View source for LGBTQ rights by country or territory

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{{about||historical and current movements to further LGBTQ rights|LGBTQ movements|intersex rights|Intersex human rights}}
{{redirect|LGBTQ right|the right-wing LGBTQ movement|LGBTQ conservatism}}
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{{update|date=May 2025}}
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Rights affecting [[lesbian]], [[Gay men|gay]], [[Bisexuality|bisexual]], [[transgender]] and [[queer]] ([[LGBTQ]]) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of [[same-sex marriage]] to the [[Capital punishment for homosexuality|death penalty for homosexuality]].
[[File:Laws concerning gender identity-expression by country or territory.svg|thumb|right|261px|'''Laws concerning gender identity-expression by country or territory'''
{{legend|#800080|Legal identity change, surgery not required}}
{{legend|#ff00ffff|Legal identity change, surgery required}}
{{legend|#FF0000|No legal identity change}}
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Notably, {{as of|2025|January|lc=y}}, 38 countries recognize [[same-sex marriage]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|title=Countries that allow same-sex marriage |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/countries-that-legally-allow-same-sex-marriage/photostory/98636202.cms |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|title=Same-Sex Marriage Around the World |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/gay-marriage-around-the-world/ |website=[[Pew Research Center]] |date=9 June 2023 |access-date=26 October 2023}}</ref> By contrast, not counting non-state actors and extrajudicial killings, only two countries are believed to impose the death penalty on consensual same-sex sexual acts: [[LGBTQ rights in Iran|Iran]] and [[LGBTQ rights in Afghanistan|Afghanistan]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|title=LGBTQ People in Afghanistan After the Taliban Takeover |url=https://www.hrw.org/report/2022/01/26/even-if-you-go-skies-well-find-you/lgbt-people-afghanistan-after-taliban-takeover |website=[[Human Rights Watch]] |access-date=15 November 2022 |date=26 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ahmady |first=Kameel |author-link=Kameel Ahmady |title=Forbidden Tale (A comprehensive study on lesbian, gay, bisexuals (LGB) in Iran) |title-link=Forbidden Tale |publisher=AP Lambert Academic Publishing |year=2020 |location=Germany}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kumar |first=Ruchi |date=2022-01-26 |title=Lives of LGBTQ+ Afghans 'dramatically worse' under Taliban rule, finds survey |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/jan/26/lives-of-lgbtq-afghans-dramatically-worse-under-taliban-rule-finds-survey |access-date=2024-02-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title='They Torture And Kill Us': Gay Afghan Men Fear For Lives Under The Taliban |date=2022-11-07 |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/torture-murder-gay-afghan-men-lgbt-taliban/32119338.html |access-date=2024-02-10 |language=en}}</ref><!--please find a RS about Somalia/Jubaland--> The death penalty is [[de jure|officially law]], but generally [[de facto|not practiced]], in [[LGBTQ rights in Mauritania|Mauritania]], [[LGBTQ rights in Saudi Arabia|Saudi Arabia]], [[LGBTQ rights in Somalia|Somalia]] (in the autonomous state of [[Jubaland]]) and the [[LGBTQ rights in the United Arab Emirates|United Arab Emirates]].<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|date=2019-02-13 |title=United Arab Emirates |url=https://www.humandignitytrust.org./country-profile/united-arab-emirates/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=Human Dignity Trust |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|title=Saudi Arabia: Man sentenced for homosexuality. Amnesty |url=https://www.amnesty.org/fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/mde230132010en.pdf}}</ref> LGBTQ people also face extrajudicial killings in the Russian region of [[Chechnya]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=He Was Targeted in Chechnya for Being Gay. Now, He's Being Hunted in Europe |url=https://time.com/chechnya-movsar/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> [[LGBTQ rights in Sudan|Sudan]] rescinded its unenforced death penalty for anal sex (hetero- or homosexual) in 2020. Fifteen countries have stoning on the books as a [[Adultery#Punishment|penalty for adultery]], which (in light of the illegality of gay marriage in those countries) would by default include gay sex, but this is<!-- only? --> enforced by the legal authorities in Iran and [[LGBTQ rights in Nigeria|Nigeria]] (in the northern third of the country).<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hazzad |first=Ardo |date=2022-07-02 |title=Nigerian Islamic court orders death by stoning for men convicted of homosexuality |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigerian-islamic-court-orders-death-by-stoning-men-convicted-homosexuality-2022-07-02/ |access-date=2022-07-13}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|last=Milton |first=Josh |date=2022-07-05 |title=Three men sentenced to death by stoning for being gay |url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/07/05/nigeria-gay-death-sentence-islam/ |access-date=2022-07-13 |website=PinkNews }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |author-link=Kameel Ahmady |title=Ahmady, Kameel, LGBT In Iran: The Homophobic Laws and Social System in Islamic Republic of Iran, PalArch's Journal of Archaeology of Egypt / Egyptology, Volume 18, Pages 1446- 1464, Issue, No. 18 (2021). |url=https://archives.palarch.nl/index.php/jae/article/download/10978/9872/21677 |journal=PalArch's Journal of Archaeology of Egypt / Egyptology}}</ref><!--not Somalia. That's al-Shabab.--><ref>{{Cite book|last=Mendos|first=Lucas Ramón|url=https://ilga.org/downloads/ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2019.pdf|title=State-Sponsored Homophobia 2019|publisher=[[International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association|ILGA]]|year=2019|edition=13th|location=Geneva|pages=15|access-date=13 September 2019|archive-date=22 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222220100/https://ilga.org/downloads/ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2019.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dick |first=Samantha |date=4 April 2019 |title=Brunei not the only place LGBTQI can be killed for who they love |url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/2019/04/04/lgbtqi-killings-brunei/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406013019/https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/2019/04/04/lgbtqi-killings-brunei/ |archive-date=6 April 2019 |access-date=5 April 2019 |work=[[The New Daily]]}}</ref>

