LGBT rights by country or territory

This article is about current LGBT rights around the world. For historical and current movements to further LGBT rights, see LGBT social movements.

Homosexual acts legal   Same-sex marriage   Marriage recognized but not performed   Other type of partnership (or unregistered cohabitation)   Same-sex unions not recognized

Homosexual acts illegal   Not enforced   Heavy penalty   Up to life in prison   Death penalty   Status unclear

Rings indicate local or case-by-case application.

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LGBT rights at the United Nations   *Support: Countries which have signed an LGBT rights Declaration in the General Assembly, sponsored the 2011 LGBT rights resolution in the UNHRC, or both (94 member-states)   *Oppose: Countries which had signed a statement opposing LGBT rights in 2008; initially 57, but 3 countries switched to supporting LGBT rights (54 member-states)   *Neither: Countries which have not officially opposed or supported LGBT rights in the UN (46 member-states)

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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 human rights and civil rights. LGBT rights laws include, but are not limited to, the following: government recognition of same-sex relationships (such as via same-sex marriage or civil unions), 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, and laws related to sexual orientation and military service.

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.

History of LGBT-related laws

See also: LGBT history, Timeline of LGBT history, LGBT social movements, History of homosexuality, and Sodomy law#History

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Africa

Further information: LGBT rights in Africa

Though often ignored or suppressed by European explorers and colonialists, homosexual expression in native Africa was present and took a variety of forms. Anthropologists Stephen Murray and Will Roscoe reported that women in Lesotho engaged in socially sanctioned "long term, erotic relationships," named motsoalle. E. E. Evans-Pritchard also recorded that male Azande warriors (in the northern Congo) routinely took on boy-wives 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 he spoke to.

Americas

Homosexual and transgender individuals were common among other pre-conquest civilizations in Latin America, such as the Aztecs, Mayans, Quechuas, Moches, Zapotecs, and the Tupinambá of Brazil.

Jackson Katz puts forth that there is documentation of "intimate relationships between two males, often of a lifelong character", and "homosexual relations between adults and youths". American Native tribes had third-gender roles. These include "berdaches" (a derogatory term for genetic males who assumed a feminine role) and "passing women" (genetic females who took on a masculine role). The term "berdache" is not a Native American word; rather it was a European definition covering a range of third-gender people in different tribes.

The Spanish conquistadors were horrified to discover sodomy openly practiced among native peoples, and attempted to crush it out by subjecting the berdaches (as the Spanish called them) under their rule to severe penalties, including public execution, burning and being torn to pieces by dogs.

Ancient Assyria

In the ancient Assyrian society, homosexuality was present and it was also not prohibited. Religiously, there was nothing amiss with homosexual love between men. Some ancient religious Assyrian texts contain prayers for divine blessings on homosexual relationships. The Almanac of Incantations contained prayers favoring on an equal basis the love of a man for a woman, of a woman for a man, and of a man for man — lesbian love was not mentioned, probably because of the low status of women in ancient times. Same-sex marital practices and rituals were more recognized in Mesopotamia than in ancient Egypt.

According to the Reallexicon der Assyriologie, it seems clear that the Mesopotamians saw nothing wrong in homosexual acts between consenting adults:

"Homosexuality in itself is thus nowhere condemned as licentiousness, as immorality, as social disorder, or as transgressing any human or divine law. Anyone could practise it freely, just as anyone could visit a prostitute, provided it was done without violence and without compulsion, and preferably as far as taking the passive role was concerned, with specialists."

The Šumma ālu included 38 omens dealing with sexuality, four of which involved a male-to-male sexual act. One of them was unambiguously positive:

"If a man copulates with his equal from the rear, he becomes the leader among his peers and brothers."

According to this code, if a male were to penetrate another male who was of equal status or a cult prostitute, it was thought that trouble will leave him and he will have good fortune. By contrast, sex with a royal attendant, a fellow prisoner and a household slave would bring him worries, evilness and bad destiny, respectively. Further, the laws suggest that if a male were to take the submissive role, what the Assyrians considered similar to a woman's role, in same-sex intercourse, he was to be looked down upon as shameful.

Although illustrated and literary references in ancient Mesopotamia show acceptance of some forms of homosexuality, they are wary toward others — Middle Assyrian Law Codes, from Assur, dating 1075 BC speak of a "seignior" (someone of high social rank in the community) and his "neighbor" (someone of equal social status who lived nearby):

"If a seignior [an Assyrian man] lay with his neighbor [another citizen], when they have prosecuted him (and) convicted him [the first citizen], they shall lie with him (and) turn him into a eunuch".

This law code describes, and condemns, a situation that involves homosexual rape, not homosexuality itself; A man has forced sex upon another person, who then has the option of bringing a charge against him. The perpetrator is punished while the victim is not. Anyone could visit a prostitute or lie with another male, as long as false rumors or forced sex were not involved with another Assyrian male.

