LGBT rights by country or territory

Worldwide laws regarding homosexual relationships and expression

	Marriage		Restricted freedom of expression
	Civil union, registered partnership or unregistered cohabitation		Unenforced penalty
	Marriage recognized but not performed		Imprisonment
	Same-sex unions not recognized		Up to life in prison
			Death penalty

Click on map to view an enlarged version where rings in various locations become visible. These indicate places with local or case-by-case applications of law.

LGBT rights at the United Nations

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	Support	Countries which have signed a General Assembly declaration of LGBT rights and/or sponsored the Human Rights Council's 2011 resolution on LGBT rights (96 members).
	Oppose	Countries which signed a 2008 statement opposing LGBT rights (initially 57 members, now 54 members).
	Neither	Countries which, as regards the UN, have expressed neither official support nor opposition to LGBT rights (44 members).
	Non-UN member	Countries that are non-UN members (14 non-UN members).

Laws affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or territory—everything from legal recognition of same-sex marriage or other types of partnerships, to the death penalty as punishment for same-sex romantic/sexual activity or identity.

LGBT rights are considered human rights by the Amnesty International^[1] and civil rights by some.^[2] LGBT rights laws include, but are not limited to, the following:

• allowing of men who have sex with men to donate blood
• government recognition of same-sex relationships (such as via same-sex marriage or similar unions)
• allowing of LGBT adoption
• recognition of LGBT parenting
• anti-bullying legislation and student non-discrimination laws to protect LGBT children and/or students
• immigration equality laws
• anti-discrimination laws for employment and housing
• hate crime laws providing enhanced criminal penalties for prejudice-motivated violence against LGBT people
• equal age of consent laws
• equal access to assisted reproductive technology
• access to sex reassignment surgery and hormone replacement therapy
• legal recognition and accommodation of reassigned gender
• laws related to sexual orientation and military service

As of July 2015, eighteen countries, most of them located in the Americas and Western Europe,^{[lower-alpha 1]} recognize same-sex marriage and grant most of (if not all) the other rights listed above to its LGBT citizens.

Anti-LGBT laws include, but are not limited to, the following: sodomy laws penalizing consensual same-sex sexual activity with fines, jail terms, or the death penalty; anti-"lesbianism" laws; and higher ages of consent for same-sex activity.

In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed its first resolution recognizing LGBT rights, which was followed up with a report from the UN Human Rights Commission documenting violations of the rights of LGBT people, including hate crime, criminalization of homosexuality, and discrimination. Following up on the report, the UN Human Rights Commission urged all countries which had not yet done so to enact laws protecting basic LGBT rights.^[3][4]

As of July 2015, seventy two countries^{[lower-alpha 7]} as well as five sub-national jurisdictions^{[lower-alpha 8]} have laws criminalizing homosexuality, with most of them located in Asia and Africa.

History of LGBT-related laws

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Ancient Celts

According to Aristotle, although most "belligerent nations" were strongly influenced by their women, the Celts were unusual because their men openly preferred male lovers (Politics II 1269b).^[5] H. D. Rankin in Celts and the Classical World notes that "Athenaeus echoes this comment (603a) and so does Ammianus (30.9). It seems to be the general opinion of antiquity."^[6] In book XIII of his Deipnosophists, the Roman Greek rhetorician and grammarian Athenaeus, repeating assertions made by Diodorus Siculus in the 1st century BC (Bibliotheca historica 5:32), wrote that Celtic women were beautiful but that the men preferred to sleep together. Diodorus went further, stating that "the young men will offer themselves to strangers and are insulted if the offer is refused". Rankin argues that the ultimate source of these assertions is likely to be Poseidonius and speculates that these authors may be recording male "bonding rituals".^[7]

Ancient India

Throughout Hindu and Vedic texts there are many descriptions of saints, demigods, and even the Supreme Lord transcending gender norms and manifesting multiple combinations of sex and gender.^[8] There are several instances in ancient Indian epic poetry of same sex depictions and unions by gods and goddesses. There are several stories of depicting love between same sexes especially among kings and queens. Kamasutra, the ancient Indian treatise on love talks about feelings for same sexes. Transsexuals are also venerated e.g. Lord Vishnu as Mohini and Lord Shiva as Ardhanarishwara (which means half woman).^[9]

Ancient West Asia

Ancient Israel

The ancient Law of Moses (the Torah) forbids men lying with men (intercourse) in Leviticus 18 and gives a story of attempted homosexual rape in Genesis in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities being soon destroyed after that. The death penalty was prescribed. In Deuteronomy 22:5, cross-dressing is condemned as being "abominable".

Ancient Persia

In Persia homosexuality and homoerotic expressions were tolerated in numerous public places, from monasteries and seminaries to taverns, military camps, bathhouses, and coffee houses. In the early Safavid era (1501–1723), male houses of prostitution (amrad khane) were legally recognized and paid taxes. Persian poets, such as Sa’di (d. 1291), Hafiz (d. 1389), and Jami (d. 1492), wrote poems replete with homoerotic allusions. The two most commonly documented forms were commercial sex with transgender young males or males enacting transgender roles exemplified by the köçeks and Sufi spiritual practices in which the practitioner admired the form of a beautiful boy in order to enter ecstatic states and glimpse the beauty of God.

Ancient Mesopotamia

Middle Assyrian Law Codes dating 1075 BC states: "If a man have(sic) intercourse with his brother-in-arms, they shall turn him into a eunuch."^[10]

Ancient Rome

The "conquest mentality" of the ancient Romans shaped Roman homosexual practices.^[11] In the Roman Republic, a citizen's political liberty was defined in part by the right to preserve his body from physical compulsion or use by others;^[12] for the male citizen to submit his body to the giving of pleasure was considered servile.^[13] As long as a man played the penetrative role, it was socially acceptable and considered natural for him to have same-sex relations, without a perceived loss of his masculinity or social standing.^[14] The bodies of citizen youths were strictly off-limits, and the Lex Scantinia imposed penalites on those who committed a sex crime (stuprum) against a freeborn male minor.^[15] Acceptable same-sex partners were males excluded from legal protections as citizens: slaves, male prostitutes, and the infames, entertainers or others who might be technically free but whose lifestyles set them outside the law.