In 2011, the [[United Nations Human Rights Council]] passed its first resolution recognizing LGBTQ rights, following which the [[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]] issued a report documenting violations of the rights of LGBT people, including [[Anti-LGBTQ hate crime|hate crimes]], [[criminalization of homosexual activity]], and [[Anti-LGBTQ discrimination|discrimination]]. Following the issuance of the report, the [[United Nations]] urged all countries which had not yet done so to enact laws protecting basic LGBTQ rights.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dougherty |first=Jill |date=17 June 2011 |title=U.N. council passes gay rights resolution |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/06/17/un.lgbt.rights/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930190458/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/06/17/un.lgbt.rights/index.html |archive-date=30 September 2018 |access-date=20 September 2018 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|title=UN issues first report on human rights of gay and lesbian people|url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40743|publisher=[[United Nations]]|date=15 December 2011|access-date=20 September 2018|archive-date=7 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180107142044/http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40743|url-status=live}}</ref> A 2022 study found that LGBTQ rights (as measured by [[ILGA-Europe]]'s Rainbow Index) were correlated with less HIV/AIDS incidence among gay and bisexual men independently of risky sexual behavior.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Stojanovski |first1=Kristefer |last2=King |first2=Elizabeth J. |last3=Amico |first3=K. Rivet |last4=Eisenberg |first4=Marisa C. |last5=Geronimus |first5=Arline T. |last6=Baros |first6=Sladjana |last7=Schmidt |first7=Axel J. |date=2022 |title=Stigmatizing Policies Interact with Mental Health and Sexual Behaviours to Structurally Induce HIV Diagnoses Among European Men Who Have Sex with Men |journal=AIDS and Behavior |volume=26 |issue=10 |pages=3400–3410 |doi=10.1007/s10461-022-03683-9 |pmc=9556380 |pmid=35434774 |s2cid=248220063}}</ref>

The 2023 ''[[Equaldex|Equaldex Equality Index]]'' ranks the [[Nordic countries]], [[LGBTQ rights in Chile|Chile]], [[LGBTQ rights in Uruguay|Uruguay]], [[LGBTQ rights in Canada|Canada]], the [[Benelux]] countries, [[LGBTQ rights in Spain|Spain]], [[LGBTQ rights in Andorra|Andorra]], and [[LGBTQ rights in Malta|Malta]] among the best for LGBTQ rights. The index ranks [[LGBTQ rights in Nigeria|Nigeria]], [[LGBTQ rights in Yemen|Yemen]], [[LGBTQ rights in Brunei|Brunei]], [[LGBTQ rights in Afghanistan|Afghanistan]], [[LGBTQ rights in Somalia|Somalia]], [[LGBTQ rights in Mauritania|Mauritania]], [[LGBTQ rights in the State of Palestine|Palestine]], and [[LGBTQ rights in Iran|Iran]] among the worst.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|last=Staff |date=January 1, 2023 |title=LGBT Equality Index: The Most LGBT-Friendly Countries in the World |url=https://www.equaldex.com/equality-index |access-date=March 5, 2023 |website=Equaldex |language=en}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=November 2023}} Asher & Lyric ranked Canada, [[LGBTQ rights in Sweden|Sweden]], and the [[LGBTQ rights in the Netherlands|Netherlands]] as the three safest nations for LGBTQ people in its 2023 index.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|date=5 June 2023 |title=The 203 Worst (& Safest) Countries for LGBTQ+ Travel in 2023 |url=https://www.asherfergusson.com/lgbtq-travel-safety/ |access-date=20 August 2023 |website=Asher & Lyric}}</ref>

==Scope of laws==
Laws that affect LGBTQ people include, but are not limited to, the following:

* laws concerning the recognition of [[same-sex relationship]]s, including [[same-sex marriage]], [[civil union]]s, and [[domestic partnership]]s
* laws concerning [[same-sex parenting]], including [[same-sex adoption]]
* [[anti-discrimination laws]] in employment, housing, education, public accommodations
* [[anti-bullying legislation]] to protect LGBTQ children at school
* [[hate crime laws]] imposing enhanced criminal penalties for prejudice-motivated [[violence against LGBTQ people]]
* [[bathroom bill]]s affecting access to sex-segregated facilities by transgender people
* laws related to [[sexual orientation and military service]]
* laws concerning access to [[assisted reproductive technology]]
* [[sodomy laws]] that penalize consensual same-sex sexual activity that may or may not target homosexuals, males or males and females, or leave some homosexual acts legal
* [[adultery laws]] that same-sex couples are subject to
* [[age of consent]] laws that may impose higher ages for same-sex sexual activity
* laws regarding [[MSM blood donor controversy|donation of blood, corneas, and other tissues by men who have sex with men]]
* laws concerning access to [[gender-affirming surgery]] and [[gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy]]
* [[Legal status of transgender people|legal recognition and accommodation of the affirmed gender]]

==History of LGBT-related laws==
{{See also|LGBTQ history|Timeline of LGBTQ history|LGBTQ movements|History of homosexuality|Sodomy law#History}}