Ancient China

Further information: Homosexuality in China

Homosexuality has been acknowledged in China since ancient times. Scholar Pan Guangdan (潘光旦) came to the conclusion that nearly every emperor in the Han Dynasty had one or more male sex partners. There are also descriptions of lesbians in some history books. It is believed homosexuality was popular in the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties. Same-sex love was celebrated in Chinese art, many examples of which have survived the book burnings of the Cultural Revolution. Though no large statues are known to still exist, many hand scrolls and paintings on silk can be found in private collections.

Chinese homosexuals did not experience high-profile persecution as compared with that which was received by homosexuals in Europe during the Middle Ages. Opposition to homosexuality in China originates in the medieval Tang Dynasty (618-907), attributed to the rising influence of Christian and Islamic values, but did not become fully established until the Westernization efforts of the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.

Ancient Greece

Further information: Homosexuality in ancient Greece

The ancient Greeks did not conceive of sexual orientation as a social identifier as Western societies have done for the past century. Greek society did not distinguish sexual desire or behavior by the gender of the participants, but rather by the role that each participant played in the sex act, that of active penetrator or passive penetrated. This active/passive polarization corresponded with dominant and submissive social roles: the active (penetrative) role was associated with masculinity, higher social status, and adulthood, while the passive role was associated with femininity, lower social status, and youth.

Ancient India

Further information: LGBT rights in India

Kama Sutra, the ancient Indian treatise on love talks about feelings for same sexes. The Laws of Manu, the foundational work of Hindu law, mentions a "third sex", members of which may engage in nontraditional gender expression and homosexual activities. The Hijra are a caste of third-gender, or transgender group who live a feminine role. Hijra may be born male or intersex, and some may have been born female. Transsexuals are also venerated e.g. Lord Vishnu as Mohini and Lord Shiva as Ardhanarishvara (which means half woman).

Ancient Israel

Further information: Homosexuality and the bible, LGBT topics and Judaism

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.

Ancient Rome

Further information: Homosexuality in ancient Rome

The "conquest mentality" of the ancient Romans shaped Roman homosexual practices. 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; for the male citizen to submit his body to the giving of pleasure was considered servile. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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.

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, as a violation of military discipline. 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. 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. Soldiers were free to have relations with their male slaves; the use of a fellow citizen-soldier's body was prohibited, not homosexual behaviors per se. 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.

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. 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.

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. "Death by sword" was the punishment for a "man coupling like a woman" under the Theodosian Code. Under Justinian, all same-sex acts, passive or active, no matter who the partners, were declared contrary to nature and punishable by death.

During the Renaissance, wealthy cities in northern Italy—Florence and Venice in particular—were renowned for their widespread practice of same-sex love, engaged in by a considerable part of the male population and constructed along the classical pattern of Greece and Rome. But even as many of the male population were engaging in same-sex relationships, the authorities, under the aegis of the Officers of the Night court, were prosecuting, fining, and imprisoning a good portion of that population. The eclipse of this period of relative artistic and erotic freedom was precipitated by the rise to power of the moralizing monk Girolamo Savonarola.

Early Modern Egypt

The Siwa Oasis in Egypt had an historical acceptance of male homosexuality and even rituals of same-sex marriage — traditions that Egyptian authorities have sought to repress, with increasing success, since the early 20th century. The German egyptologist George Steindorff explored the oasis in the year 1900 and reported that homosexual relations were common and often extended to a form of marriage

Mahmud Mohamrnad Abd Allah commented in 1917, "although Siwan men could take up to four wives, their customs allowed a man but one boy to whom he is bound by a stringent code of obligations." In 1937 the anthropologist Walter Cline wrote the first detailed ethnography of the Siwans in which he noted: "All normal Siwan men and boys practice sodomy...among themselves the natives are not ashamed of this; they talk about it as openly as they talk about love of women..."

In the late 1940s Robin Maugham noted that marriage to a boy had become illegal by then. The Egyptian archaeologist Ahmed Fakhry, who studied Siwa for three decades, observed in 1973 that "up to the year 1928, it was not unusual that some kind of written agreement, which was sometimes called a marriage contract, was made between two males; but since the visit of King Fu'ad to this oasis it has been completely forbidden...However, such agreements continued, but in great secrecy, and without the actual writing, until the end of World War II. Now the practice is not followed."

Feudal Japan

Further information: LGBT rights in 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", 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.

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 the bacchás, 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.

Eminent scholars of Islam, such as Sheikh ul-Islam Imam Malik, and Imam Shafi amongst others, ruled that Islam disallowed homosexuality and ordained capital punishment for a person guilty of it.

South Pacific

Further information: LGBT rights in Oceania

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 sinful and celebrated homosexuality instead. 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. However, many Melanesian societies have become hostile towards same-sex relationships since the introduction of Christianity by European missionaries.

LGBT-related laws by country or territory

Decriminalization of homosexuality by country

In modern times ten countries have no official discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, including the rights of marriage and adoption. They are Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, South Africa, and Spain.^{[citation needed]} Portugal has also marriage rights for same-sex couples but this right does not include same-sex adoption, while in the United States, marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples vary by state.

