuda	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Bahamas" title="Bahamas">Bahamas	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Barbados" title="Barbados">Barbados	Illegal	Illegal	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Belize" title="Belize">Belize	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Canada" title="Canada">Canada	Legal	Legal		The sodomy laws were removed from the Criminal Code of Canada in the late 1960s by the then justice minister Pierre Trudeau with his famous statement 'The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation'.
a href="/encyclopedia/Costa-Rica" title="Costa Rica">Costa Rica	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Cuba" title="Cuba">Cuba	Illegal	Illegal	1 year
a href="/encyclopedia/Dominican-Republic" title="Dominican Republic">Dominican Republic	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/El-Salvador" title="El Salvador">El Salvador	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Grenada" title="Grenada">Grenada	Illegal	Legal	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Guatemala" title="Guatemala">Guatemala	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Haiti" title="Haiti">Haiti	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Honduras" title="Honduras">Honduras	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Jamaica" title="Jamaica">Jamaica	Illegal	Legal	10 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Mexico" title="Mexico">Mexico	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Nicaragua" title="Nicaragua">Nicaragua	Illegal	Illegal	3 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Panama" title="Panama">Panama	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Saint-Lucia" title="Saint Lucia">Saint Lucia	Illegal	Illegal	25 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Trinidad-and-Tobago" title="Trinidad and Tobago">Trinidad and Tobago	Illegal	Illegal	10 years
a href="/encyclopedia/United-States" title="United States">United States	Legal	Legal		Sodomy laws in the United States were held unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States in 2003 in the case Lawrence v. Texas.

America, South

idth=150\|Country!!Gay Male!!Lesbian!!Max Penalty!!width=400\|Comments
a href="/encyclopedia/Argentina" title="Argentina">Argentina	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Bolivia" title="Bolivia">Bolivia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Brazil" title="Brazil">Brazil	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Chile" title="Chile">Chile	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Colombia" title="Colombia">Colombia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Ecuador" title="Ecuador">Ecuador	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Guyana" title="Guyana">Guyana	Illegal	Legal	Life
a href="/encyclopedia/Paraguay" title="Paraguay">Paraguay	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Peru" title="Peru">Peru	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Suriname" title="Suriname">Suriname	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Uruguay" title="Uruguay">Uruguay	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Venezuela" title="Venezuela">Venezuela	Legal	Legal

Asia

idth=150\|Country!!Gay Male!!Lesbian!!Max Penalty!!width=400\|Comments
a href="/encyclopedia/Afghanistan" title="Afghanistan">Afghanistan	Illegal	Illegal	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Armenia" title="Armenia">Armenia	Legal	Legal		legal since 2003
a href="/encyclopedia/Azerbaijan" title="Azerbaijan">Azerbaijan	Legal	Legal		legal since 2000
a href="/encyclopedia/Bangladesh" title="Bangladesh">Bangladesh	Illegal	Illegal	Life
a href="/encyclopedia/Bhutan" title="Bhutan">Bhutan	Illegal	Illegal	Life
a href="/encyclopedia/Brunei" title="Brunei">Brunei	Illegal	Illegal	10 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Cambodia" title="Cambodia">Cambodia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/China" title="China">China	Legal	Legal		stoped prosecution since 1997
a href="/encyclopedia/Georgia-(country)" title="Georgia (country)">Georgia	Legal	Legal		legal since 2000
a href="/encyclopedia/India" title="India">India	Illegal	Illegal	Life
a href="/encyclopedia/Indonesia" title="Indonesia">Indonesia	Legal	Legal		since October 2003: plans to criminalize gay sex (12 years)
a href="/encyclopedia/Japan" title="Japan">Japan	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Kazhakstan" title="Kazhakstan">Kazhakstan	Legal	Legal		since 1997
a href="/encyclopedia/Kyrgyzstan" title="Kyrgyzstan">Kyrgyzstan	Legal	Legal		since 1998
a href="/encyclopedia/Laos" title="Laos">Laos	Unknown	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Malaysia" title="Malaysia">Malaysia	Illegal	Illegal	20 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Maldives" title="Maldives">Maldives	Illegal	Legal	Life
a href="/encyclopedia/Mongolia" title="Mongolia">Mongolia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Myanmar" title="Myanmar">Myanmar	Illegal	Illegal	10 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Nepal" title="Nepal">Nepal	Illegal	Illegal	Life
a href="/encyclopedia/North-Korea" title="North Korea">North Korea	Unknown	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/Pakistan" title="Pakistan">Pakistan	Illegal	Illegal	Death
a href="/encyclopedia/Philippines" title="Philippines">Philippines	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Singapore" title="Singapore">Singapore	Illegal	Unknown	Life
a href="/encyclopedia/South-Korea" title="South Korea">South Korea	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Sri-Lanka" title="Sri Lanka">Sri Lanka	Illegal	Legal	12 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Taiwan" title="Taiwan">Taiwan	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Tajikistan" title="Tajikistan">Tajikistan	Legal	Legal		since 1998
a href="/encyclopedia/Thailand" title="Thailand">Thailand	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Turkmenistan" title="Turkmenistan">Turkmenistan	Illegal	Legal	2 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Uzbekistan" title="Uzbekistan">Uzbekistan	Illegal	Legal	3 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Vietnam" title="Vietnam">Vietnam	Legal	Legal