"Homosexual" and "heterosexual" were thus not categories of Roman sexuality, and no words exist in Latin that would precisely translate these concepts.^[16] A male citizen who willingly performed oral sex or received anal sex was disparaged, but there is only limited evidence of legal penalties against these men, who were presumably "homosexual" in the modern sense.^[17] In courtroom and political rhetoric, charges of effeminacy and passive sexual behaviors were directed particularly at "democratic" politicians (populares) such as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.^[18]

Roman law addressed the rape of a male citizen as early as the 2nd century BC, when a ruling was issued in a case that may have involved a man of same-sex orientation. It was ruled that even a man who was "disreputable and questionable" had the same right as other citizens not to have his body subjected to forced sex.^[19] A law probably dating to the dictatorship of Julius Caesar defined rape as forced sex against "boy, woman, or anyone"; the rapist was subject to execution, a rare penalty in Roman law.^[20] A male classified as infamis, such as a prostitute or actor, could not as a matter of law be raped, nor could a slave, who was legally classified as property; the slave's owner, however, could prosecute the rapist for property damage.^[21]

In the Roman army of the Republic, sex among fellow soldiers violated the decorum against intercourse with citizens and was subject to harsh penalties, including death,^[22] as a violation of military discipline.^[23] The Greek historian Polybius (2nd century BC) lists deserters, thieves, perjurers, and "those who in youth have abused their persons" as subject to the fustuarium, clubbing to death.^[24] Ancient sources are most concerned with the effects of sexual harassment by officers, but the young soldier who brought an accusation against his superior needed to show that he had not willingly taken the passive role or prostituted himself.^[25] Soldiers were free to have relations with their male slaves;^[26] the use of a fellow citizen-soldier's body was prohibited, not homosexual behaviors per se.^[27] By the late Republic and throughout the Imperial period, there is increasing evidence that men whose lifestyle marked them as "homosexual" in the modern sense served openly.^[28]

Although Roman law did not recognize marriage between men, and in general Romans regarded marriage as a heterosexual union with the primary purpose of producing children, in the early Imperial period some male couples were celebrating traditional marriage rites. Juvenal remarks with disapproval that his friends often attended such ceremonies.^[29] The emperor Nero had two marriages to men, once as the bride (with a freedman Pythagoras) and once as the groom. His consort Sporus appeared in public as Nero's wife wearing the regalia that was customary for the Roman empress.^[30]

Apart from measures to protect the prerogatives of citizens, the prosecution of homosexuality as a general crime began in the 3rd century of the Christian era when male prostitution was banned by Philip the Arab. By the end of the 4th century, after the Roman Empire had come under Christian rule, passive homosexuality was punishable by burning.^[31] "Death by sword" was the punishment for a "man coupling like a woman" under the Theodosian Code.^[32] Under Justinian, all same-sex acts, passive or active, no matter who the partners, were declared contrary to nature and punishable by death.^[33]

Congo

E. E. Evans-Pritchard recorded that in the past male Azande warriors in the northern Congo routinely took on young male lovers between the ages of twelve and twenty, who helped with household tasks and participated in intercrural sex with their older husbands. The practice had died out by the early 20th century, after Europeans had gained control of African countries, but was recounted to Evans-Pritchard by the elders to whom he spoke.^[34]

Feudal Japan

In feudal Japan, homosexuality was recognized, between equals (bi-do), in terms of pederasty (wakashudo), and in terms of prostitution. The younger partner in a pederastic relationship often was expected to make the first move; the opposite was true in ancient Greece. In religious circles, same-sex love spread to the warrior (samurai) class, where it was customary for a boy in the wakashū age category to undergo training in the martial arts by apprenticing to a more experienced adult man. The man was permitted, if the boy agreed, to take the boy as his lover until he came of age; this relationship, often formalized in a "brotherhood contract",^[35] was expected to be exclusive, with both partners swearing to take no other (male) lovers. The Samurai period was one in which homosexuality was seen as particularly positive. Later when Japanese society became pacified, the middle classes adopted many of the practices of the warrior class.

Lesotho

Anthropologists Stephen Murray and Will Roscoe reported that women in Lesotho engaged in socially sanctioned "long term, erotic relationships" called motsoalle.^[36]

Papua New Guinea

In Papua New Guinea, same-sex relationships were an integral part of the culture until the middle of the last century. The Etoro and Marind-anim for example, even viewed heterosexuality as wasteful and celebrated homosexuality instead. They believed that in sharing semen, they are sharing their life force, yet women simply wasted this force any time they didn't get pregnant after sex. In many traditional Melanesian cultures a prepubertal boy would be paired with an older adolescent who would become his mentor and who would "inseminate" him (orally, anally, or topically, depending on the tribe) over a number of years in order for the younger to also reach puberty.^[37]