===Ancient India===

[[Ayoni]] or non-vaginal sex of all types is punishable in the [[Arthashastra]]. Homosexual acts are, however, treated as a smaller offence punishable by a fine, while unlawful heterosexual sex carries much harsher punishment. The [[Dharmaśāstra|Dharmsastras]], especially the later ones, prescribe against non-vaginal sex like the [[Vashistha Dharmasutra]]. The [[Yājñavalkya Smṛti]] prescribes fines for such acts including those with other men. [[Manusmriti]] prescribes light punishments for such acts.<ref name="DharmaLGBT">{{Cite book|last=Ali|first=Daud|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uP57zh13BqQC&pg=PA50|title=Sexual Diversity in Asia, c. 600–1950|publisher=Routledge|year=2012|isbn=978-0415600590|editor-last=Reyes|editor-first=Raquel A. G.|pages=50–51|chapter=Censured sexual acts and early medieval society in India|lccn=2011049072|author-link=Daud Ali|editor-last2=Clarence-Smith|editor-first2=William G.|editor-link2=William Gervase Clarence-Smith|access-date=16 August 2019|archive-date=14 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614190258/https://books.google.com/books?id=uP57zh13BqQC&pg=PA50|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Vanita>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P2nprDLPRLwC&q=ayoni&pg=PT55 |title=Same-Sex Love in India |date=October 20, 2008 |last=Vanita |first=Ruth |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-81-8475-969-3 |access-date=May 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804091538/https://books.google.com/books?id=P2nprDLPRLwC&pg=PT55&dq=manusmriti+cart+175&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib7t3XivXhAhXUinAKHZGlBDoQ6AEIUjAH#v=onepage&q=ayoni&f=false |archive-date=4 August 2020}}</ref> Vanita states that the verses about punishment for a sex between female and a maiden is due to its strong emphasis on a maiden's sexual purity.<ref name="VanitaLGBT">{{Cite book|last=Vanita|first=Ruth|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ofDIAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA32|title=Love's Rite: Same-Sex Marriage in India and the West|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|year=2005|isbn=978-1403970381|pages=32|chapter=Introduction|lccn=2005047571|author-link=Ruth Vanita|access-date=16 August 2019|archive-date=4 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804083558/https://books.google.com/books?id=ofDIAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA32|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Ancient Israel===
The ancient [[Law of Moses]] (the [[Torah]]) forbids people from lying with people of the same sex (i.e., from having [[Sexual intercourse|intercourse]]) in [[Leviticus 18]] and gives a story of attempted homosexual rape in [[Book of Genesis|Genesis 19]], in the story of [[Sodom and Gomorrah]], after which the cities were soon destroyed with "brimstone and fire, from the Lord"<ref name="S&G">{{cite book|last1=Fields|first1=Weston W.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i9lA3UVoHjAC&q=Sodom+gomorrah+destroyed&pg=PA159|title=Sodom and Gomorrah: History and Motif in Biblical Narrative|publisher=A&C Black|year=1997|isbn=978-0567062611|access-date=18 August 2019|archive-date=17 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217084908/https://books.google.com/books?id=i9lA3UVoHjAC&q=Sodom+gomorrah+destroyed&pg=PA159|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="SG2">{{cite book|last1=Loader|first1=J. A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qJMA_zTueTMC&q=Sodom+gomorrah|title=A Tale of Two Cities: Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament, Early Jewish and Early Christian Traditions|publisher=Peeters Publishers|year=1990|isbn=9789024253333|lccn=91207650|access-date=18 August 2019|archive-date=7 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507231657/https://books.google.com/books?id=qJMA_zTueTMC&q=Sodom+gomorrah|url-status=live}}</ref> and the death penalty was prescribed to its inhabitants – and to [[Lot's wife]], who was turned into a pillar of salt because she turned back to watch the cities' destruction.<ref>{{cite book |last1=STRAUSS |first1=Gerhard Friedrich Abraham |last2=SLEE |first2=Jane Mary |title=On Restitution; Lot and his Wife; The Rich Man; Christian Composure; [sermons] by ... F. S. ... translated from the German, by Miss Slee |date=1837 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=exFhAAAAcAAJ&q=wife+of+lot&pg=PA60 |access-date=18 August 2019 |archive-date=1 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401102700/https://books.google.com/books?id=exFhAAAAcAAJ&q=wife+of+lot&pg=PA60 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Lot's Wife. A sermon at Paule's Crosse [on Luke xvii. 32. By R. W., i.e. R. Wilkinson.] |date=1607 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vSpkAAAAcAAJ&q=wife+of+lot&pg=PA14 |access-date=18 August 2019 |author1=R. W |archive-date=1 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401102709/https://books.google.com/books?id=vSpkAAAAcAAJ&q=wife+of+lot&pg=PA14 |url-status=live }}</ref> In [[Deuteronomy]] 22:5, [[cross-dressing]] is condemned as "abominable".<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7fsoDAAAQBAJ&q=deuteronomy+cross-dressing&pg=PA39|title=Dressing Judeans and Christians in Antiquity|publisher=Routledge|year=2016|isbn=978-1317147978|editor-last1=Upson-Saia|editor-first1=Kristi|page=39|chapter=Cross-dressing, Masculinity, and the Social Body in Late Antiquity|lccn=2014000554|access-date=18 August 2019|orig-year=2014|editor-last2=Daniel-Hughes|editor-first2=Carly|editor-last3=Batten|editor-first3=Alicia J.|archive-date=1 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401102714/https://books.google.com/books?id=7fsoDAAAQBAJ&q=deuteronomy+cross-dressing&pg=PA39|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Bullough|first1=Vern L.|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KcD7nVelXJgC&q=deuteronomy+cross-dressing&pg=PR10|title=Cross Dressing, Sex, and Gender|last2=Bullough|first2=Bonnie|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|year=1993|isbn=9780812214314|page=x|chapter=Introduction|lccn=92032030|access-date=18 October 2020|archive-date=1 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210401102723/https://books.google.com/books?id=KcD7nVelXJgC&q=deuteronomy+cross-dressing&pg=PR10|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Assyria===
In [[Assyria]]n society, [[sex crime]]s were punished identically whether they were homosexual or heterosexual.<ref name="Nissinen">{{cite book |title=Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective |first=Martti |last=Nissinen |publisher=Fortress Press |date=2004 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-sHSNPG85tUC&pg=PA24 |pages=24–28 |isbn=978-1-4514-1433-2 |access-date=May 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414092410/https://books.google.com/books?id=-sHSNPG85tUC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA24 |archive-date=14 April 2020 }}</ref> An individual faced no punishment for penetrating someone of equal [[social class]], a cult prostitute, or with someone whose [[gender role]]s were not considered solidly masculine.<ref name="Nissinen" /> Such sexual relations were even seen as good [[Luck|fortune]], with an [[Akkadian literature|Akkadian tablet]], the ''[[Šumma ālu]]'', reading, "If a man copulates with his equal from the rear, he becomes the leader among his peers and brothers".<ref name="Greenberg">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RKhFRgR-1awC&q=equal+basis|title=The Construction of Homosexuality|first=David F.|last=Greenberg|date=15 August 1990|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=9780226306285|access-date=31 July 2018|archive-date=28 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140628122610/http://books.google.com/books?id=RKhFRgR-1awC&q=equal+basis|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=http://epistle.us/hbarticles/neareast.html|title=Homosexuality in the Ancient Near East, beyond Egypt by Bruce Gerig in the Ancient Near East, beyond Egypt|website=epistle.us|access-date=23 March 2017|archive-date=2 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002215825/http://epistle.us/hbarticles/neareast.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, homosexual relationships with fellow soldiers, slaves, royal attendants, or those where a social better was [[Top, bottom and versatile|submissive or penetrated]], were treated as bad [[omens]].<ref>Pritchard, p. 181.</ref><ref>Gay Rights Or Wrongs: A Christian's Guide to Homosexual Issues and Ministry, by Mike Mazzalonga, 1996, p.11</ref>

Middle Assyrian [[Assyrian law|Law Codes]] dating 1075 BC has a particularly harsh law for [[Sexual orientation and military service|homosexuality in the military]], which reads: "If a man have intercourse with his brother-in-arms, they shall turn him into a [[eunuch]]."<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|last1=Halsall|first1=Paul|title=The Code of the Assura|url=https://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/1075assyriancode.asp|website=[[Internet History Sourcebooks Project]]|access-date=16 November 2015|publisher=[[Fordham University]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911230918/http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/1075assyriancode.asp|archive-date=11 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gRjGApZVwPIC&pg=PA69|title=Tritiya-Prakriti: People of the Third Sex|isbn=9781453503164|last1=Wilhelm|first1=Amara Das|date=18 May 2010|publisher=Xlibris Corporation |access-date=22 March 2017|archive-date=17 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217041536/https://books.google.com/books?id=gRjGApZVwPIC&pg=PA69|url-status=live}}</ref> A similar law code reads, "If a seignior lay with his neighbor, when they have prosecuted him (and) convicted him, they shall lie with him (and) turn him into a eunuch". This law code condemns a situation that involves homosexual [[rape]]. Any Assyrian male could visit a [[prostitute]] or lie with another male, just as long as false rumors or forced sex were not involved with another male.<ref>G. R. Driver and J. C. Miles, The Assyrian Laws (Oxford, Clarendon Press [1935]), 71.</ref>