Africa

Main article: LGBT rights in Africa

Tables:

Northern Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (Sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Algeria	Illegal (Penalty: Fine - Up to 2 years prison)
Spain ( Canary islands, Ceuta, Melilla)	Legal since 1979 + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 1998	Legal since 2005			Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Since 2007, sex changes are legal and documents can be amended to the recognised gender.
Egypt	Not specifically outlawed, other laws may apply
Libya	Illegal (Penalty: Up to 5 years prison).
Morocco (incl. Western Sahara)	Illegal (Penalty: Up to 3 years)
South Sudan	Illegal (Penalty: Up to 10 years.)		Constitutional ban since 2011
Sudan	Illegal (Penalty: Corporal Punishment. Death penalty for men on third offense. Death penalty on fourth offense for women)
Tunisia	Illegal (Penalty: Fine - 3 years)

Western Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (Sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Benin	Legal
Burkina Faso	Legal		Constitutional ban since 1991
Cape Verde	Legal since 2004 + UN decl. sign.					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Côte d'Ivoire	Legal
Gambia	Illegal (Penalty: up to 14 years imprisonment)			No specific prohibition
Ghana	Male illegal (Penalty: up to 3 years imprisonment for consensual acts) Female uncertain
Guinea	Illegal (Penalty: 6 months to 3 years imprisonment)
Guinea-Bissau	Legal since 1993 + UN decl. sign.
Liberia	Illegal (Penalty: 1 year imprisonment)
Mali	Legal
Mauritania	Illegal (Penalty: Death penalty. However, no executions for any crime since 1987)
Niger	Legal
Nigeria	Illegal (Penalty: Prison time, fines, corporal punishment, to death penalty)						Illegal in northern states Unclear in southern states
Senegal	Illegal (Penalty: 1 to 5 years imprisonment)
Sierra Leone	Male illegal (Penalty: Life imprisonment) Female legal + UN decl. sign.
Togo	Illegal (Penalty: Fine and/or a 3 year prison sentence)

Middle Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (Sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Cameroon	Illegal (Penalty: Fine to 5 years prison)
Central African Republic	Legal + UN decl. sign.
Chad	Legal since 1967
Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire)	Legal		Constitutional ban since 2005
Equatorial Guinea	Legal
Gabon	Legal + UN decl. sign.
Republic of the Congo	Legal
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (Overseas territory of the UK))	Legal				(as part of the Military of the United Kingdom)	Bans anti-gay discrimination (under the United Kingdom Equality Act 2010)
São Tomé and Príncipe	Since 2012 + UN decl. sign.

Eastern Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (Sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Burundi	Illegal since 2009 (Penalty: 3 months to 2 years imprisonment and/or fine)		Constitutional ban since 2005
Djibouti	Legal
Eritrea	Illegal (Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment)
Ethiopia	Illegal
Kenya	Male illegal (Penalty: up to 14 years imprisonment) Female presumed to be illegal.		Constitution since 2010 specifically mentions only opposite sex marriage
Rwanda	Legal + UN decl. sign.		Constitutional ban in Article 26 since 2003
Somalia	Illegal
Uganda	Male Illegal (Penalty: Up to life imprisonment) Female Illegal since 2000. (Penalty: Up to 7 years imprisonment)		Constitutional ban since 2005
Tanzania	Illegal (Penalty: Up to life imprisonment)			A couple must be married to adopt a child jointly.

Indian Ocean States

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (Sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Comoros	Illegal (Penalty: 5 years imprisonment and/or fine)
Madagascar	Legal
Mauritius	Male illegal (Penalty: Up to 5 years imprisonment) Female legal (national debate over repeal of the law) + UN decl. sign.					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Mayotte (Overseas department of France since 2011)	Legal since 1791	Civil solidarity pact	Since 2013	Since 2013		Bans all anti-gay discrimination
Réunion (Overseas department of France)	Legal since 1791	Civil solidarity pact since 1999	Since 2013	Since 2013		Bans all anti-gay discrimination
Seychelles	Male illegal (Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment) Female legal (decriminalisation proposed ) + UN decl. sign.					Bans some anti-gay discrimination

Southern Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (Sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Angola	Illegal
Botswana	Illegal (Penalty: Fine - 7 years, Though never enforced)					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Lesotho	Male illegal Female legal
Malawi	Illegal (Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment and/or whippings)
Mozambique	Legal					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Namibia	Illegal (not enforced)
South Africa	Male legal since 1998 (retroactive to 1994) Female always legal + UN decl. sign.	Limited recognition of unregistered partnerships since 1998; marriage since 2006	Legal since 2006	Legal since 2002 (joint and step-parent)	Since 1998	Bans all discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, including hate speech	Anti-discrimination laws are interpreted to include gender identity; legal gender may be changed after surgical or medical treatment
Swaziland	Male illegal Female legal Pending law includes outlawing lesbian sex conduct.
Zambia	Illegal (Penalty: up to 14 years imprisonment)
Zimbabwe	Male illegal Female legal		Constitutional ban since 2013

Partially recognised states

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (Sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Western Sahara (80% controlled by Morocco)	Illegal (Penalty: up to 3 years prison)
Somaliland	Illegal (Penalty: expulsion from country, prison - up to life, in various regions and districts; death penalty)

The Americas

Main article: LGBT rights in the Americas

Tables:

North America

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination Laws (sexual orientation)	Anti-discrimination Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Bermuda (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 1994 (Age of consent discrepancy)
Canada	Legal since 1969 (Age of consent discrepancy, prohibition of anal intercourse in some cases) + UN decl. sign.		Legal since 2003, nationwide since 2005		Since 1992	Bans all anti-gay discrimination, including hate speech	Sex changes legally recognised, but only after sex reassignment surgery; Explicit anti-discrimination protections only in NWT and Ontario, implicit elsewhere;
Mexico	Legal since 1872 + UN decl. sign.	PACS in Coahuila since 2007. All states are obliged to honour same-sex marriages performed in Mexico City.	/ Legal in Mexico City since 2010 and in Quintana Roo since 2012. All states are obliged to honour same-sex marriages performed in Mexico City.	/ Joint adoption legal in Mexico City (2010) and Coahuila. Nationwide, single gay persons may adopt.	/ No explicit ban. However, LGB persons have been reportedly discharged on the grounds of "immorality."	Nationwide since 2003.	/ Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name in Mexico City since 2008.
Saint Pierre et Miquelon (overseas collectivity of France)	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.	Pacte civil de solidarité since 1999	Since 2013	Since 2013		Bans some anti-gay discrimination
United States	Legal nationwide since 2003. + UN decl. sign. See Lawrence v. Texas	/ Varies by state, but not recognized by federal gov't. (Legal in CA, CO, HI, IL, NJ, NV, OR, and WI)	/ Varies by state, but not recognized by federal gov't. (Legal in CT, DE, IA, ME, MD, MA, MN, NH, NY, RI, VT, WA and in the DC)	/ Single gay persons may adopt, laws on couples vary by state	Since 2011	/ No federal protections. Varying protections in 20 states. Included in the federal hate crimes law since 2009. See Matthew Shepard Act	/ Anti-transgender discrimination in healthcare insurance banned. No other federal protections. Varying protections in 13 states. Included in the federal hate crimes law since 2009. See Matthew Shepard Act

Central America

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination Laws (sexual orientation)	Anti- discrimination Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Belize	Illegal since September 19, 2003 (Penalty: 10 year prison sentence) (Foreign gay males and females are barred from the country by Immigration Law)
Costa Rica	Legal since 1971 + UN decl. sign.				N/A	Bans some anti-gay discrimination
El Salvador	Legal since 1800's + UN decl. sign.					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Guatemala	Legal since 1871 + UN decl. sign.					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Honduras	Legal since 1899 + UN decl. sign.		Constitutional ban	Constitutional ban
Nicaragua	Legal since 2008 + UN decl. sign.					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Panama	Legal since 2008 + UN decl. sign.