Global LGBT Rights Maps

Maps

Laws regarding same-sex sexuality by country or territory   Same-sex marriage   Other type of partnership (or unregistered cohabitation)   Foreign same-sex marriages recognized   No recognition of same-sex couples   Laws restricting freedom of expression and association   De jure penalty that is de facto not enforced   Imprisonment   Imprisonment (up to life sentence)   Up to death LGBT rights at the United Nations   Support Countries which have signed a General Assembly declaration of LGBT rights and/or sponsored the Human Rights Council's 2011 resolution on LGBT rights (96 members)   Oppose Countries which signed a 2008 statement opposing LGBT rights (initially 57 members, now 54 members)   Neither Countries which, as regards the UN, have expressed neither official support nor opposition to LGBT rights (44 members   Non-UN member Countries that are non-UN members (14 non-UN members) Homosexual "propaganda" laws by country or territory   Homosexual "propaganda" laws by country or territory   Countries or territories that don't have homosexual "propaganda" laws Decriminalization of same-sex sexual intercourse by country or territory   1790–1799   1800–1819   1820–1829   1830–1839   1840–1859   1860–1869   1870–1879   1880–1889   1890–1909   1910–1919   1920–1929   1930–1939   1940–19491   1950–1959   1960–1969   1970–1979   1980–1989   1990–19992   2000–2009   2010-present3   Same-sex sexual activity legal4   Male same-sex sexual intercourse illegal   Same-sex sexual intercourse illegal 1During World War II, Nazi Germany annexed territory or established reichskommissariats which extended Germany's laws against same-sex sexual intercourse to those territories and reichskommissariats. Same-sex sexual intercourse was previously legalized in the following countries or territories before German annexation or establishment of reichskommissariats: Bas-Rhin (legal in 1791), Belgium (legal in 1795), Belluno (legal in 1890), Friuli-Venezia Giulia (legal in 1890), Haut-Rhin (legal in 1791), Luxembourg (legal in 1795), Moselle (legal in 1791), Netherlands (legal in 1811), Nord (legal in 1791), Pas-de-Calais (legal in 1791), Poland (legal in 1932), and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (legal in 1890). All countries and territories listed that where annexed or established into reichskommissariats by Nazi Germany during World War II where restored as independent countries or reincorporated into their previous countries during or after the war and thus re-legalized same-sex sexual intercourse in those areas. 2In May 1973, the Libyan Arab Republic annexed the Aouzou Strip from Chad. Libya's laws against same-sex sexual intercourse where thus extended to the annexed Aouzou Strip. In August 1987, during the Toyota War between the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Chad, Aouzou fell to the Chadian forces, only to be repelled by an overwhelming Libyan counter-offensive. The Aouzou dispute was concluded on February 3, 1994, when the judges of the International Court of Justice by a majority of 16 to 1 decided that the Aouzou Strip belonged to Chad. Monitored by international observers, the withdrawal of Libyan troops from the Strip began on April 15, 1994, and was completed by May 10, 1994. The formal and final transfer of the Aouzou Strip from Libya to Chad took place on May 30, 1994, when the sides signed a joint declaration stating that the Libyan withdrawal had been effected. 3During the Iraq Crisis / Iraqi Civil War, from 2013 to present, parts of Iraq were taken over by the Islamic State, enacting sharia and executing LGBT people. Territories, from 2014 to present, retaken by Iraqi government and thus re-legalized same-sex sexual intercourse in those areas. 4Same-sex sexual intercourse was never criminalized in the following countries and territories: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad (excluding Aouzou Strip), Clipperton Island, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Gabon, Indonesia, (excluding Aceh, British Bencoolen, Netherlands East-Indies (prior to 1811), and South Sumatra) Laos, Madagascar, Mali, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Niger, North Korea, South Korea, Vietnam, and Wallis and Futuna. Equalization of age of consent laws for same-sex couples by country or territory   1790–1829   1830–1839   1840–1859   1860–1869   1870–1879   1880–1889   1890–1929   1930–1939   1940–19491   1950–1959   1960–1969   1970–1979   1980–1989   1990–1999   2000–2009   2010-present   Equal age of consent laws for opposite and same-sex couples   Unequal age of consent laws for same-sex couples 1During World War II, Nazi Germany annexed territory or established reichskommissariats which extended Germany's laws against same-sex sexual intercourse to those territories and reichskommissariats. Age of consent was previously equalized for same-sex couples in the following countries or territories before German annexation or establishment of reichskommissariats: Belluno (legal in 1890), Friuli-Venezia Giulia (legal in 1890), Poland (legal in 1932), and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (legal in 1890). All countries and territories listed that where annexed or established into reichskommissariats by Nazi Germany during World War II where restored as independent countries or reincorporated into their previous countries during or after the war and thus re-legalized equal age of consent laws for same-sex couples in those areas. Legal status of adoption by same-sex couples by country or territory   Joint adoption allowed1   Second-parent adoption allowed2   No laws allowing adoption by same-sex couples 1In Finland a law will come into force in 2017 LGBT service in national militarizes by country or territory   All LGBT people can serve   GBT men can serve   LGB people can serve   GB men can serve   Ambiguous or conditional policy   LGBT people are banned from serving   No military   No data on LGBT service Employment discrimination laws by sexual orientation and/or gender identity by country or territory   Sexual orientation and gender identity: all employment   Sexual orientation with anti–employment discrimination ordinance and gender identity solely in public employment   Sexual orientation: all employment   Gender identity: all employment   Sexual orientation and gender identity: federal public employment and federal contractors   Sexual orientation and gender identity: public employment   Sexual orientation: public employment   No national-level employment laws covering sexual orientation and/or gender identity Constitutional discrimination laws by sexual orientation and/or gender identity by country or territory   Sexual orientation covered   Gender identity covered   No national or local level constitutional discrimination laws covering sexual orientation and/or gender identity LGBT hate crime laws by country or territory   Sexual orientation and gender identity hate crime laws   Sexual orientation hate crime laws   No LGBT hate crime laws Incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation and gender identity prohibited by country or territory   Incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation and gender identity   Incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation prohibited   No prohibition on incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation and gender identity Bans on LGBT conversion therapy for minors by country or territory   Ban on LGBT conversion therapy for minors   No prohibition LGBT conversion therapy for minors LGBT immigration equality by country or territory   Recognition of same-sex couples in national immigration laws   Unknown/ambiguous Bans on same-sex unions by country or territory   No specific prohibition of same-sex marriages or unions   Statute bans same-sex marriage   Constitution bans same-sex marriage   Constitution bans same-sex marriage and equivalent/similar union Blood donation policies for men who have sex with men by country or territory   Men who have sex with men may donate blood; No deferral   Men who have sex with men may donate blood; Temporary deferral   Men who have sex with men may not donate blood; Permanent deferral1   No Data 1No restriction in Israel and the United States of America if last MSM activity was before 1977. Blood donation policies for female sex partners of men who have sex with men by country or territory   Female sex partners of men who have sex with men may donate blood; No deferral   Female sex partners of men who have sex with men may donate blood; Temporary deferral   Female sex partners of men who have sex with men may not donate blood; Permanent deferral   No Data Laws concerning gender identity-expression by country or territory   Legal identity change   No legal identity change   Unknown/Ambiguous

