Laws on homosexuality

Status of Same-Sex Couples in Europe

Same-sex marriage

Registered partnership

Unregistered partnership

No recognition or unknown

Marriage by constitutional only as a union between a man and woman defined

State recognition of same-sex partnerships in North America (as of 2009)

Same-sex marriage

Recognition of same-sex marriages concluded abroad

Other forms of partnership

The court decision on the lifting of the legal and constitutional prohibitions on same-sex marriage is being contested.

There are many different laws around the world that try to regulate sexual relationships between people of the same sex. Many of these laws formulate prohibitions, often only dealing with same-sex sexual behavior among men. Another common form of legislation on the subject of homosexuality deals with everyday aspects, for example the property regime , of same-sex couples. For example, registered partnerships are regulated or discrimination bans are issued. The characteristics of the various legislations vary greatly. While in some countries also civil marriageOpen to same-sex couples, other countries prohibit sexual acts between men under penalty of death .

Historical development in Europe

In § 20 of the Central Assyrian law from around 1100 BC Male homosexuality is punished by castration: "If a man attends his comrade, if one proves it to him and convicts him, one should attend him and turn him into a dissent."

The first known legal prohibition of sexual relations between men under threat of the death penalty for offense dates from around 550 BC. And was probably written down in the book of Leviticus during the Jewish Babylonian exile . It is controversial whether this sentence was ever imposed. In any case, this was intended to strengthen the demarcation of Judaism from paganism , which was rejected primarily because of its idolatry.

Same-sex relationships were allowed or even valued in some other religions.

There were early laws with a positive social valuation of homosexuality around 600 BC. In ancient Crete and Sparta , which imposed a pederastic homoerotic friendship on every man .

The Greek custom could not prevail in the Roman pre-Christian legislation: sexual intercourse between men was not morally approved because - contrary to the view of the Greeks - it was viewed as incompatible with the ideal of masculinity. He was only allowed with slaves and otherwise punishable (fine, corporal punishment in the Roman army ).

In the 1st century AD, Tacitus reports in Chapter 12 of his book Germania about the alleged death penalty against sexually passive behaving men (Latin: corpore infames) among the Germanic peoples: They “are sunk in excrement and swamp, with wickerwork being placed over them "Due to the controversial question within historical research about the credibility of Tacitus' statements in this regard as well as the statements made by other ancient authors on the sex life of the Germanic peoples, according to which same-sex sexual behavior was also accepted in some Germanic peoples, is currently more likely to be accepted At least for some Germanic-speaking peoples, homosexuality had the function of an initiation rite for the youth team and was definitely tolerated.

After Christianity was introduced as the state religion of the Roman Empire, the threat of punishment according to the code of the Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius I was public cremation . However, this punishment was seldom used and sexual intercourse between men was unabashed. The Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I reinterpreted the Sodom story in two of the laws he passed ( Justinian novellas from 538 and 559) and provided decapitation as a punishment for sexual intercourse between men . According to Gisela Bleibtreu-Ehrenberg, this served to present blasphemers and sodomites to the population as scapegoats who could be blamed for the earthquakes and plague waves that were frequent at the time. In this respect, the death penalties were not motivated by Christianity, but to be explained in a secular and political way.

In the second half of the 13th century, sexual intercourse between men, which came under the term sodomy , changed from a sinful , but mostly completely legal practice to a crime that was threatened with the death penalty almost everywhere in Europe.

In the course of the Enlightenment , reinforced by the French Revolution , there were a number of reforms that either resulted in the complete abolition of the sodomy laws as in France or at least conversion to a prison sentence.

With colonialism , these prohibitions spread, especially in British colonies, accompanied by the repressive sexual morality of the Victorian era. In the 19th century, the scientific and medical attempt to describe homosexuality as a disease and not as a moral crime was a first emancipatory step, because homosexuality as a disease could go unpunished.

In the early years of the Soviet Union , as part of a general reform of the sex laws, homosexuality was no longer a criminal offense. Under Stalin, criminality was reintroduced in 1934, and this attitude held for decades in almost all communist countries.

Towards the end of the 20th century, homosexuality was decriminalized in many countries around the world. The highest court judgments of the European Court of Human Rights were very decisive for Europe. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled several times that criminal prosecution of homosexual acts is contrary to human rights.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, marriage has been opened to same-sex couples in various countries around the world.