Caribbean islands

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination Laws (sexual orientation)	Anti-discrimination Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Anguilla (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 2000
Antigua and Barbuda	Illegal (Penalty: 15 year prison sentence)
Aruba (Autonomous country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands)	Legal	Only unions made in the Netherlands recognised	Only same-sex marriages made in the Netherlands recognised		The Netherlands responsible for defence
Bahamas	Legal since 1991 (Age of consent discrepancy)
Barbados	Illegal (Penalty: life sentence, Not enforced)
British Virgin Islands (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 2000					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Caribbean Netherlands (part of the Netherlands)	Legal	unions performed elsewhere are recognized	Since 10 October 2012		The Netherlands responsible for defence
Cayman Islands (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 2000
Cuba	Legal since 1979 + UN decl. sign.	(but proposed)
Curaçao (Autonomous country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands)	Legal	Only unions made in the Netherlands recognised	Only same-sex marriages made in the Netherlands recognised		The Netherlands responsible for defence
Dominica	Illegal (Penalty: 10 year prison sentence or incarceration in a psychiatric institution ) + UN decl. sign.
Dominican Republic	Legal since 1822 + UN decl. sign.		Constitutional ban
Grenada	Male illegal (Penalty: 10 year prison sentence) Female legal
Guadeloupe (Overseas department of France)	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.	Pacte civil de solidarité since 1999	Since 2013	Since 2013		Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Haiti	Legal since 1986
Jamaica	Male Illegal (Penalty: 10 years hard labor) Female legal
Martinique (Overseas department of France)	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.	Pacte civil de solidarité since 1999	Since 2013	Since 2013		Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Montserrat (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 2000
Puerto Rico (Commonwealth of the United States)	Legal since 2003				since 2011	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
Saint Barthélemy (overseas collectivity of France since 2007)	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.	Pacte civil de solidarité since 1999	Since 2013	Since 2013		Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Male illegal (Penalty: 10 years) Female legal
Saint Lucia	Male illegal (Penalty: fine and/or 10 year prison sentence) Female legal
Saint Martin (overseas collectivity of France since 2007)	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.	Pacte civil de solidarité since 1999	Since 2013	Since 2013		Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Illegal (Penalty: fine and/or 10 year prison sentence)
Sint Maarten (Autonomous country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands)	Legal	Only unions made in the Netherlands recognised	Only same-sex marriages made in the Netherlands recognised		The Netherlands responsible for defence
Trinidad and Tobago	Illegal (Penalty: 25 year prison sentence, Not enforced)
Turks and Caicos Islands (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 2000
United States Virgin Islands (Insular area of the United States)	Legal since 1984				since 2011	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 relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination Laws (sexual orientation)	Anti- discrimination Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Argentina	Legal since 1887 + UN decl. sign.	Unregistered cohabitation throughout the country.	Legal since 2010.	Legal since 2010.	Since 2009.	/ The Constitution of Argentina prohibits all forms of discrimination, though sexual orientation is not explicited	Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name without surgeries or judicial permission
Bolivia	Legal + UN decl. sign.	(Proposed)	Constitutional ban	Constitutional ban		Bans some anti-gay discrimination	Bans all discrimination based on gender identity
Brazil	Legal since 1830 + UN decl. sign.	Civil unions legal since 2004.	Legal since 2011, nationwide since 2013.	Legal since 2010.	Gays and lesbians to serve openly in military.	/ Legal protection in some states, but the criminalization of homophobia in the national sphere is being discussed in the Senate.	Transgender people can change their legal gender and name since 2009, though surgery is required.
Chile	Legal since 1998 (Age of consent discrepancy) + UN decl. sign.	(Pending)	(Pending)				since 2007
Colombia	Legal since 1981 + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 2007	/ from 20 July, 2013 under a Constitutional Court ruling if Congress does not act.	single person, no matter her/his sexual orientation may adopt. First case of step-child adoption, Court ordered.	since 1999. Since 2009: the military special social security system can be used by same sex couples in the army	Bans all anti-gay discrimination, including hate speech	Since 1993. The name's gender can be changed easily in the National ID Card, to change the sex field a surgery is required.
Ecuador	Legal since 1997 + UN decl. sign.	Civil unions recognized since 2009	Constitutional ban	Constitutional ban		Bans some anti-gay discrimination	Bans all discrimination based on gender identity
Falkland Islands (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
French Guiana (Overseas department of France)	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.	Pacte civil de solidarité since 1999	Since 2013	Since 2013		Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Guyana	Male illegal (Penalty: Up to life imprisonment)					Added to constitution in 2004, but withdrawn afterwards by the government.
Paraguay	Legal since 1880 + UN decl. sign.	Constitutional ban since 1992	Constitutional ban since 1992
Peru	Legal since 1836-37				since 2009	Bans all anti-gay discrimination. Penalized with 2-4 years in jail.	Possible via Civil Code and Legal Process, but no specific law.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Suriname	Legal since 1869
Uruguay	Legal since 1934 + UN decl. sign.	Civil unions since 2008.	Since 2013.	Since 2009.	Since 2009.	Legal protection since 2004.	Legal protection since 2004. Transgender persons can change their legal gender and name since 2009.
Venezuela	Legal since 1997. + UN decl. sign.		Constitutional ban	Constitutional ban	since 1999	Bans some anti-gay discrimination

Asia

Main article: LGBT rights in Asia

This table:

Central Asia

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (Sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Kazakhstan	Legal since 1998
Kyrgyzstan	Legal since 1998
Tajikistan	Legal since 1998
Turkmenistan	Male illegal (Penalty: up to 2 year prison sentence) Female legal
Uzbekistan	Male illegal (Penalty: up to 3 year prison sentence) Female legal

Western Asia

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (Sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Bahrain	Legal since 1976
Iraq	Although homosexuality was technically made legal, many executions, imprisonments, beatings, and bombings of LGBT people still occur
Israel	Legal since 1963 de facto 1988 de jure + UN decl. sign.	Unregistered cohabitation Restricted	Cannot be performed in the country, but foreign same-sex marriages are recognised	/ step adoptions prohibited		Bans some anti-gay discrimination	[citation needed]
Jordan	Legal since 1951
Kuwait	Illegal (Penalty: fines, men under 21 face prison sentences up to 10 years, men over 21 face prison sentences up to 7 years)
Lebanon	In certain circumstances
Oman	Illegal (Penalty: fines, prison sentence up to 3 years; however, only enforced when dealing with "public scandal")
Palestinian territories (Gaza)	Male illegal (Penalty: up to 10 year prison sentence) Female legal
Palestinian territories (West Bank)	Legal since 1951
Qatar	Illegal (Penalty: fines, prison sentence up to 5 years)
Saudi Arabia	Illegal (Penalty: death or life imprisonment)
Syria	Illegal (Penalty: prison sentence up to 3 years; law de facto suspended)
Turkey	Legal since 1858					Committee formed in March 2010 to draft a discrimination clause including sexual orientation.
United Arab Emirates	Illegal (Penalty: deportation, fines, prison time or death sentence)
Yemen	Illegal (Penalty: death)