===Ancient Rome===

In ancient Rome, the bodies of citizen youths were strictly off-limits, and the ''[[Lex Scantinia]]'' imposed penalties on those who committed a sex crime ''([[stuprum]])'' against a [[Sexuality in ancient Rome#Sexuality and children|freeborn male minor]].<ref>[[Plutarch]], ''Moralia'' 288a; Thomas Habinek, "The Invention of Sexuality in the World-City of Rome," in ''The Roman Cultural Revolution'' (Cambridge University Press, 1997), p. 39; Richlin, "Not before Homosexuality," pp. 545–546. Scholars disagree as to whether the ''Lex Scantinia'' imposed the death penalty or a hefty fine.</ref> Acceptable same-sex partners were males excluded from legal protections as citizens: [[Slavery in ancient Rome|slaves]], male [[Prostitution in ancient Rome|prostitutes]], and the ''[[Sexuality in ancient Rome#Pleasure and infamy|infames]]'', entertainers or others who might be technically free but whose lifestyles set them outside the law.

A male citizen who willingly performed [[Sexuality in ancient Rome#Os impurum|oral sex]] or received [[Sexuality in ancient Rome#Anal sex|anal sex]] was disparaged, but there is only limited evidence of legal penalties against these men.<ref>Williams, ''Roman Homosexuality'', pp. 214–215; Richlin, "Not before Homosexuality," ''passim''.</ref> In courtroom and political rhetoric, charges of [[Sexuality in ancient Rome#Effeminacy and transvestism|effeminacy]] and passive sexual behaviors were directed particularly at "democratic" politicians ''([[populares]])'' such as [[Julius Caesar]] and [[Mark Antony]].<ref>[[Catharine Edwards (historian)|Catharine Edwards]], ''The Politics of Immorality in Ancient Rome'' (Cambridge University Press, 1993), pp. 63–64.</ref>

[[Roman law]] addressed the [[Sexuality in ancient Rome#The rape of men|rape of a male citizen]] as early as the 2nd century BC when 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.<ref>As recorded in a fragment of the speech ''De Re Floria'' by [[Cato the Elder]] (frg. 57 Jordan = [[Aulus Gellius]] 9.12.7), noted and discussed by Richlin, "Not before Homosexuality," p. 561.</ref> A law probably dating to the [[Roman dictator|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.<ref>Richlin, "Not before Homosexuality," pp. 562–563. See also ''Digest'' 48.5.35 [34] on legal definitions of rape that included boys.</ref> 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.<ref>Under the ''[[Lex Aquilia]]''. See McGinn, ''Prostitution, Sexuality, and the Law in Ancient Rome'', p. 314.</ref>

In the [[Roman army]] of the Republic, [[Sexuality in ancient Rome#Sex in the military|sex among fellow soldiers]] violated the decorum against intercourse with citizens and was subject to harsh penalties, including death,<ref>McGinn, ''Prostitution, Sexuality and the Law in Ancient Rome'', p. 40.</ref> as a violation of [[military discipline]].<ref>Sara Elise Phang, ''Roman Military Service: Ideologies of Discipline in the Late Republic and Early Principate'' (Cambridge University Press, 2008), p. 93.</ref> The Greek historian [[Polybius]] (2nd century BC) lists [[desertion|deserters]], thieves, [[perjury|perjurers]], and "...on young men who have abused their persons" as subject to the ''[[fustuarium]]'', clubbing to death.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Polybius/6*.html |author=[[Polybius]] |title=The Histories Fragments of Book VI  |access-date=May 12, 2024}}</ref> 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.<ref>Phang, ''The Marriage of Roman Soldiers'', pp. 280–285.</ref> Soldiers were free to have [[Sexuality in ancient Rome#Master-slave relations|relations with their male slaves]];<ref>Phang, ''The Marriage of Roman Soldiers'', p. 3.</ref> the use of a fellow citizen-soldier's body was prohibited, not homosexual behaviors per se.<ref>Williams, ''Roman Homosexuality'', p. 112 ''et passim''.</ref> By the late Republic and throughout the [[Roman Empire|Imperial period]], there is increasing evidence that men whose lifestyle marked them as "homosexual" in the modern sense served openly.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jyFdUxqYZ48C&pg=PA285 |last=Phang |first=Sara Elise |title=The Marriage of Roman Soldiers |date=13 May 2024 |pages=285–292 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-12155-3 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805022337/https://books.google.com/books?id=jyFdUxqYZ48C&pg=PA285#v=onepage&q=%22more%20tolerant%20of%20homosexual%20relations%20between%20soldiers%22 |archive-date=5 August 2020}}</ref>

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 [[Marriage in ancient Rome|traditional marriage rites]]. [[Juvenal]] remarks with disapproval that his friends often attended such ceremonies.<ref>Juvenal, ''Satire'' 2; Williams, ''Roman Homosexuality'', p. 28.</ref> The emperor [[Nero]] had two marriages to men, once as the bride (with a [[freedman]] [[Pythagoras (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.<ref>[[Suetonius]] ''Life of Nero'' 28–29; Williams, ''Roman Homosexuality'', p. 279ff.</ref>

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 [[Constantine the Great and Christianity|Christian rule]], passive homosexuality was [[Death by burning|punishable by burning]].<ref>Michael Groneberg, "Reasons for Homophobia: Three Types of Explanation," in ''Combatting Homophobia: Experiences and Analyses Pertinent to Education'' (LIT Verlag, 2011), p. 193.</ref> "Death by sword" was the punishment for a "man coupling like a woman" under the [[Theodosian Code]].<ref>''Codex Theodosianus'' 9.7.3 (4 December 342), introduced by the sons of Constantine in 342.</ref> Under [[Justinian]], all same-sex acts, passive or active, no matter who the partners are, were declared contrary to nature and punishable by death.<ref>Groneberg, "Reasons for Homophobia," p. 193.</ref>