LGBT-related laws by country or territory

Africa

Northern Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Algeria	Illegal since 1966 Penalty: Fine and up to 2 years imprisonment.[38][39]
Ceuta (Autonomous city of Spain)	Legal since 1979 + UN decl. sign.[38]	De facto union since 1998[40]	Legal since 2005[41]	Legal since 2005[42]	Spain responsible for defence	Bans all anti-gay discrimination[43]	Since 2007, all documents can be amended to the recognised gender[44]
Egypt	Male de facto illegal Penalty: Up to 17 years imprisonment with or without hard labour and with or without torture and fines under broadly written morality laws Female uncertain.[38][45]
Libya	Illegal Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment.[38][46]
Melilla (Autonomous city of Spain)	Legal since 1979 + UN decl. sign.[38]	De facto union since 2008[47]	Legal since 2005[41]	Legal since 2005[42]	Spain responsible for defence	Bans all anti-gay discrimination[43]	Since 2007, all documents can be amended to the recognised gender[44]
Morocco (Including Southern Provinces)	Illegal Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment.[38][48]
South Sudan	Illegal since 1899 (as Anglo-Egyptian Sudan) Penalty: Up to 10 years imprisonment.[38][39]		Constitutional ban since 2011.
Sudan	Illegal since 1899 (as Anglo-Egyptian Sudan) Penalty: Death penalty on third offense for men and on fourth offense for women.[38]
Tunisia	Illegal Penalty: 3 years imprisonment.[38][49]

Western Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Benin	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country).[38][50] (Age of consent discrepancy)[51]
Burkina Faso	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country).[38]		Constitutional ban since 1991.
Cape Verde	Legal since 2004 + UN decl. sign.					Bans some anti-gay discrimination.[38]
Côte d'Ivoire	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country).[38] (Age of consent discrepancy)[51]
Gambia	Illegal since 1888 (as Gambia Colony and Protectorate) Penalty: Up to Iife imprisonment.[38][52][39]
Ghana	Male illegal since 1860s (as Gold Coast) Penalty: 10 years imprisonment or more Female always legal.[38][53][39]
Guinea	Penalty: 6 months to 3 years imprisonment.[38]
Guinea-Bissau	Legal since 1993[38] + UN decl. sign.
Liberia	Illegal Penalty: 1 year imprisonment.[38]
Mali	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country).[38]
Mauritania	Illegal Penalty: Death penalty (No public executions for any crime since 1987).[38]
Niger	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country).[38] (Age of consent discrepancy)[51]
Nigeria	Illegal under federal law since 1901 (as Northern Nigeria Protectorate and Southern Nigeria Protectorate) Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment Illegal in the states of Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara Penalty: Death penalty for men. Whipping and/or imprisonment for women.[38][54][39]
Senegal	Illegal Penalty: 1 to 5 years imprisonment.[38]
Sierra Leone	Male illegal since 1861 (as the colony of Sierra Leone) Penalty: Up to life imprisonment (Not enforced) Female always legal + UN decl. sign.[38]
Togo	Illegal since 1884 (as Togoland) Penalty: Fine and 3 years imprisonment.[38][39]

Central Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Cameroon	Illegal since 1972 Penalty: Fines to 5 years imprisonment.[38][39]
Central African Republic	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country). + UN decl. sign.[38]
Chad	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country). (Same-sex sexual activity illegal in Aouzou Strip under annexation of Libya from 1973 to 1994).[38] (Age of consent discrepancy)[51]
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country).[38]		Constitutional ban since 2005.
Equatorial Guinea	Legal.[38]
Gabon	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country) + UN decl. sign.[38] (Age of consent discrepancy)[51]
Republic of the Congo	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country).[38] (Age of consent discrepancy)[51]
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 2001 + UN decl. sign.[38]				Since 2000. UK responsible for defence.	Constitutional ban all anti-gay on discrimination.	Since 2013.
São Tomé and Príncipe	Legal since 2012 + UN decl. sign.[38][55]

Southeast Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Burundi	Illegal since 2009 Penalty: 3 months to 2 years imprisonment.[38][56]		Constitutional ban since 2005.
Kenya	Illegal since 1897 (as East Africa Protectorate) Penalty: up to 14 years imprisonment.[38][39]		Constitutional ban since 2010.[57]
Rwanda	Legal since 1916 (as Ruanda-Urundi)[38] (Age of consent discrepancy)[51][39] + UN decl. sign.		Constitutional ban since 2003.
Uganda	Male illegal since 1894 (as Protectorate of Uganda) Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment Female illegal since 2000 Penalty: Up to 7 years imprisonment.[38][39]		Constitutional ban since 2005.
Tanzania	Illegal since 1864 (only Zanzibar) Illegal since 1899 (as German East Africa; only Tanzania, excluding Zanzibar) Penalty: Up to life imprisonment.[38][39]

Horn of Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Djibouti	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country).[38]
Eritrea	Illegal Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment (Not enforced)[38]
Ethiopia	Illegal Penalty: 10 years imprisonment or more[38]
Somalia	Illegal Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment[38]

Indian Ocean States

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Comoros	Illegal Penalty: 5 years imprisonment & fines[38]
French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Overseas territory of France)	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the territory).[38]	Civil solidarity pact since 1999	Legal since 2013	Legal since 2013		Bans all anti-gay discrimination	However, it requires sterilization for sex change.
Madagascar	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country).[38] (Age of consent discrepancy)[51]
Mauritius	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity; however, anal sex is illegal, punishable with 5 years' prison) Female always legal [58]+ UN decl. sign.[38]					Bans some anti-gay discrimination[59][60]
Mayotte (Overseas department of France)	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the department).[38]	Civil solidarity pact since 1999	Legal since 2013	Legal since 2013		Bans all anti-gay discrimination	However, it requires sterilization for sex change.
Réunion (Overseas department of France)	Legal since 1791[38]	Civil solidarity pact since 1999	Legal since 2013	Legal since 2013		Bans all anti-gay discrimination	However, it requires sterilization for sex change.
Seychelles	Male illegal Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment (Not enforced) Female always legal + UN decl. sign.[38]					Bans all anti-gay discrimination[38]