South Asia

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (Sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Afghanistan	Illegal (Penalty: Death penalty)
Bangladesh	Illegal (Penalty: 10 years to life)
Bhutan	Illegal (Penalty: prison sentence up to 1 year; no cases of penalty actually enforced)
India	Legal since 2009 Delhi High Court ruling	No explicit recognition.	No explicit recognition.				There are no laws to protect from discrimination.
Iran	Illegal (Penalty: Death)						Transsexuality in Iran is legal if accompanied by a sex change operation; however, transsexuals still report societal intolerance.
Maldives	Criminal code does not criminalize same-sex sexual relations; sharia law may apply, but no applications have been reported				[citation needed]
Nepal	Legal since 2007 + UN decl. sign.		Under consideration	Under consideration		Supreme Court ruled discrimination laws apply to homosexuals	"Third gender" cards have been issued since September 2007, legally protected class
Pakistan	Illegal (Penalty: 2 years to life sentence)						'Third gender' officially protected from discrimination by Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2010
Sri Lanka	Illegal				[citation needed]

East Asia

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (Sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
China (People's Republic of)	Legal since 1997						Transsexuals allowed to change legal gender
Hong Kong (Special administrative region of China)	Legal since 1991 (equal age of consent of 16 for both heterosexual and homosexual sex since 2006)				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.
Japan	Legal since 1880 (was illegal from 1872-1880; before that there were no laws forbidding sodomy) + UN decl. sign.					No nationwide protections, but some cities ban some anti-gay discriminations	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 since 1996				Unknown (China responsible for defence)
Mongolia	Legal since 2002
North Korea							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				Due to conscription, but gays subject to discrimination		Transsexuals allowed to change legal gender

Partially recognised states

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Taiwan (China, Republic of)	Legal since 1896		(Pending law allows civil unions or same-sex marriage)		Due to military draft	Bans some anti-gay discrimination (in work and education)	Transsexuals allowed to change legal gender, but only after sex reassignment surgery

Southeast Asia

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (Sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Brunei	Illegal (Penalty: fine or prison sentence up to 10 years)
Burma	Illegal (Penalty: up to life sentence)
Cambodia	Legal		Technically prohibited, 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.
Indonesia	Legal except for Muslims in Aceh Province
Laos	Legal
Malaysia	Illegal (Penalty: fines, prison sentence (2-20 years), or whippings)
Philippines	Legal except for Muslims in Marawi City				Since 2009	No national protections, but Cebu, Quezon City and Albay have anti-discrimination ordinances National bill pending but still not made into law
Singapore	Male illegal (Penalty: up to 2 years prison sentence; no plan to repeal 377A and not enforced since 1999) Female legal				Due to conscription, but gays are not allowed to go to command school or serve in sensitive units.
Thailand	Legal since 1956				Since 2005
Vietnam	Legal (no laws against homosexuality have ever existed)	(Proposed)	(Proposed for 2013)

Europe

Main article: LGBT rights in Europe

Tables:

European Union

See: LGBT rights in the European Union European Union law forbids discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. All EU states are required to legalise homosexual activity and implement anti-discrimination laws.

Central Europe

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Austria	Legal since 1971 + UN decl. sign.	Registered partnership since 2010		/ Biological step-child adoption only		Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Croatia	Legal since 1977 + UN decl. sign.	Unregistered cohabitation since 2003		Single gay persons may adopt		Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Act on the elimination of discrimination, The Law on volunteering, Electronic media Law (all including both gender identity and gender expression)
Czech Republic	Legal since 1962 + UN decl. sign.	Registered partnership since 2006.		A gay person alone may adopt (both when in registered partnership or single)		Bans some anti-gay discrimination	Sex change legal; birth certificate is amended after the reassignment surgery
Germany	Legal since 1969 (since 1968 in East Germany) + UN decl. sign.	Registered partnership since 2001	(proposed)	/ Biological or successive step-child adoption only (full joint adoption proposed)		Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Hungary	Legal since 1962 + UN decl. sign.	Registered partnership since 2009	Constitutional ban since 2012			Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Liechtenstein	Legal since 1989 + UN decl. sign.	Registered partnership since 2011			N/A
Poland	Legal Never punished (Legal until 18th century, criminalized in 19th by laws of Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary, legal again since 1932) + UN decl. sign.	(proposed)	Constitution defines marriage as "a union of a man and a woman"	Single gay persons may adopt		Bans some anti-gay discrimination	Sex change legal; birth certificate is amended, including in cases of partial sex change.
Slovakia	Legal since 1962 + UN decl. sign.					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Slovenia	Legal since 1977 + UN decl. sign.	Registered partnership since 2006				Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Sex change is legal: new documents can be issued based on a person's new gender identity.
Switzerland	Legal (Geneva, Vaud, Valais and Ticino: since 1798 Nationwide since 1942) + UN decl. sign.	Registered partnership since 2007		/ Single gay persons may adopt. Biological step-child adoption only - accepted by Parliament On March 4, 2013. Might undergo through Referendum.		Bans some anti-gay discrimination	Sex change is legal: new documents can be issued based on a person's new gender identity. Sterilization not enforced anymore since 2012. Registered Partnership can become Marriage between the new opposite-sex couple.