===British Empire===
{{see also|LGBTQ rights in the Commonwealth of Nations}}

The [[United Kingdom]] introduced anti-homosexuality laws throughout its colonies, particularly in the 19th century when the [[British Empire]] was at its peak.<ref name="kirby-export">{{#invoke:Cite|journal|last1=Kirby |first1=Michael |title=The sodomy offence: England's least lovely criminal law export? |journal=Human Rights, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Commonwealth: Struggles for Decriminalisation and Change |date=2013 |url=https://sas-space.sas.ac.uk/4824/20/02Kirby_TheSodomyOffence.pdf |access-date=6 October 2020 |publisher=School of Advanced Study, University of London |location=London |archive-date=10 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201010225917/https://sas-space.sas.ac.uk/4824/20/02Kirby_TheSodomyOffence.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> As of 2018, more than half of the 71 countries that criminalised homosexuality were former British colonies or protectorates.<ref name="cnn-british-legacy">{{#invoke:Cite|news|author=Ben Westcott |title=The homophobic legacy of the British Empire |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/09/11/asia/british-empire-lgbt-rights-section-377-intl/index.html |access-date=6 October 2020 |work=CNN |date=12 September 2018 |archive-date=8 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008120150/https://edition.cnn.com/2018/09/11/asia/british-empire-lgbt-rights-section-377-intl/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> 

In 1861, the British Empire introduced [[section 377|Section 377 of the British Colonial Penal Code]], outlawing [[Human sexual activity|consensual sexual activity]] between [[homosexuality|same-sex couples]] as well as labelling [[third gender|third gender communities]] such as the [[Apwint|apwint people]] and [[Hijra (South Asia)|Hijra]] as "outlaw tribes". This law was intended to [[criminalisation|criminalise]] acts "against the order of nature". Section 377 was used to prosecute people engaging in [[Oral sex|oral]] and [[anal sex]] along with homosexual activity. 

Today, Section 377 still exists in some [[former British colonies]]:
* {{flagicon|BAN}} Bangladesh<ref name="elliott">{{cite news |last1=Elliott |first1=Josh |title=India legalized homosexuality, but many of its neighbours haven't |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4430721/india-gay-sex-supreme-court-pakistan-bangladesh/ |access-date=19 January 2022 |work=Global News |date=6 September 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
* {{flagicon|MYS}} Malaysia<ref name="elliott"/>
* {{flagicon|MYA}} Myanmar<ref name="elliott"/>
* {{flagicon|PAK}} Pakistan<ref name="elliott"/>
* {{flagicon|SRI}} Sri Lanka (as [[Article 365 of the Sri Lankan Penal Code|Section 365]])<ref name="elliott" />

In addition to Section 377, the United Kingdom also introduced a number of laws targeting [[transgender| gender non-conformity]] throughout its colonies. In 1861, authorities of the [[North-Western Provinces]] (NWP) sought to enact a 'special law' against Hijra people in order to criminalise their [[gender identity|identity]].{{sfn|Hinchy|2019|pp=95–109}} The Hijra were included in the [[Criminal Tribes Act]] (1871){{sfn|Reddy|2010|p=25}}{{sfn|Hinchy|2019|pp=95–109}} and were monitored with the hope of [[genocide|eliminating their culture]].{{sfn|Hinchy|2019|pp=95–109}} Due to the passage of the Criminal Tribes Act (1871), Hijra people could not possess children.{{sfn|Hinchy|2019|pp=95–109}}

While significant progress has been made to reverse these laws, the majority of the countries of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], formerly known as the British Commonwealth, still criminalise [[human sexual activity|sexual acts]] between consenting adults of the [[Homosexuality|same sex]] and other forms of [[sexual orientation]], [[gender identity]] and expression. Homosexual activity remains a criminal offence in 29 of the 56 sovereign states of the Commonwealth; and legal in only 27. In 3 of these states, homosexual activity is [[death penalty|punishable by death]]. 

[[LGBTQ]] communities still face significant [[discrimination]] due to the influence of [[colonialism]] in former British colonies, despite these communities being accepted prior to [[British colonialism]]. In the [[Indic cultural sphere]], references to a third sex can be found throughout the texts of India's religious traditions like [[Jainism]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zwilling |first1=L |last2=Sweet |first2=MJ |year=1996 |title="Like a city ablaze": The third sex and the creation of sexuality in Jain religious literature |journal=Journal of the History of Sexuality |volume=6 |issue=3 |pages=359–84 |jstor=4629615 |pmid=11609126}}</ref> and [[Buddhism]]<ref name="Jackson10996">{{Cite journal |last=Jackson |first=Peter A. |date=April 1996 |title=Non-normative Sex/Gender Categories in the Theravada Buddhist Scriptures |journal=Australian Humanities Review |hdl=1885/41884}}</ref> as well as the [[Kama Sutra]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Penrose |first=Walter |year=2001 |title=Hidden in History: Female Homoeroticism and Women of a "Third Nature" in the South Asian Past |journal=Journal of the History of Sexuality |volume=10 |pages=3–39 [4] |doi=10.1353/sex.2001.0018 |s2cid=142955490 |quote=distinct social and economic roles once existed for women thought to belong to a third gender. Hidden in history, these women dressed in men's clothing, served as porters and personal bodyguards to kings and queens, and even took an active role in sex with women.}}</ref> The foundational work of Hindu law, the [[Manu Smriti]] (c. 200 BC–200 AD) explains humans as belonging to one of three [[biological sex | biological sexes]], indicating a belief that [[transsexuality]] was an inherent trait.

===Netherlands===

In 2001, the Netherlands was the first country in the world to [[LGBT rights in the Netherlands|legalize same-sex marriage]].<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IwNhIK9Fn1sC&dq=queen+beatrix+same+sex+marriage&pg=PA191 | isbn=9781576072677 | title=Homosexuality and the Law: A Dictionary | year=2001 | publisher=Abc-Clio }}</ref>

==Global LGBT rights maps==

Note that for simplicity the table below does not distinguish between 'legal' and 'lawful'. An action can only be legal or illegal where a specific law has been passed.