Southern Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Angola	De facto illegal Penalty: Fines, restrictions or penal labor (Not enforced)[38]
Botswana	Illegal since 1885 (as Bechuanaland Protectorate) Penalty: Fine to up to 7 years imprisonment (Not enforced)[38][39]					Bans some anti-gay discrimination[38]
Lesotho	Male legal since 2012 Female always legal[61]
Malawi	Illegal since 1891 (as Nyasaland Districts Protectorate) Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment & whippings (Law suspended from usage since 2012)[38][62][39]
Mozambique	Legal since 2015[63][64]					Bans some anti-gay discrimination[38][59]
Namibia	Male illegal since 1920 (as South-West Africa; Not enforced)[39] Female always legal[38][65][66]
South Africa	Male legal since 1998 Female always legal + UN decl. sign.[38]	Limited recognition of unregistered partnerships since 1998; Same-sex marriage since 2006.	Legal since 2006	Legal since 2002	Since 1998	Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Anti-discrimination laws are interpreted to include gender identity; legal gender may be changed after surgical or medical treatment.
Swaziland	Male illegal since the 1880s Female always legal[38][39]
Zambia	Illegal since 1911 (as Rhodesia) Penalty: up to 14 years imprisonment[38][39]
Zimbabwe	Male illegal since 1891 (as Rhodesia) Female always legal[38][39]		Constitutional ban since 2013

Partially recognized or unrecognized states

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Excluding Southern Provinces)	Illegal Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment[67]
Somaliland	Illegal since 1941 (as British Somaliland Protectorate) Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment[38][39]

The Americas

North America

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB people allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Bermuda (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 1994 (age of consent discrepancy) + UN decl. sign.[38]			Legal since 2015[68]	UK responsible for defence.	Bans all anti-gay discrimination.[69]
Canada	Legal since 1969 (age of consent discrepancy and prohibition of anal intercourse in some cases) + UN decl. sign.[38][70]	Domestic partnership in Nova Scotia (2001)[71]; Civil union in Quebec (2002)[72]; Adult interdependent relationship in Alberta (2003)[73]; Common-law relationship in Manitoba (2004)[74]	Legal in some provinces and territories since 2003, nationwide since 2005.[75]	Legal in some provinces and territories since 1996, nationwide since 2010.[76]	Since 1992[77]	Bans all anti-gay discrimination, including hate speech. Pathologization or attempted treatment of sexual orientation by mental health professionals illegal in Ontario since 2015.	Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name after completion of medical intervention in most provinces and territories (not required in Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia); Explicit anti-discrimination protections only in Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, the Northwest Territories and Nova Scotia implicit elsewhere.[78][79][80][81]
Greenland (Constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark)	Legal since 1933 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Registered partnership since 1996[82]	Legal since 2016	Step-child adoption since 2009.[83] Joint adoption since 2016.[84]	Denmark responsible for defence.	Bans some anti-gay discrimination.[38]
Mexico	Legal since 1871 + UN decl. sign.[38]	/ Civil union in Mexico City (2007), Coahuila (2007),[85] Colima (2013),[86] Campeche (2013),[87] Jalisco (2014)[88] and Michoacán (TBD).[89]	/ Legal in Mexico City (2010),[90] Quintana Roo (2012),[91] Coahuila (2014), Chihuahua (2015) and Guerrero (2015). All states are obliged to honour same-sex marriages performed in states where it is legal.[90] (Proposed nationwide).[92][93] The Supreme Court has declared that it is unconstitutional to deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples in all states,[94] but as state constitutions were not invalidated, individual injunctions must still be obtained from the court.[95][96]	/ Explicitly legal in Mexico City (2010)[97] and Coahuila (2014).[98] Nationwide, married same-sex couples may adopt.[99]	/ No explicit ban. However, LGB persons have been reportedly discharged on the grounds of "immorality".[100]	Constitutional ban on all anti-gay discrimination.[101]	Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name in Mexico City since 2008.[102] Mexico adopted a legal protocol for gender identity and sexual orientation in 2014 based upon constitutional provisions to equally protect the rights of all citizens.[103]
Saint Pierre et Miquelon (Overseas collectivity of France)	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Civil solidarity pact since 1999[104]	Legal since 2013[105]	Legal since 2013[106]		Bans all anti-gay discrimination.[43]	Requires sterilization for legal change.[107]
United States	Legal in some states since 1962, nationwide since 2003 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Domestic partnership in California (1999),[108] the District of Columbia (2002),[109] Maine (2004),[110] Oregon (2008),[111] Maryland (2008),[112] Wisconsin (2009)[113] and Nevada (2009)[114]; Civil union in New Jersey (2007),[115] Illinois (2011),[116] Hawaii (2012),[117] and Colorado (2013)[118]	Legal in some states since 2004. Nationwide since 2015, except American Samoa and some tribal jurisdictions.[119][120]	Legal in some states since 1993. Nationwide since 2015, except Mississippi and American Samoa.[120]	Since 2011[121]	/ Federal executive order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation for employees in the federal civilian workforce, along with the government employment in the District of Columbia, and the United States Postal Service, since 1998 (see Executive Order 12968 and Executive Order 13087). Pathologization or attempted treatment of sexual orientation with minors by mental health professionals illegal in some states. (Banned in California, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon and the District of Columbia). Included in the federal hate crimes law since 2009. (Sexual orientation discrimination in public and private employment)	/ Gender identity discrimination in employment and healthcare insurance banned since 2012.[122][123] Included in the federal hate crimes law since 2009. (Gender identity discrimination in public and private employment)