See also : History of the LGBT

Germany

The threat of punishment against "unnatural fornication", which had been in force since the Constitutio Criminalis Carolina, was adopted across the Reich in the most conservative German version - the Prussian - as Section 175 after the founding of the Reich , thus overriding more liberal regulations such as the Bavarian one from 1813. The National Socialists deleted the word "unnatural" in 1935 and introduced another paragraph (175a RStGB). The so considerably tightened § 175 StGB ("fornication between men") was de facto overruled in the GDR in 1957 by the possibility created by the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1957 to refrain from prosecution if an illegal act did not pose a threat to the socialist due to the lack of damaging consequences Represents society; in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1969 it was restricted to sexual acts with young people under the age of 21. This so-called age of consent was reduced to 18 years in 1968 (East) and 1973 (West).

In 1988 the People's Chamber of the GDR canceled its special legislation directed against homosexuality ( Section 151 of the Criminal Code ) without replacement, so the age of consent was 14 years, as with heterosexuals. This age of consent was legally effective in the new federal states until March 9, 1994; at the same time, an age of consent of 18 years according to Section 175 existed in the old federal states.

In 1994, the German Bundestag standardized the age of consent for homo- and heterosexuals to 14/16 years by repealing Section 175 as part of the harmonization of the law after German reunification . As a result, the age of consent for homosexuals fell in West Germany with effect from March 10, 1994, while it rose in some areas for homosexuals and heterosexuals in East Germany.

Since the late 1990s, the state recognition of same-sex couples has determined the legal and social discussion in Germany. On June 30, 2017, the Bundestag decided to open up marriage to same-sex couples. After the Federal Council also approved it on July 7, the law was signed by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on July 21, 2017 .

See also : Life Partnership Act  and Section 175

Switzerland

In Switzerland, the criminal liability of sexual acts among adult men was abolished in 1942 and an age of consent of 20 years was introduced in Article 194, as opposed to 16 years for acts of opposite sex. With the criminal law reform of December 1990, the different ages of consent were lifted. The age of consent is now 16, with no criminal liability under 16 if the ages of the sexual partners are not more than three years apart. Since January 1, 2007, same-sex couples have been legally recognized nationwide as a result of the Partnership Act .

Article 8 of the Swiss Federal Constitution prohibits discrimination based on the way of life. However, this only applies to the citizen / state relationship and not citizen / citizen.

See also : Homosexuality in Switzerland: Law

Austria

From the 15th to the 17th century, different neck court regulations (Landgerichtsordnung) were in effect in the Austrian states, which were very similar to the Constitutio Criminalis Carolina .

In 1768 Maria Theresa introduced the Constitutio Criminalis Theresiana, a uniform criminal law for the Austrian and Bohemian countries, which was based on the Carolina and also provided for the death penalty for sodomy (including extra homosexual acts of both sexes).

In 1787 it was replaced by the great reformer Joseph II. By his Josephinian penal law , which only provided for a death penalty under martial law. In contrast to other offenses, this remained the case in the case of sodomy in 1795, 1803 and 1933. This made Austria the first country in Europe to abolish the death penalty for sodomy. Instead, there was public chastisement, temporary public labor, severe imprisonment, and exile. In addition, it did not mention heterosexual "fornication against nature".

In the criminal code of 1803, in §§ 113-114 with the expression “fornication against nature” everything was again summed up and dungeons between 6 months and one year were introduced as a punishment.

According to Sections 129 I b (deed) and 130 (penalty) of the Criminal Law (StG) of 1852, sexual relationships between women and those between men were forbidden as "fornication against nature with persons of the same sex" and were imprisoned in severe terms punished from one to five years. Between 1920 and 1938, in relation to the total population, Austria led the way in Europe in terms of the number of convictions. In the “Third Reich” the criminal law was never adjusted, but the case law in the Higher Regional Court was adjusted over time so that it roughly corresponded to the tightened § 175 in the Old Reich, and the convictions reached a new high point. After 1945, it continued as before 1938.