{| class="collapsible collapsed" style="text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
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! style="font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">Laws regarding same-sex sexuality by country or territory</span>
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| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px;" |
<div>{{World laws pertaining to homosexual relationships and expression|align=center|size=850px}}</div>
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{| class="collapsible collapsed" style="text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
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! style="font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[LGBT rights at the United Nations]]</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px;" |
<div>[[File:LGBT rights at the UN (2011).svg|thumb|center|850px|{{legend|#5b92e5|'''Support'''<br />Countries which have signed a [[United Nations General Assembly|General Assembly]] declaration of LGBT rights or sponsored the [[United Nations Human Rights Council|Human Rights Council]]'s [http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/06/17/un-passes-gay-rights-resolution/ 2011 resolution on LGBT rights] ({{nowrap|'''96 members'''}})}} {{legend|#aa0000|'''Oppose'''<br />Countries which signed [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-un-homosexuality-idUSTRE4BH7EW20081218 a 2008 statement opposing LGBT rights] (initially 57 members, {{nowrap|now '''54 members''' after withdrawal of Fiji, Rwanda and Sierra Leone}})}} {{legend|#b3b3b3|Neither<br />Countries which, as regards the UN, have expressed neither official support nor opposition to LGBT rights ({{nowrap|'''44 members'''}})}}]]</div>
|}

{| class="collapsible collapsed" style="text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style="font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[Censorship of LGBT issues|Homosexual "propaganda" and "morality" laws by country or territory]]</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px;" |
<div>[[File:Homosexual "propaganda" laws by country or territory.svg|thumb|center|850px|'''Homosexual "propaganda" and "morality" laws by country or territory'''
{{legend|#cccccc|Countries or territories that do not have homosexual "propaganda" or "morality" laws}}
{{legend|#f9dc36|Fine<ref>In the Russian law "[[Russian gay propaganda law|for the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating for a Denial of Traditional Family Values]]", foreigners may be arrested and detained for up to 15 days then deported, or fined up to 5,000 rubles and deported.</ref>}}
{{legend|#ec8028|Imprisonment}}]]</div>
|}

{| class="collapsible collapsed" style="text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style="font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">Decriminalization of same-sex sexual intercourse by country or territory</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px;" |
<div>[[File:Decriminalization of homosexuality by country or territory (remastered).svg|thumb|center|850px|
{{legend|#0000FF|1791–1850}}
{{legend|#00FF00|1850–1945}}
{{legend|#FFFF00|1946–1989}}
{{legend|#FEB582|1990–present}}
{{legend|White|Unknown date of legalization of same-sex intercourse}}
{{legend|#cccccc|Same-sex sexual intercourse always legal}}
{{legend|#FF0000|Still criminalized}}]]</div>
|}

{| class="collapsible collapsed" style="text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style="font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[Age of consent#By country or region|Equalization of age of consent laws for same-sex couples by country or territory]]</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px;" |
<div>[[File:Equalization of age of consent laws for same-sex couples by country or territory'.svg|thumb|center|850px| {{legend|#FFB380|1790–1829}}
{{legend|Maroon|1830–1839}}
{{legend|#FF0000|1840–1859}}
{{legend|Tomato|1860–1869}}
{{legend|#FF6600|1870–1879}}
{{legend|Orange|1880–1889}}
{{legend|#FFFF00|1890–1929}}
{{legend|Goldenrod|1930–1939}}
{{legend|GreenYellow|1940–1949<sup>1</sup>}}
{{legend|#00FF00|1950–1959}}
{{legend|#008800|1960–1969}}
{{legend|#00FFFF|1970–1979}}
{{legend|#0000FF|1980–1989}}
{{legend|#000080|1990–1999}}
{{legend|#800080|2000–2009}}
{{legend|#FF00FF|2010–2019}}
{{legend|#E0135E|2020–present}}
{{legend|White|Unknown date for equal age of consent laws for opposite and same-sex couples}}
{{legend|#cccccc|No consent laws/equal age of consent laws always equal for opposite and same-sex couples}}
{{legend|#6C5353|Unequal age of consent laws for same-sex couples}}
{{legend|#2B0000|Same-sex sexual intercourse illegal}}
<sup>1</sup>During [[World War II]], [[Nazi Germany]] annexed or occupied territory, extending [[Paragraph 175|Germany's laws against same-sex sexual intercourse]]. Age of consent was previously equalized for same-sex couples in the following countries or territories before the war: [[Province of Belluno|Belluno]] ([[LGBT rights in Italy|legal in 1890]]), [[Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol]] ([[LGBT rights in Italy|legal in 1890]]), [[Friuli-Venezia Giulia]] ([[LGBT rights in Italy|legal in 1890]]),<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://italysegreta.com/a-brief-history-of-homosexuality-in-italy-from-ancient-rome-to-today/ |title=A brief history of homosexuality in Italy from ancient Rome to today |last=Dama |first=Francesco |website=Italy Segreta |date=July 2022 |access-date=May 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716115956/https://italysegreta.com/a-brief-history-of-homosexuality-in-italy-from-ancient-rome-to-today/ |archive-date=July 16, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/same-sex-marriage-in-italy-an-overview-and-current-status.html |title=Same sex marriage in Italy: an overview and current status |date=February 16, 2024 |website=Wanted in Rome |access-date=May 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240216145403/https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/same-sex-marriage-in-italy-an-overview-and-current-status.html |archive-date=February 16, 2024}}</ref> and [[Second Polish Republic|Poland]] ([[LGBT rights in Poland|decriminalized in 1932]]).<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-54191344 |title=Inside Poland's 'LGBT-free zones' |last=Ash |first=Lucy |date=September 20, 2020 |website=BBC |access-date=May 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920234338/https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-54191344 |archive-date=September 20, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/01/europe/lgbtq-rights-hungary-eastern-europe-intl-cmd/index.html |title=Eastern Europe was once a world leader on gay rights. Then it ran out of scapegoats |last=Kottasova |first=Ivana |date=July 1, 2021 |website=CNN |access-date=May 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701043814/https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/01/europe/lgbtq-rights-hungary-eastern-europe-intl-cmd/index.html |archive-date=July 1, 2021}}</ref> During World War II Germany did not consistently enforce anti-homosexual laws in all occupied countries.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://rm.coe.int/079317-queer-in-europe-during-the-second-world-war-web-web/16808e4a53 |title=Queer in Europe during the second World War |editor=Regis Schlagdenhauffen |date=August 2018 |publisher=Council of Europe |access-date=May 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531083332/https://rm.coe.int/079317-queer-in-europe-during-the-second-world-war-web-web/16808e4a53 |archive-date=31 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite|web|url=https://chnm.gmu.edu/cyh/teaching-modules/230.html |title=Age of Consent Laws |last=Robertson |first=Stephen |website=Children & Youth in History |access-date=May 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620101739/https://chnm.gmu.edu/cyh/teaching-modules/230.html |archive-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref> All countries and territories listed that were annexed or established into reichskommissariats by Nazi Germany during World War II were 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.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}]]</div>
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! style="font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[Legal status of same-sex marriage]]</span>
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| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px;" |
<div>[[File:World marriage-equality laws.svg|center|thumb|upright=3|{{legend|#002255|Marriage open to same-sex couples}}
{{legend striped|#002255|#DCDCDC|Mixed jurisdiction: marriage recognized by the state but not by tribal government for residents who are members of the tribe|up=yes}}
{{legend|#71C837|Legislation or binding domestic court ruling establishing same-sex marriage, but marriage is not yet provided for}}
{{legend|#9900CC|Same-sex marriage recognized with full rights when performed in certain other jurisdictions}}
{{legend|#0066FF|Civil unions or domestic partnerships}}
{{legend|#9FCFFF|Limited legal recognition}}
{{legend striped|#99CCFF|#DCDCDC|Local certification without legal force|up=yes}}
{{legend|#CCAAFF|Limited recognition of marriage performed in certain other jurisdictions (residency rights for spouses)}}
{{legend|#DCDCDC|Other countries where same-sex unions are not legally recognized}}]]</div>
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! style="font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[LGBT adoption#Legal status|Legal status of adoption by same-sex couples by country or territory]]</span>
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| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px;" |
<div>[[File:World same-sex adoption laws.svg|center|thumb|850px|{{legend|#800080|Joint adoption allowed}} {{legend|#ba75ff|Second-parent adoption allowed}} {{legend|#CCCCCC|No laws allowing adoption by same-sex couples and no same-sex marriage}} {{legend|#E4D69D|Same-sex marriage but adoption by married same-sex couples not allowed}}]]</div>
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|-
! style="font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[LGBTQ people and military service|LGBTQ service in national militaries by country or territory]]<!--citations in the articles do not support the map--></span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px;" |
<div>[[File:Military service - sexual orientation.svg|thumb|center|850px|{{legend|#408|All LGBT people can serve}}
{{legend|#03F|GBT men can serve}}
{{legend|#08F|LGB people can serve}}
{{legend|#0CF|GB men can serve}}
{{legend|#cccccc|Ambiguous/unknown policy}}
{{legend|#800|LGBT people are banned from serving}}
{{legend|#6C5353|No military}}]]</div>
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! style="font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[List of anti-discrimination acts|Employment discrimination laws by sexual orientation or gender identity by country or territory]]</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px;" |
<div>[[File:LGBT employment discrimination laws by country or territory.svg|thumb|center|850px|{{legend|#800080|Sexual orientation and gender identity: all employment}}{{legend|#BA75FF|Sexual orientation with anti–employment discrimination ordinance and gender identity solely in public employment}}{{legend|#0000ff|Sexual orientation: all employment}}{{legend|Pink|Gender identity: all employment}}{{legend|Thistle|Sexual orientation and gender identity: federal public employment and federal contractors}}{{legend|#ff00ff|Sexual orientation and gender identity: public employment}}{{legend|#00ffff|Sexual orientation: public employment}}{{legend|#CCCCCC|No national-level employment laws covering sexual orientation or gender identity}}]]</div>
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! style="font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[Goods and services|Anti-discrimination laws covering goods and services by sexual orientation and/or gender identity by country or territory]]</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
<div>[[File:Countries and territories with LGBT anti-discrimination laws in goods and services.svg|thumb|center|850px|'''Countries and territories with LGBT anti-discrimination laws in goods and services'''{{legend|#800080|Sexual orientation and gender identity covered}}{{legend|#0000ff|Sexual orientation covered}}{{legend|Pink|Gender identity covered}}{{legend|#CCCCCC|No national or local level anti-discrimination laws covering sexual orientation and/or gender identity in goods and services}}]]</div>
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! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[List of anti-discrimination acts|Constitutional discrimination laws by sexual orientation and/or gender identity by country or territory]]</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
<div>[[File:LGBT constitutional discrimination laws by country or territory.svg|thumb|center|850px|{{legend|#800080|Sexual orientation and gender identity covered}} {{legend|#0000ff|Sexual orientation covered}} {{legend|Pink|Gender identity covered}} {{legend|#CCCCCC|No national or local level constitutional discrimination laws covering sexual orientation and/or gender identity}}]]</div>
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! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[Hate crime#Laws|LGBTQ hate crime laws by country or territory]]</span>
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| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
<div>[[File:LGBT hate crime laws by country or territory.svg|thumb|center|850px|{{legend|#800080|Sexual orientation and gender identity hate crime laws}}{{legend|#0000ff|Sexual orientation hate crime laws}}{{legend|#CCCCCC|No LGBT hate crime laws}}]]</div>
|}