Central America

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB people allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Belize	Male illegal since 2003 Penalty: 10-year prison sentence (not enforced) Female always legal.[38]
Costa Rica	Legal since 1971 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Unregistered cohabitation since 2014; (De facto union pending)[124][125]		LGBT individuals may adopt.[126]	Has no military.	Bans all anti-gay discrimination.[38]
El Salvador	Legal since the 1800s + UN decl. sign.[38]		(Constitutional ban pending)[127]		[128]	Bans all anti-gay discrimination.[128]	Bans hate crimes based on gender identity.[129][130]
Guatemala	Legal since 1800's + UN decl. sign.[38]
Honduras	Legal since 1899 + UN decl. sign.[38]		Constitutional ban since 2005.[131][132]			Bans hate crimes based on sexual orientation.[38]	Bans hate crimes based on gender identity.[38]
Nicaragua	Legal since 2008 + UN decl. sign.[38]					Bans some anti-gay discrimination.[38]
Panama	Legal since 2008 + UN decl. sign.[38]				Has no military.	(Anti-discrimination law proposed).[133]	Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name after completion of medical intervention since 2006.[134]

Caribbean

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB people allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Anguilla (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 2000 + UN decl. sign.[38]				UK responsible for defence.
Antigua and Barbuda	Illegal Penalty: 15-year prison sentence.[38]
Aruba (Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)	Legal + UN decl. sign.[38]	(Pending)[135]	/(Pending) Same-sex marriages performed in the Netherlands recognized.[136]		The Netherlands responsible for defence.
Bahamas	Legal since 1991 (age of consent discrepancy) + UN decl. sign.[38]				[38]
Barbados	Illegal Penalty: Life imprisonment (not enforced).[38]
British Virgin Islands (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 2000 + UN decl. sign.[38]				UK responsible for defence.	Constitutional ban on all anti-gay discrimination.[137]
Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba; Special municipalities of the Netherlands)	Legal + UN decl. sign.[38]	Registered partnership since 2012[138]	Legal since 2012[139]	[140]	The Netherlands responsible for defence.	Bans all anti-gay discrimination.[141]	[142]
Cayman Islands (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 2000 (age of consent discrepancy) [143] + UN decl. sign.[38]		Constitutional ban since 2009.[144]		UK responsible for defence.
Cuba	Legal since 1979 + UN decl. sign.[38]		Constitutional ban since 1976.		[38]	Bans some anti-gay discrimination.[145][146]	[147]
Curaçao (Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)	Legal + UN decl. sign.[38]	(Proposed)	/ Same-sex marriages performed in the Netherlands recognized.[136]		The Netherlands responsible for defence.
Dominica	Illegal Penalty: 10-year prison sentence or incarceration in a psychiatric institution + UN decl. sign.[38]
Dominican Republic	Legal since 1822 + UN decl. sign.[38]		Constitutional ban since 2010.[148]		[149]
Grenada	Male illegal Penalty: 10-year prison sentence Female always legal.[38]				Has no military.
Guadeloupe (Overseas department of France)	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Civil solidarity pact since 1999[104]	Legal since 2013[105]	Legal since 2013[106]		Bans all anti-gay discrimination.[43]	Requires sterilization for legal change.[107]
Haiti	Legal since 1986[38]				Has no military.
Jamaica	Male illegal Penalty: 10 years hard labor (not enforced) Female always legal.[38]
Martinique (Overseas department of France)	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Civil solidarity pact since 1999[104]	Legal since 2013[105]	Legal since 2013[106]		Bans all anti-gay discrimination.[43]	Requires sterilization for legal change.[107]
Montserrat (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 2000 + UN decl. sign.[38]		Constitutional ban since 2010.[150]		UK responsible for defence.	Constitutional ban on all anti-gay discrimination.[151]
Puerto Rico (Commonwealth of the United States)	Legal since 2003 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Since 2015	Legal since 2015[152]	Legal since 2015	Since 2011[121]	Bans hate crimes since 2002 and anti–employment discrimination since 2013. US hate crime laws also apply.	Bans hate crimes since 2002 and anti–employment discrimination since 2013. US hate crime laws also apply.
Saint Barthélemy (Overseas collectivity of France since 2007)	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Civil solidarity pact since 1999[104]	Legal since 2013[105]	Legal since 2013[106]		Bans all anti-gay discrimination.[43]	Requires sterilization for legal change.[107]
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Male illegal Penalty: 10 years Female always legal.[38]
Saint Lucia	Male illegal Penalty: fine and/or 10-year prison sentence Female always legal.[38]				Has no military.
Saint Martin (Overseas collectivity of France since 2007)	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Civil solidarity pact since 1999[104]	Legal since 2013[105]	Legal since 2013[106]		Bans all anti-gay discrimination.[43]	Requires sterilization for legal change.[107]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Illegal Penalty: fine and/or 10-year prison sentence.[38]				Has no military.
Sint Maarten (Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)	Legal + UN decl. sign.[38]	(Proposed)	/ Same-sex marriages performed in the Netherlands recognized.[136]		The Netherlands responsible for defence.
Trinidad and Tobago	Illegal Penalty: 25-year prison sentence (not enforced).[38]
Turks and Caicos Islands (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 2000 + UN decl. sign.[38]		Constitutional ban since 2011.[153]		UK responsible for defence.	Constitutional ban on all anti-gay discrimination.[38]
United States Virgin Islands (Insular area of the United States)	Legal since 1985 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Since 2015[120]	Legal since 2015[120]	Legal since 2015[120]	Since 2011[121]	The US hate crime laws also apply to all US external territories as well.	The US hate crime laws also apply to all US external territories as well.