The small criminal law reform in 1971 replaced this total ban with four new provisions of the StG: (in brackets the section number of the Criminal Code (StGB) after the major reform of criminal law on January 1, 1975)

• Section 129 I StG (Section 209 StGB): "[male] same-sex fornication with persons under the age of 18" (6 months - 5 years)
• Section 500 StG (Section 210 StGB): "commercial [male] same-sex fornication" (prostitution)
• § 517 StG (§ 220 StGB): "Advertising for fornication with persons of the same sex" (= approval)
• § 518 StG (§ 221 StGB): "Connections to the promotion of same-sex fornication"

The ban on advertising was also used to justify the fact that same-sex pornography is absolutely lewd and therefore prohibited (including in sex shops). In 1988 the minimum age of the perpetrator was raised to 19 years, creating a transition area. In 1989, Section 210 was repealed and in 1997, Sections 220 and 221. There were several parliamentary attempts to abolish Section 209, the narrowest of which came out in 1996 with a tie. It was not until June 21, 2002, that the Constitutional Court lifted this provision with a decision on the matter . The reason was the changing criminal liability of the older partner over the years for one and the same couple with a two-year age difference. However, the Constitutional Court granted the government a grace period of 6 months to adapt the protective provisions in sexual criminal law.

On August 14, 2002, § 209 and the replacement solution § 207 b came into force. Although this is formulated in a gender-neutral manner, it is still predominantly male same-sex relationships that are persecuted and judged. There was no amnesty law like in Germany and the previous convictions due to the old §§ are, taking into account the limitation periods, often evident to this day (reference date July 12, 2005 a total of 1434 people, 558 of them because of § 129 I b before 1971). In the cases in which those affected have turned to the ECHR , the Republic of Austria has been sentenced to overturn the judgment and to pay damages in every case of a conviction under Section 209.

On January 1, 2010, the registered partnership institute for same-sex couples was introduced.

It was announced that marriage would be equal from January 1, 2016. Since October 2017, the Constitutional Court , Austria's highest court, has officially examined the marriage ban for homosexual couples for its constitutional conformity. In December he decided to open the marriage by January 1, 2019 at the latest.

Same-sex marriage has been possible in Austria since January 1, 2019.

Todays situation

Homosexuality legal

Same-sex marriages

Other forms of same-sex partnerships

Recognition of same-sex marriages (at home or abroad)

Conditional recognition of same-sex partnerships at federal but not state level

No recognition of same-sex partnerships

Restriction of freedom of expression

Homosexuality illegal

De jure punishable, de facto no prosecution

Sensitive penalties

(prison for life

death penalty

Many countries in the world still have laws against same-sex sexual acts today. In some countries it is judged to be an insult to a person's honor to publicly label someone as homosexual. For example, Jason Donovan and Liberace sued a newspaper alleging they were gay, with legal success. In 2003, Tony Halme , a member of the Finnish Parliament, was threatened with legal action because he allegedly called President Tarja Halonen a lesbian - although homosexuality is legal in both countries.

Today homosexual acts are unpunished in all western industrialized countries. Penal laws continue to exist in parts of the so-called Third World . In part, this is a legacy of European colonial history , and sometimes, as in various Islamic states, the revival of religious laws that were rarely applied in earlier times. At UN level , a UN declaration against discrimination against homosexuals and against the criminal liability of homosexuality in the Third World was launched in 2008. The signatories include all 27 EU countries, all South American states of Mercosur as well as Canada, Israel, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, among others. In March 2009 the United States declared that it would sign this UN declaration.

Opening up marriage to homosexual couples

→ Main article : Same-sex marriage

In some countries or jurisdictions, marriage has so far been opened to same-sex couples:

• 28 countries: Netherlands (opened in 2001), Belgium (2003), Spain (2005), Canada (2005), South Africa (2006), Norway (2009), Sweden (2009), Portugal (2010), Iceland (2010), Argentina (2010), Denmark (2012), Brazil (2013), France (2013), Uruguay (2013), New Zealand (2013), United Kingdom (2014), Luxembourg (2015), United States of America (2015), Ireland ( 2015), Colombia (2016), Finland (2017), Malta (2017), Germany (2017), Australia (2018), Austria (2019), Taiwan (2019), Ecuador (2019), Costa Rica (2020)
• several states in Mexico , including the capital district of Mexico City (from 2010)
• two Indian tribes: Coquille (2008) and Suquamish (2011)

However, this is not always associated with the same rights. In Portugal, for example, the adoption of biological children is permitted, but the joint adoption of non-biological children by same-sex couples is prohibited. Civil marriages in the US states have been recognized by the US federal government for purposes to which the federal government is entitled (taxation, immigration, etc.) since 2013, and in all other respects since 2015. Coquille tribe marriages confer certain tribal rights to the married-in member of the tribe.