{| class="collapsible collapsed" style=" text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[Hate speech laws by country|Incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation and gender identity prohibited by country or territory]]</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
<div>[[File:Incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation and gender identity prohibited by country or territory.svg|thumb|center|850px|{{legend|#800080|Incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation and gender identity prohibited}} {{legend|#0000ff|Incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation prohibited}} {{legend|#CCCCCC|No prohibition on incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation and gender identity}}]]</div>
|}

{| class="collapsible collapsed" class="collapsible collapsed" style=" text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[Legality of conversion therapy|Legal status]] on [[conversion therapy]] for minors on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity by country or territory</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
[[File:Countries banning conversion therapy.svg|thumb|center|850px|{{legend|Navy|Ban on conversion therapy on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity}}
{{legend|Blue|De facto ban on conversion therapy}}
{{legend|LightGrey|No ban on conversion therapy}}]]
|}

{| class="collapsible collapsed" class="collapsible collapsed" style=" text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[Immigration equality#LGBT immigration issues|Immigration equality by country or territory]]</span>{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}<!--map is badly out of date. recent updates are incomplete-->
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
<div>[[File:LGBT immigration equality by country or territory.svg|thumb|center|850px|{{legend|#0000ff|Recognition of same-sex couples in national immigration laws}}{{legend|#cccccc|Unknown/ambiguous}}]]</div>
|}
{| class="collapsible collapsed" style=" text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[Same-sex union legislation#Constitutional efforts|Bans on same-sex unions by country or territory]]</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
<div>[[File:Constitutional bans on same-sex unions by country.svg|thumb|center|850px|{{legend|#cccccc|No specific prohibition of same-sex marriages or unions}}{{legend|#d40000|Same-sex marriage banned by secular constitution}}{{legend|#800000|Same-sex marriage banned by constitutionally mandated religious law}}]]{{Original research inline|date=September 2024}}</div>
|}

{| class="collapsible collapsed" style=" text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[Blood donation restrictions on men who have sex with men|Blood donation policies for men who have sex with men by country or territory]]</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
[[File:Map_of_blood_donation_policies_for_men_who_have_sex_with_men.svg|thumb|center|850px|[[Blood donation restrictions on men who have sex with men|Blood donation policies for men who have sex with men]]
{{legend|#9F9|Men who have sex with men may donate blood; '''No deferral'''}}
{{legend|#FFB|Men who have sex with men may donate blood; '''Temporary deferral'''}}
{{legend|#F99|Men who have sex with men may not donate blood; '''Permanent deferral'''}}
{{legend|#C0C0C0|No Data}} ]]
|}