Eastern Europe

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Albania	Legal since 1995 + UN decl. sign.					Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Forbids discrimination based on gender identity.
Armenia	Legal since 2002 + UN decl. sign.				/ No explicit ban. However, LGB persons have been reportedly discharged because of their sexual orientation.
Azerbaijan	Legal since 2000
Belarus	Legal since 1994		Constitutional ban since 1994.		/ Banned from military service during peacetime, but during wartime homosexuals are permitted to enlist as partially able.
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Legal since 1998 + UN decl. sign.					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Bulgaria	Legal since 1968 + UN decl. sign.		Constitution defines marriage as "a union of a man and a woman"	Single gay persons may adopt.		Bans all anti-gay discrimination
Georgia	Legal since 2000 + UN decl. sign.					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Macedonia	Legal since 1996 + UN decl. sign.
Moldova	Legal since 1995		Constitutional ban since 1994.			Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Montenegro	Legal since 1977 + UN decl. sign.		Constitutional ban since 2007.			Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Forbids discrimination based on gender identity.
Romania	Legal since 1996 Previously legal from 1936 to 1968. + UN decl. sign.		Civil Code defines marriage as "a union of a man and a woman"	Single gay persons may adopt.		Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Sex change legal; birth certificate is amended after the reassignment surgery
Russia (incl. all constituent regions)	Legal since 1993 Previously legal from 1917 to 1930.					Some regions ban homosexual "propaganda"
Serbia	Legal since 1994 + UN decl. sign.		Constitution defines marriage as "a union of a man and a woman"			Bans all anti-gay discrimination
Ukraine	Legal since 1991		Constitution defines marriage as "a union of a man and a woman"			(proposed)

Northern Europe

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Denmark	Legal since 1933 + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 1989. First country to legalise same-sex unions. Replaced in 2012 by gender neutral marriage law.	Legal since 2012			Bans all anti-gay discrimination
Estonia	Legal since 1992 + UN decl. sign.	(proposed)		Single persons may adopt. Two people can adopt a child only if they are married.		Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Faroe Islands (constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark)	Legal since 1933	(proposed)	(proposed)		(Denmark responsible for defence)	Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Finland	Legal since 1971 + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 2002	(under consideration)	/ Step-child adoption only (full joint adoption under consideration)		Bans some anti-gay discrimination	Legal sex change is possible without sterilization
Greenland (constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark)	Legal since 1933 + UN decl. sign via Denmark	Legal since 1996		/ Step-child adoption only	(Denmark responsible for defence)	Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Iceland	Legal since 1940 + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 1996	Legal since 2010	Legal since 2006	N/A	Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Sex changes are legal and documents can be amended to the recognised gender.
Ireland	Legal since 1993 + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 2011	(proposed)	Single gay persons may adopt. Step Child adoption under consideration.		Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Legislation to recognise gender identity pending after High Court ruling in favour.
Isle of Man (Crown dependencies of the UK)	Legal since 1992 + UN decl. sign			Legal since 2011	UK responsible for defence	Bans all anti-gay discrimination
Latvia	Legal since 1992 + UN decl. sign.		Constitutional ban since 2006	An unmarried person may adopt child alone. Adoption by multiple persons that are not married banned.		Bans some anti-gay discrimination	Sex changes are legal and documents are amended accordingly, including in cases of partial sex change.
Lithuania	Legal since 1993 + UN decl. sign.		Constitutional ban since 1992	Only married couples can adopt		Bans all anti-gay discrimination
Norway	Legal since 1972 + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 1993	Legal since 2009	Legal since 2009		Bans all anti-gay discrimination.	Sex changes are legal and documents can be amended to the recognised gender.
Sweden	Legal since 1944 + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 1995	Legal since 2009	Legal since 2003		Bans all anti-gay discrimination
United Kingdom	Legal England and Wales since 1967 Scotland since 1981 Northern Ireland since 1982 + UN decl. sign.	Civil partnership since 2005	Legislation pending England and Wales Scotland Illegal Northern Ireland	Legal England and Wales since 2005 Scotland since 2009 Illegal Northern Ireland		Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Gender Recognition Act 2004

Southern Europe

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Andorra	Legal since 1791 (as part of France) + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 2005	(proposed)	Legal since 2005	N/A	Bans all anti-gay discrimination
Cyprus	Legal since 1998 + UN decl. sign.	(proposed)				Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Gibraltar (overseas territory of the UK)	Legal since 1993	(proposed)		Legal since 2013	UK responsible for defence	Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Greece	Legal since 1951 (Age of consent discrepancy) + UN decl. sign.	(proposed)		(proposed)		Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Italy	Legal since 1890 + UN decl. sign.	(proposed)		Only married couples can adopt		Bans some anti-gay discrimination	Sex changes are legal and documents can be amended to the recognised gender.
Malta	Legal since 1973 + UN decl. sign.	(proposed)				Bans some anti-gay discrimination	Sex changes are legal and documents can be amended to the recognised gender
Portugal	Legal since 1983 + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 2001	Legal since 2010	/ Step-child adoption legal since 2013. (Yet to be signed or ratified by the Portugal president)		Bans all anti-gay discrimination, according to national Constitution.	Since 2011, sex changes are legal and documents can be amended to the recognised gender.
San Marino	Legal since 2001 + UN decl. sign.
Spain	Legal since 1979 + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 1998	Legal since 2005			Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Since 2007, sex changes are legal and documents can be amended to the recognised gender (Ley 3/2007).
Vatican City	Legal