Worldwide overview

This is a list of laws from around the world that deal with homosexuality. It is arranged alphabetically by continent. However, this list cannot say how homosexuality is generally viewed in a country. Many nations that had or still have negative laws about this can also be forms of society that do not actively pursue homosexuality. Again there are countries in which no / hardly any laws against homosexuality exist, but homosexuals are socially ostracized or even persecuted. Protection against it, e.g. B. in the form of anti-discrimination laws is not always guaranteed.

Since there are states with (partially) autonomous areas that have different legal regulations, these are listed separately.

See also : List of countries by LGBT tolerance and rights

Africa

For countries marked with an asterisk (*) there is a separate article on homosexuality in that country:

country	Homo- sexual acts	Maximum penalty	Minimum penalty	Same sex Partnership or marriage	Anti- Discrimination Act	Remarks
* Egypt	illegal	3 years	-	-	No	Punished as "habitual fornication"; See also homosexuality in Egypt
* Algeria	illegal	3 years	fine	-	No	See homosexuality in Algeria
* Angola	legal			––	No	See Homosexuality in Angola , legal since January 2019
* Equatorial Guinea	legal	-	-	-	No	See Homosexuality in Equatorial Guinea
* Ethiopia	illegal	3 years	10 days	-	No	See homosexuality in Ethiopia
* Benin	legal		-	-	No	See homosexuality in Benin
* Botswana	legal		-	-	No	See Homosexuality in Botswana ; the judgment against the criminal law is not yet final
* Burkina Faso	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Burkina Faso
Burundi	illegal	2 years	fine	-	No	In April 2009 homosexuality was made illegal.
Djibouti	legal	-	-	-	No	Although there are no bans, negative reactions from the population and the authorities must be expected.
* Ivory Coast	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Ivory Coast
Eritrea	illegal	3 years	10 days	-	No
Eswatini	illegal (men) legal (women)	Imprisonment	fine	-	No
* Gabon	legal	-	-	-	No	Gabon legalized homosexuality after a brief criminal offense in 2020. See homosexuality in Gabon
* Gambia	illegal	14 years	fine	-	No	See homosexuality in the Gambia
* Ghana	illegal (men) legal (women)	?	?	-	No	See homosexuality in Ghana
* Guinea	illegal	3 years	6 months	-	No	See homosexuality in Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau	legal	-	-	-	No	See Guinea-Bissau homosexuality
* Cameroon	illegal	5 years	fine	-	No	See homosexuality in Cameroon
Cape Verde	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Cape Verde
* Kenya	illegal (men) legal (women)	14 years	fine	-	No	See homosexuality in Kenya
Comoros	illegal	5 years	fine	-	No	See homosexuality in the Comoros
* Democratic Republic of the Congo	legal	-	-	-	No	See Homosexuality in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Republic of the Congo	legal	-	-	-	No	See Homosexuality in the Republic of the Congo
Lesotho	legal			-	No	legal since 2012
* Liberia	illegal	fine	fine	-	No	See Homosexuality in Liberia
* Libya	illegal	5 years	fine	-	No	See homosexuality in Libya
* Madagascar	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Madagascar
* Malawi	illegal	5 years	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Malawi
* Mali	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Mali
* Morocco	illegal	3 years	6 months	-	No	See homosexuality in Morocco
* Mauritania	illegal	death	death	-	No	See homosexuality in Mauritania
Mauritius	illegal	5 years	fine	-	No
* Mozambique	legal	-	-	-	yes (since 2007)	See Mozambique homosexuality
* Namibia	legal	-	-	Forbidden	No	See homosexuality in Namibia
Niger	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Niger
* Nigeria	illegal (men) legal (women)	14 years or death	fine	-	No	See Homosexuality in Nigeria “Sexual intercourse of an unnatural nature”, where the commentary on the criminal law chapters includes the term “unnatural offenses”: sodomy, anal intercourse and bestiality. A massive and globally controversial tightening of the laws , which then also restrict social relationships such as dining out and media consumption, is currently being discussed. In 12 northern states, the Sharia applies , in which the maximum penalty is the death penalty by stoning.
Rwanda	legal	-	-	-	No
* Zambia	illegal (men) legal (women)	14 years	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Zambia ; Article 87 of the Criminal Code describes H. as an "offense against morality" and Article XV, Paragraph 155 makes "sexual intercourse against nature" a punishable offense.
* Zanzibar (semi-autonomous state of Tanzania )	illegal	25 years	fine	-	No	See homosexuality in Tanzania : The island of Zanzibar belongs to the state of Tanzania, but has its own legislation which since April 13, 2004 provides for 25 years in prison for men (equated with murder) and up to 7 years for women. This also applies to living, celebrating or arranging same-sex marriages or partnerships.
Sao Tome and Principe	legal	-	-	-	No	See Homosexuality in Sao Tome and Principe
* Senegal	illegal	5 years	1 year	-	No	Homosexuality in Senegal
Seychelles	legal	-	-	-	No	Not punishable, but there are convictions based on the “moral crime”.
* Sierra Leone	illegal (men) legal (women)	life sentence	-	-	Yes?	See Homosexuality in Sierra Leone , The Anti-Corruption Commission announced that skilled workers from abroad are under special protection that even prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexuality.
* Zimbabwe	illegal (men) legal (women)	3 years	Fine	-	No	See homosexuality in Zimbabwe ; Since June 2006 there is a law against "Sexual Abnormalities". So sodomy is defined as "an act that involves contact between two men and is viewed by a reasonable person as an indecent act" and thus even holding hands and the like is punishable.
Somalia	illegal	3 years	3 months	-	No	Areas under the Sharia punishable by death.
* South Africa	legal	-	-	marriage	Yes	Fifth country in the world and the only one in Africa with same-sex marriage. See homosexuality in South Africa
* Sudan	illegal	lifelong	-	-	No	See Homosexuality in Sudan : Penal Code based on Sharia law . The death penalty for homosexual acts was abolished in 2020.
South Sudan	illegal	ten years		-	No
* Tanzania	illegal	14 years	fine	-	No	See homosexuality in Tanzania : On the mainland, the old colonial law applies, which provides for up to 14 years imprisonment for sexual intercourse between male homosexuals. If minors (<18) are involved, it can be for life. For the island of Zanzibar see the separate entry.
* Togo	illegal	3 years	fine	-	No	See homosexuality in Togo
Chad	illegal			-		See Homosexuality in Chad
* Tunisia	illegal	3 years	fine	-	No	See homosexuality in Tunisia
* Uganda	illegal	20 years	fine	Forbidden	No	See Homosexuality in Uganda : Male and female homosexuality has been a criminal offense since 2000. A constitutional amendment made entering into a same-sex partnership (also abroad, also for reasons of asylum) a criminal offense.
Central African Republic	illegal	2 years	Fine	-	No	See Homosexuality in the Central African Republic