{| class="collapsible collapsed" style=" text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[Blood donation restrictions on men who have sex with men|Blood donation policies for female sex partners of men who have sex with men by country or territory]]</span>{{Needs update|date=February 2025}}
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
<div>[[File:Map_of_blood_donation_policies_for_female_sex_partners_of_men_who_have_sex_with_men.svg|thumb|center|850px|[[Blood donation restrictions on men who have sex with men|Blood donation policies for female sex partners of men who have sex with men]]
{{legend|#9F9|Female sex partners of men who have sex with men may donate blood; '''No deferral'''}}
{{legend|#FFB|Female sex partners of men who have sex with men may donate blood; '''Temporary deferral'''}}
{{legend|#F99|Female sex partners of men who have sex with men may not donate blood; '''Permanent deferral'''}}
{{legend|#C0C0C0|No Data}}]]</div>
|}

{| class="collapsible collapsed" style=" text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[Legal aspects of transgenderism|Laws concerning gender identity-expression by country or territory]]</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
<div>[[File:Laws concerning gender identity-expression by country or territory.svg|thumb|center|850px|{{legend|#800080|Legal identity change, surgery not required}}{{legend|#ff00ffff|Legal identity change, surgery required}}{{legend|#FF0000|No legal identity change}}{{legend|#CCCCCC|Unknown/Ambiguous}}]]</div>
|}

{| class="collapsible collapsed" style=" text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">[[Legal recognition of non-binary gender|Legal recognition of non-binary genders and third gender]]</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
<div>[[File:World map nonbinary gender recognition.svg|thumb|center|850px|
{{legend|#002255|Nonbinary / third gender available as voluntary opt-in}}
{{legend|#FFCC00|Opt-in for intersex people only}}
{{legend|#FF8C00|Standard for third gender}}
{{legend|#FF0000|Standard for intersex}}
{{legend|#CCCCCC|Nonbinary / third gender not legally recognized / no data}}]]</div>
|}

==Timeline==
{{Decriminalization of homosexuality timeline}}

==LGBT-related laws by country or territory==
'''Note''': A country in this list is to be presumed to have equalized the age of consent at the same time as it decriminalized homosexual acts, unless otherwise noted. 

===Africa===
{{Main|LGBTQ rights in Africa}}
{| class="collapsible uncollapsed" style="text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style="font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">List of countries or territories by LGBT rights in Africa</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px;" |
<div>{{LGBT rights table Africa}}</div>
|}

===Americas===
{{Main|LGBTQ rights in the Americas}}
{| class="collapsible uncollapsed" style=" text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">List of countries or territories by LGBT rights in the Americas</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
<div>{{LGBT rights table Americas}}</div>
|}

===Antarctica===
{{Main|LGBTQ rights in Antarctica}}

===Asia===
{{Main|LGBTQ rights in Asia}}
{| class="collapsible uncollapsed" style=" text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">List of countries or territories by LGBT rights in Asia</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
<div>{{LGBT rights table Asia}}</div>
|}

===Europe===
{{Main|LGBTQ rights in Europe}}
{| class="collapsible uncollapsed" style=" text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">List of countries or territories by LGBT rights in Europe</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
<div>{{LGBT rights table Europe}}</div>
|}

===Oceania===
{{Main|LGBTQ rights in Oceania}}
{| class="collapsible uncollapsed" style=" text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;"
|-
! style=" font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: center; " | <span style="font-size: 115%;">List of countries or territories by LGBT rights in Oceania</span>
|-
| style="border: solid 1px silver; padding: 8px; " |
<div>{{LGBT rights table Oceania}}</div>
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Geography|Human sexuality|Law|LGBTQ|Politics|World}}
* [[Capital punishment for non-violent offenses]]
* [[Criminalization of homosexuality]]
* [[Decriminalization of homosexuality]]
* [[Discrimination against LGBTQ people]]
* [[Human rights]]
* [[Legal status of transgender people]]
* [[Legality of conversion therapy]]
* [[LGBTQ people in prison]]
* [[Minority rights]]
* [[Societal attitudes toward homosexuality]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
{{commons category|LGBT rights by country or territory}}
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<!--NOTE: Sodomylaws.org is not listed here as it is out-of-date for some regions. Do not use it as your only source for a country's legal status-->
* [http://www.ilga.org/ International Lesbian and Gay Association]
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20150629054502/http://old.ilga.org/Statehomophobia/ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2015.pdf State-sponsored Homophobia report (2015 edition)]
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20160409042054/http://old.ilga.org/Statehomophobia/ILGA_WorldMap_2015_ENG.pdf Lesbian and Gay Rights in the World map (2015 edition)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100516054224/http://www.amnestyusa.org/lgbt-human-rights/country-information/page.do?id=1106576 Amnesty International USA: LGBT legal status around the world] – interactive map
* [https://pridelegal.com/worldwide-laws-by-country/ Pride Legal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305085218/https://pridelegal.com/worldwide-laws-by-country/ |date=5 March 2022 }} – information by country
* [https://www.hrw.org/topic/lgbt-rights Human Rights Watch on LGBT Rights]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20111228093601/http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/content/takeaction/resourcecenter/index.html International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission resource links] – for researching legal information
*[[International Commission of Jurists]], [https://web.archive.org/web/20120118183926/http://www.icj.org/dwn/database/Sexual%20Orientation,%20Gender%20Identity%20and%20Justice-%20A%20Comparative%20Law%20Casebook%5B1%5D.pdf Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Justice – A Comparative Law Casebook]
*[[United Nations Human Rights Council]], ''[http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/19session/A.HRC.19.41_English.pdf Discriminatory laws and practices and acts of violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation and gender identity]'', an annual report
*[[United Nations]], ''[http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/LivingFreeAndEqual.pdf Living Free and Equal: What States Are Doing to Tackle Violence and Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex People]'', November 2016
{{Criminalization of homosexuality}}
{{LGBT rights footer}}
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{{Law country lists}}
{{Particular human rights}}{{Discrimination}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lgbt Rights By Country Or Territory}}
[[Category:LGBTQ-related legislation| ]]
[[Category:Minimum ages]]
[[Category:Sex laws]]
[[Category:Sexuality and age]]
[[Category:Youth rights]]
[[Category:LGBTQ rights by location| ]]
[[Category:Law-related lists]]
[[Category:Human rights-related lists]]
[[Category:LGBTQ rights by country|*]]