South America

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB people allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Argentina	Legal since 1887 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Civil union in Buenos Aires (2003)[154] and Rio Negro (2003)[155] Cohabitation union nationwide since 2015[156]	Legal since 2010.[157]	Legal since 2010	Since 2009[158]	/ Legal protection in some provinces (federal law pending).[159] Pathologization or attempted treatment of sexual orientation by mental health professionals illegal.	Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name without surgeries or judicial permission since 2012.[160]
Bolivia	Legal + UN decl. sign.[38]	Constitutional ban on free unions.[161] (Family life agreement pending)[162]	Constitutional ban since 2009.[163]	LGBT individuals may adopt.[164]	Since 2010 the Armed Forces prohibits the ejection from the military because of sexual orientation.[165][166]	Bans all anti-gay discrimination.[38]	Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name after completion of medical intervention since 2005.[167][168][169]
Brazil	Legal since 1831 + UN decl. sign.[38]	"Stable unions" legal in some states since 2004. All rights as recognized family entities available nationwide since 2011.[170][171]	Legal in some states since 2012, nationwide since 2013.[172][173]	Legal since 2010[174]	Since 1969[175]	/ All state-sanctioned social discrimination of citizens since 1988. Legal protection for sexual orientation in many jurisdictions (expansion of anti-discrimination (all) national Constitutional amendment discussed in the Senate).[176] Pathologization or attempted treatment of sexual orientation by mental health professionals illegal since 1999.[177][178]	Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name after completion of medical intervention since 2009.[179][180][181]
Chile	Legal since 1999 (age of consent discrepancy) + UN decl. sign.[38]	Civil union agreement since 2015[182]	(Pending).[183]	LGBT individuals may adopt (Joint and step-child adoption pending).[184]	Since 2012.[185]	Bans all anti-gay discrimination since 2012.[186]	Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name after completion of medical intervention since 2007. Surgery no longer a requirement beginning in 2015. Judicial permission required.[187] Currently, a broader gender identity law (which would not require any surgeries or judicial permission) is being discussed by the congress.[188][189]
Colombia	Legal since 1981 + UN decl. sign.[38]	De facto marital union since 2007[190]	(Pending Constitutional Court ruling)[191]	Step-child adoption since 2014.[192] Joint adoption since 2015[193]	Since 1999. Since 2009 the military special social security system can be used by same sex couples in the army.[38]	Since 2011 Bans all anti-gay discrimination, including hate speech.[194]	Since 2015, transgender persons can change their legal gender and name manifesting their solemn will before a notar, no surgeries or judicial order required. [195]
Ecuador	Legal since 1997 + UN decl. sign.[38]	De facto union since 2009[196][197]	Constitutional ban since 2009.[198]	LGBT individuals may adopt.[199]	[200]	Bans all anti-gay discrimination.[201]	Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name after completion of medical intervention.[202]
Falkland Islands (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 1989 + UN decl. sign.[38]	(Civil partnership proposed)[203]	(Proposed)[203]		UK responsible for defence.	Constitutional ban on all anti-gay discrimination.[204]
French Guiana (Overseas department of France)	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Civil solidarity pact since 1999[104]	Legal since 2013[105]	Legal since 2013[106]		Bans all anti-gay discrimination.[43]	Requires sterilization for legal change.[107]
Guyana	Illegal Penalty: Up to life imprisonment (Not enforced).[38]			[205]	[206]
Paraguay	Legal since 1880 (age of consent discrepancy) + UN decl. sign.[38]	Constitutional ban on de facto unions since 1992.[207]	Constitutional ban since 1992.[208]			(Proposed)[209]
Peru	Legal since 1836-1837 + UN decl. sign.[38]	(Solidary community pending)[210]			Since 2009[211]	Bans some anti-gay discrimination.[212][213][214]	Transgender persons can change their legal name after completion of medical intervention. Gender change is not allowed by courts.[215]
Suriname	Legal since 1869 (age of consent discrepancy).[38]
Uruguay	Legal since 1934 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Concubinage union since 2008.[216]	Legal since 2013[217]	Legal since 2009[218]	Since 2009[219]	Bans all anti-gay discrimination since 2004.[220]	Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name since 2009.[221]
Venezuela	Legal since 1997 + UN decl. sign.[38]		(Proposed)[222] Constitutional ban since 1999.[223]		Since 1999[38]	Bans some anti-gay discrimination.[224]

Asia

Central Asia

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Kazakhstan	Legal since 1998[38]				[225]
Kyrgyzstan	Legal since 1998[38]
Tajikistan	Legal since 1998[38]
Turkmenistan	Male illegal Penalty: up to 2-year prison sentence Female always legal[38]
Uzbekistan	Male illegal Penalty: up to 3-year prison sentence Female always legal[38]

Northern Asia

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Akrotiri and Dhekelia (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 2000 + UN decl. sign.[38]				UK responsible for defence	Bans some anti-gay discrimination[226]
Armenia	Legal since 2003 + UN decl. sign.[38]				/ No explicit ban. However, LGBT persons have been reportedly discharged because of their sexual orientation.[227]
Azerbaijan	Legal since 2000[38]				[228]		(Requires sterilization for change).[107]
Cyprus	Legal since 1998 + UN decl. sign.[38]	Since 2015				Bans all anti-gay discrimination[43]	Forbids discrimination based on gender identity.
Georgia	Legal since 2000 + UN decl. sign.[38]		(Constitutional ban proposed)			Bans all anti-gay discrimination[229]	(Requires sterilization for change)[107]
Russia	Male legal since 1993 Female always legal[230][38]		(Constitutional ban proposed)	LGBT individuals may adopt.			(Requires sterilization for change)[107]
Turkey	Legal since 1858[38]				(Proposed)[231]	(Proposed)[232]	(Requires sterilization for change)