Asia

For countries marked with an asterisk (*) there is a separate article on homosexuality in that country:

country	Homo- sexual acts	Maximum penalty	Minimum penalty	Same sex Partnership or marriage	Anti- Discrimination Act	Remarks
Afghanistan	illegal	15 years	5 years	-	No	H. Acts are still considered crimes, but the death penalty (as under the Taliban ) is no longer imposed. However, the 1976 law still provides for imprisonment.
Armenia	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Armenia
Azerbaijan	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Azerbaijan
Bahrain	illegal (men) legal (women)	ten years	fine	-	No	See homosexuality in Bahrain
Bangladesh	illegal	life sentence	ten years	-	No
Bhutan	legal	-	-	-	No
Brunei	illegal	10 years / death penalty	fine	-	No	See homosexuality in Brunei
* People's Republic of China	legal	-	-	-	No	Marriage law is being revised. See homosexuality in China
Georgia	legal	-	-	-	Yes	See Homosexuality in Georgia
Hong Kong ( Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China)	legal	-	-	-	In consideration	Marriage still under consideration. In 2005, Parliament made the minimum age for cohabitation the same as that for heterosexuals.
* India	legal	-	-	Yes	No	In July 2009 the Delhi High Court declared the prohibition h. Actions considered unconstitutional. On December 11, 2013, the Supreme Court overturned this ruling and declared Paragraph 377 to be constitutional, stating that the punishment of homosexuality was not a breach of the constitution. The judgment leaves it up to politicians to abolish paragraph 377 by law. On September 6, 2018, the Supreme Court lifted the ban on homosexual acts as unconstitutional. See homosexuality in India
* Indonesia	legal except in the province of Aceh	-	-	-	No	An application from 2003, h. Prohibiting actions has failed. See homosexuality in Indonesia
Iraq	illegal	?	?	-	No	The death penalty should be used in 2001. The U.S. occupation reinstated a 1969 law. According to this, according to § 393 I, anyone who has anal intercourse with a man or a woman with or without their consent is punished.
* Iran	illegal	Death; 100 lashes for women	Men and women: 100 lashes	-	No	Gender reassignment surgery is supported by the state to heal gender identity. However, H.'s executions continue. In 2005 the youths Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni were officially hanged for raping a 13-year-old boy. While some Western media and organizations believed the verdict was based solely on homosexual acts, others, such as Human Rights Watch, saw no evidence of consensual homosexual acts and believed a translation error to be possible. See homosexuality in Iran
* Israel	legal	-	-	Recognition of same-sex marriages concluded abroad. Introduction of registered partnerships are in consultation	Yes	Broad support for legalization of homosexuals Marriage. Couples are entitled to adoption rights and tax privileges. See homosexuality in Israel
* Japan	legal	-	-	-	Yes*	There is an anti-discrimination law in Tokyo. However, excessive opposition to the partnership law. See homosexuality in Japan
Yemen	illegal	death	death	-	No
* Jordan	legal	-	-	-	No	see homosexuality in Jordan
* Cambodia	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Cambodia
Kazakhstan	legal	-	-	-	No	see homosexuality in Kazakhstan
* Qatar	illegal	5 years	fine	-	No	see homosexuality in Qatar
Kyrgyzstan	legal	-	-	-	No
Kuwait	illegal	7 years	fine	-	No
Laos	legal	-	-	-	No	The US State Department reports that H. will not be discriminated against. This was confirmed by interviews conducted by H. in Laos in 1992.
* Lebanon	legal?			-	No	See homosexuality in Lebanon
Macau ( Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China)	legal	-	-	-	No