Western Europe

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Belgium	Legal since 1793 (as part of France) + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 2000	Legal since 2003	Legal since 2006		Bans all anti-gay discrimination
France	Legal since 1791 + UN decl. sign.	Civil solidarity pact since 1999	Legal since 2013	Legal since 2013		Bans all anti-gay discrimination
Guernsey (incl. Alderney, Herm and Sark) (Crown dependency of the UK)	Legal since 1983	(proposed)			UK responsible for defence	Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Jersey (Crown dependency of the UK)	Legal since 1990	Legal since 2012			UK responsible for defence	Bans some anti-gay discrimination	Gender Recognition (Jersey) Law 2010
Luxembourg	Legal since 1795 (as part of France) + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 2004	(proposed)	Single gay persons may adopt (step-child only proposed)		Bans some anti-gay discrimination
Monaco	Legal since 1793 (as part of France)				France responsible for defence
Netherlands	Legal since 1811 (as part of France) + UN decl. sign.	Legal since 1998	Legal since 2001. First country to legalise same-sex marriage.			Bans all anti-gay discrimination

Partially or unrecognised states

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Kosovo	Legal since 1970 (as part of Yugoslavia)		.			Banned by the constitution
TRNC (recognised only by the Republic of Turkey)	Male illegal Female legal

Oceania

Main article: LGBT rights in Oceania

Tables:

Australasia

LGBT rights in:	Homosexual acts legal?	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Australia (including territories of Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Norfolk Island)	Legal nationwide since 1994 + UN decl. sign.	Unregistered cohabitation since 2009 Registered relationship schemes in ACT, Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales	(Proposed in NSW, ACT, Vic, SA and WA)	/ Single gay persons may adopt; joint adoption in ACT, New South Wales and Western Australia. Stepchild adoption in Tasmania and Queensland.	since 1992	Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Covered by all state and territory laws only.
New Zealand	Legal since 1986 + UN decl. sign.	Unregistered cohabitation since 2001 Civil union since 2005.	(from 19 August 2013)	(from 19 August 2013)	since 1993	Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Covered under the "sex discrimination" provision of the Human Rights Act 1993 since 2006.

Melanesia

LGBT rights in:	Homosexual acts legal?	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
East Timor (terminology "Oceania" varies on border definitions)	Legal since 1975 + UN decl. sign.
Fiji	Legal since 2010 + UN decl. sign.					Bans some anti-gay discrimination
New Caledonia (overseas collectivity of France)	Legal	PACS since 2009	Since 2013	Since 2013	French responsibility
Papua New Guinea	Male Illegal (Penalty: 3 to 14 years imprisonment) Female Unknown
Solomon Islands	Illegal (Up to 14 years imprisonment)
Vanuatu	Legal since 2007 + UN decl. sign.

Micronesia

LGBT rights in:	Homosexual acts legal?	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
Guam (unincorporated territory of the United States)	Legal since 1979	(proposed)		Legal since 2002	since 2011	Bans all anti-gay discrimination, also 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
Federated States of Micronesia	Legal + UN decl. sign.				since 2011	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
Kiribati	Male illegal Female legal
Marshall Islands	Legal since 2005 + UN decl. sign.				since 2011
Nauru	Male illegal Female legal (legalisation proposed) + UN decl. sign.				Australia's responsibility
Northern Mariana Islands	Legal since 1983				since 2011	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
Palau	Male illegal Female legal + UN decl. sign.

Polynesia

LGBT rights in:	Homosexual acts legal?	Recognition of same-sex relationships	Same-sex marriage	Same-sex adoption	Allows gays to serve openly in military?	Anti-discrimination (sexual orientation)	Laws concerning gender identity/expression
American Samoa (unincorporated territory of the United States)	Legal since 1899				since 2011	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
Easter Island (overseas territory of Chile)	Legal since 1998	(Pending)	(Pending)				since 2007
Cook Islands (part of the Realm of New Zealand)	Male illegal Female legal				New Zealand's responsibility
French Polynesia (overseas collectivity of France)	Legal		Since 2013	Since 2013	French responsibility
Hawaii (State of the United States)	Legal since 1972	Reciprocal beneficiary rights since 1997 civil union from 2012	Constitutional and statute ban since 1998	Since 2012 (under civil union law)	Since 2011	Bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation	Bans discrimination on the basis of gender identity/expression
Niue (part of the Realm of New Zealand)	Legal since 2007				N/A
Pitcairn Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 1967					Discrimination banned by the constitution
Samoa	Illegal + UN decl. sign.				N/A
Tokelau (part of the Realm of New Zealand)	Legal since 2007				N/A
Tonga	Male illegal (Penalty: Up to 10 years imprisonment, corporal punishment) Female legal
Tuvalu	Male illegal (Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment) Female legal + UN decl. sign.				N/A
Wallis and Futuna (overseas collectivity of France)	Legal	PACS since 2009	Since 2013	Since 2013	French responsibility

See also

Buggery Civil rights movement Civil union Heterosexism Homophobia Transphobia

List of LGBT rights articles by region List of transgender-rights organizations LGBT people in prison Religion and homosexuality Same-sex marriage Sexual Revolution Socialism and LGBT rights Status of same-sex marriage The Yogyakarta Principles