Western Asia

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Bahrain	Legal since 1976[38] (Age of consent discrepancy)
Iran	Illegal Penalty: For men 74 lashes for immature men and death penalty for mature men of sound mind and is consenting. For women 50 lashes for women of mature sound mind and is consenting. Death penalty offense after fourth conviction.[38]						Legal gender recognition in Iran is legal if accompanied by a medical intervention.[233]
Iraq	Legal since 2003[234] (Age of consent discrepancy)
Israel	Legal since 1963 (de facto), 1988 (de jure)[235] + UN decl. sign.[38][236]	Unregistered cohabitation since 1994.	/ Unrecognized if performed in country, but foreign same-sex marriages are recognized.	Step-child adoption since 2005. Joint adoption since 2008.[237][238]	Since 1993	Bans some anti-gay discrimination;[239][240] Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty applies to homosexuals and bisexuals.[241]	Full recognition of gender's ID without a surgery or medical intervention;[242] equal employment opportunity law bars discrimination based on gender identity;[243][244] Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty applies to transgender individuals.[243][245]
Jordan	Legal since 1951[38]
Kuwait	Male illegal Penalty: Fines or up to 6-year prison sentence Female always legal[38][246]
Lebanon	Legal since 2014[247]
Oman	Illegal Penalty: Fines and prison sentence up to 3 years (Only enforced when dealing with "public scandal")[38]
Qatar	Illegal Penalty: Fines, prison sentence up to 7 years. Death penalty offense. (Applies to Muslims only)[38]
Saudi Arabia	Illegal Penalty: Prison sentences of several months to life, fines and/or whipping/flogging, castration, torture or death can be sentenced on first conviction. A second conviction merits execution.[38]
Syria	Illegal Penalty: Prison sentence up to 3 years (Law in de-facto suspended)[248][38]						Transsexuals allowed to change legal gender
United Arab Emirates	Illegal under federal law Penalty: deportation, fines or prison time (Unclear if the death penalty applies) Illegal in the emirate of Dubai Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment Illegal in the emirate of Abu Dhabi Penalty: Up to 10 years imprisonment[38]
Yemen	Illegal Penalty: Unmarried men punished with 100 lashes of the whip or a maximum of one year of imprisonment, married men with death by stoning. Women punished up to three years of imprisonment; where the offense has been committed under duress, the punishment is up to seven years detention.[38]

Southern Asia

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Afghanistan	Illegal Penalty: Long imprisonment or death penalty (No known cases of death sentences have been handed out for same-sex sexual activity after the end of Taliban rule)[38]
Bangladesh	Illegal Penalty: 10 years to life imprisonment[38]						A third option (hijra) beside male and female[249]
Bhutan	Illegal Penalty: Prison sentence up to 1 year (Not enforced)[38]
India	Illegal nationwide since 1861, was legal from 2009 to 2013.[250] Penalty: Up to 10 years imprisonment (sporadically enforced)[251][250][38] Supreme Court to consider legalization. [252]	No explicit recognition.[253]	No explicit recognition.[253]	Transgender individuals may adopt.	[254]		"Third gender" recognised by Supreme Court[255]
Maldives	Illegal Penalty: For men the punishment is banishment for nine months to one year or a whipping of 10 to 30 strokes. For women is house arrest for nine months to one year.[38]
Nepal	Legal since 2007 + UN decl. sign.[38]	(Proposed: By Supreme Court in 2008)	(Proposed: By Supreme Court in 2008)	Under consideration		Constitution bans all anti-gay discrimination.	Gender change is legal since 2007. Constitution bans all discrimination.[256]
Pakistan	Illegal Penalty: 2 years to life sentence[38]						'Third gender' officially protected from discrimination by Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2010
Sri Lanka	Illegal Penalty: Fine and up to 10 years imprisonment (Not enforced)[38]

Eastern Asia

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of relationships	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
China (People's Republic of)	Legal since 1997[38]						Transsexuals allowed to change legal gender, but only after sex reassignment surgery.
Hong Kong (Special administrative region of China)	Legal since 1991[38]	(Proposed)[257]			The People's Republic of China is in charge of Hong Kong's defence affairs. Regardless of sexual orientation, military personnel are not recruited from Hong Kong.	Government employment, goods and services only	Transsexuals allowed to change legal gender, but only after sex reassignment surgery.
Japan	Legal since 1880 + UN decl. sign.[38]	/ Partnership in Shibuya (2015)[258] and Setagaya (2015)[259]				/ No nationwide protections, but some cities ban some anti-gay discriminations[38]	Transsexuals allowed to change legal gender, but only after sex reassignment surgery and in case that the transsexual has no child under 20 years old
Macau (Special administrative region of China)	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity has ever existed in the region)[260]				The People's Republic of China is in charge of Macau's defence affairs. Regardless of sexual orientation, military personnel are not recruited from Macau.	Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Mongolia	Legal since 1961 + UN decl. sign.[38]
North Korea	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity has ever existed in the country)[38]						Unknown although there are heavily obeyed gender roles for both male and female. See Let's trim our hair in accordance with the socialist lifestyle
South Korea	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity has ever existed in the country) + UN decl. sign.[38]				Due to conscription.		Transsexuals allowed to change legal gender

Southeast Asia

LGBT rights in	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of relationships	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB allowed to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Brunei	Illegal Penalty: Fines and imprisonment up to 10 years or death by stoning[38]
Burma	Illegal Penalty: Up to life sentence (Not enforced)[38]
Cambodia	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity has ever existed in the country)[38]		Constitutional ban since 1993, though there has been at least one recorded case of a legally registered and recognized same-sex marriage.
East Timor	Legal since 1975 + UN decl. sign.[38]					Bans hate crimes based on sexual orientation
Indonesia	Legal nationwide, except; Illegal in the provinces of Aceh and South Sumatra (Applies only to Muslims)[261][262][38] (Age of consent discrepancy)				[263]		Transsexuals allowed to change legal gender
Laos	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity has ever existed in the country)[38]
Malaysia	Male illegal Penalty: fines, prison sentence (2-20 years), or whippings Female always legal[38]
Philippines	Legal nationwide since 1933 except; Illegal in Marawi City (Applies to Muslims only)[264][38][265]	(Pending)[264]	(Pending)[266]	LGBT individuals may adopt.[267]	Since 2009	[268] Cebu[269] Quezon City, Davao[270] and Albay have anti-discrimination ordinances[271] (National bill pending but still not made into law)	(Pending)[272]
Singapore	Male illegal Penalty: up to 2 years prison sentence (Not enforced since 1999) Female legal since 2007[38]				Due to conscription, but gays are not allowed to go to command school or serve in sensitive units.		Transsexuals allowed to change legal gender, but only after sex reassignment surgery.
Thailand	Legal since 1956 + UN decl. sign.[38]	(Proposed)[273]			Since 2005	Bans all anti-gay discrimination.	Transsexuals may change their legal name after having a sex change operation.[274]
Vietnam	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity has ever existed in the country)[38]		[275]				Sex-change recognized for sex assignment for persons of congenital sex defects and unidentifiable sex. Gender reassignment surgery from 2017