* Malaysia	illegal	20 years	fine	-	No	See Homosexuality in Malaysia ; former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim , who was himself imprisoned for alleged homosexuality, has raised an objection. The daughter of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad , Marina Mahathir , called for an end to sexual discrimination in October 1998. But her father warned gay ministers from other countries to visit his country in October 2001.
Maldives	illegal (men) legal (women)	ten years	fine	-	No
Mongolia	legal	-	-	-	No
Myanmar	illegal	life sentence	ten years	-	No
* Nepal	legal	-	-	In consultation	Yes*	See homosexuality in Nepal . Protection of sexual orientation enshrined in the constitution of 2010, since December 2007 homosexuality is no longer a criminal offense
North Korea	legal	-	-	-	No	Public mention of H. is socially taboo, but is treated rationally and considered natural (but not ideally). North Koreans have little reference to the term "homosexuality" and see it as an illustration of western capitalism and a consumer-driven "dive lifestyle" rather than a sexual orientation. In the Korean People's Army , homosexual partnerships, translated in the West as "revolutionary cooperatives", are common and considered natural.
Oman	illegal	3 years	fine	-	No
East Timor	legal	-	-	-	No
* Pakistan	illegal (men) legal (women)	life sentence	2 years	-	No	See homosexuality in Pakistan
Palestine	legal (women) legal (men, West Bank) / illegal (men, Gaza)	-	-	-	No
* Philippines	legal	-	-	In consultation	No	See Homosexuality in the Philippines
* Republic of China (Taiwan)	legal	-	-	marriage	Yes	To be decided by the decision of the Constitutional Court by 2019. See homosexuality in Taiwan
* Saudi Arabia	illegal	death	punishment	-	No	See homosexuality in Saudi Arabia
* Singapore	illegal	life sentence	2 years	-	No	See Singapore's homosexuality . Law is rarely used, usually only when the spread of AIDS is feared; B. at sex parties. Government has officially called for tolerance of diversity. Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong stated that openly gays can be employed in the civilian working world without any problems.
Sri Lanka	illegal	ten years	fine	-	No	De jure illegal, but actually tolerated. An official decriminalization or legalization of homosexuality is planned (see Homosexuality in Sri Lanka )
* South Korea	legal	-	-	-	Yes	See Homosexuality in South Korea (Article 31 of the National Human Rights Commission states that "no one may be discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation")
* Syria	illegal	3 years	fine	-	No	According to Article 520d of the Syrian Penal Code, H. is considered to be “unnatural practices”. See homosexuality in Syria
Tajikistan	legal	-	-	-	No
* Thailand	legal	-	-	In consultation	No	See homosexuality in Thailand
* Turkey	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Turkey
Turkmenistan	illegal (men) legal (women)	2 years	fine	-	No	See homosexuality in Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan	illegal (men) legal (women)	3 years	fine	-	No
United Arab Emirates	illegal	Imprisonment, death penalty controversial	no	-	No	In general, the Sharia applies , but is restricted by special laws in the great Emirates (no death penalty). In Abu Dhabi the maximum sentence is 14 years imprisonment (Article 80 of the Abu Dhabi Criminal Code), in Dubai it is 10 years (Article 177 of the Dubai Criminal Code). The exact legal situation is unclear and also controversial among experts. However, convictions of around 5–6 years in prison are common. See Homosexuality in the United Arab Emirates
* Vietnam	legal	-	-	Unregistered same-sex partnership	No	See homosexuality in Vietnam