Europe

idth=150\|Country!!Gay Male!!Lesbian!!Max Penalty!!width=400\|Comments
a href="/encyclopedia/Albania" title="Albania">Albania	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Andorra" title="Andorra">Andorra	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Austria" title="Austria">Austria	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Belgium" title="Belgium">Belgium	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Belarus" title="Belarus">Belarus	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Bosnia-Herzegovina" title="Bosnia-Herzegovina">Bosnia-Herzegovina	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Bulgaria" title="Bulgaria">Bulgaria	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Croatia" title="Croatia">Croatia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Cyprus" title="Cyprus">Cyprus	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Czech-Republic" title="Czech Republic">Czech Republic	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Denmark" title="Denmark">Denmark	Legal	Legal	Homosexuality was decriminalized for consenting adults in 1930 and in 1989 Denmark became the first country to grant registered homosexual couples the civil and legal rights of married heterosexual couples.
a href="/encyclopedia/Estonia" title="Estonia">Estonia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Finland" title="Finland">Finland	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/France" title="France">France	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Germany" title="Germany">Germany	Legal	Legal	See Paragraph 175.
a href="/encyclopedia/Greece" title="Greece">Greece	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Hungary" title="Hungary">Hungary	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Iceland" title="Iceland">Iceland	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Ireland" title="Ireland">Ireland	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Italy" title="Italy">Italy	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Latvia" title="Latvia">Latvia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Liechtenstein" title="Liechtenstein">Liechtenstein	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Lithuania" title="Lithuania">Lithuania	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Luxembourg" title="Luxembourg">Luxembourg	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Republic-of-Macedonia" title="Republic of Macedonia">Macedonia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Malta" title="Malta">Malta	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Moldavia" title="Moldavia">Moldavia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Monaco" title="Monaco">Monaco	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Netherlands" title="Netherlands">Netherlands	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Norway" title="Norway">Norway	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Poland" title="Poland">Poland	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Portugal" title="Portugal">Portugal	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Romania" title="Romania">Romania	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Russia" title="Russia">Russia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/San-Marino" title="San Marino">San Marino	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Serbia-and-Montenegro" title="Serbia and Montenegro">Serbia and Montenegro	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Slovakia" title="Slovakia">Slovakia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Slovenia" title="Slovenia">Slovenia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Spain" title="Spain">Spain	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Sweden" title="Sweden">Sweden	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Switzerland" title="Switzerland">Switzerland	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Turkey" title="Turkey">Turkey	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Ukraine" title="Ukraine">Ukraine	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/United-Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Vatican-City" title="Vatican City">Vatican City	Legal	Legal

Middle East

idth=150\|Country!!Gay Male!!Lesbian!!Max Penalty!!width=400\|Comments
a href="/encyclopedia/Bahrain" title="Bahrain">Bahrain	Illegal	Illegal	10 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Egypt" title="Egypt">Egypt	Illegal	Illegal	Varied
a href="/encyclopedia/Iran" title="Iran">Iran	Illegal	Illegal	Death
a href="/encyclopedia/Israel" title="Israel">Israel	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Iraq" title="Iraq">Iraq	Legal	Legal		Legal but taboo; known to be prosecuted under other laws.
a href="/encyclopedia/Jordan" title="Jordan">Jordan	Legal	Legal		Legal but taboo.
a href="/encyclopedia/Kuwait" title="Kuwait">Kuwait	Illegal	Illegal	7 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Lebanon" title="Lebanon">Lebanon	Illegal	Illegal	1 year
a href="/encyclopedia/Oman" title="Oman">Oman	Illegal	Illegal	3 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Palestine" title="Palestine">Palestine	Illegal	Illegal	10 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Qatar" title="Qatar">Qatar	Illegal	Illegal	5 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Saudi-Arabia" title="Saudi Arabia">Saudi Arabia	Illegal	Illegal	Death
a href="/encyclopedia/Syria" title="Syria">Syria	Illegal	Illegal	1 year
a href="/encyclopedia/United-Arab-Emirates" title="United Arab Emirates">United Arab Emirates	Illegal	Illegal	Death
a href="/encyclopedia/Yemen" title="Yemen">Yemen	Illegal	Illegal	Death

Oceania

idth=150\|Country!!Gay Male!!Lesbian!!Max Penalty!!width=400\|Comments
a href="/encyclopedia/Australia" title="Australia">Australia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Fiji" title="Fiji">Fiji	Illegal	Legal	14 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Kiribati" title="Kiribati">Kiribati	Illegal	Legal	14 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Marshall-Islands" title="Marshall Islands">Marshall Islands	Illegal	Legal	10 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Federated-States-of-Micronesia" title="Federated States of Micronesia">Micronesia	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Nauru" title="Nauru">Nauru	Unknown	Unknown
a href="/encyclopedia/New-Zealand" title="New Zealand">New Zealand	Legal	Legal
a href="/encyclopedia/Papua-New-Guinea" title="Papua New Guinea">Papua New Guinea	Illegal	Legal	14 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Samoa" title="Samoa">Samoa	Illegal	Illegal	7 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Solomon-Islands" title="Solomon Islands">Solomon Islands	Illegal	Illegal	14 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Tonga" title="Tonga">Tonga	Illegal	Legal	10 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Tuvalu" title="Tuvalu">Tuvalu	Illegal	Legal	14 years
a href="/encyclopedia/Vanuatu" title="Vanuatu">Vanuatu	Legal	Legal

External Links

www.sodomylaws.org

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