Europe

Homosexual acts are legal in all countries wholly or partially located in Europe. For countries marked with an asterisk (*) there is a separate article on homosexuality in that country:

country	Homo- sexual acts	Same sex Partnership or marriage	Anti- Discrimination Act	Remarks
* Albania	legal	(in consultation)	Yes	See homosexuality in Albania
* Andorra	legal	Registered partnership	Yes	See homosexuality in Andorra
* Belgium	legal	marriage	Yes	Belgium was the second country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage after the Netherlands in 2003. See homosexuality in Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina	legal	-	Yes	Equal Opportunities Act since 2003; see homosexuality in Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria	legal	-	Yes	See homosexuality in Bulgaria
* Denmark	legal	marriage	Yes	See homosexuality in Denmark
* Germany	legal	marriage	Yes	See homosexuality in Germany
* Estonia	legal	Registered partnership	Yes	See homosexuality in Estonia
* Faroe Islands (autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark )	legal	marriage	Yes	See homosexuality in the Faroe Islands
* Finland	legal	marriage	Yes	See Homosexuality in Finland
* France	legal	Marriage (since 2013)	Yes	See homosexuality in France
* Gibraltar ( British overseas territory )	legal	marriage		See UK homosexuality
* Greece	legal	Registered partnership	Yes	See homosexuality in Greece
* Guernsey ( Crown possession of the British Crown )	legal	marriage	-	See UK homosexuality
* Ireland	legal	marriage	Yes	See Homosexuality in Ireland ; On May 22, 2015, a referendum passed a constitutional amendment and thus the opening of marriage to lesbians and gays.
* Iceland	legal	marriage	Yes	See Homosexuality in Iceland
* Isle of Man ( Crown possession of the British Crown )	legal	marriage	Yes	See UK homosexuality
* Italy	legal	Registered partnership	Yes	See homosexuality in Italy . A law to introduce registered partnerships nationwide came into force on June 5, 2016.
* Jersey ( Crown possession of the British Crown )	legal	marriage		See UK homosexuality
* Kosovo	legal	-	Yes	See homosexuality in Kosovo
* Croatia	legal	Registered partnership	Yes	See homosexuality in Croatia
* Latvia	legal	-	Yes	Same-sex marriage prohibited in the constitution. See homosexuality in Latvia
* Liechtenstein	legal	Registered partnership	In consideration	See homosexuality in Liechtenstein
* Lithuania	legal	- (in consultation)	yes *	* Is undermined by law against "promoting homosexuality". See homosexuality in Lithuania
* Luxembourg	legal	marriage	Yes	See homosexuality in Luxembourg
* Malta	legal	marriage	Yes	See Homosexuality in Malta
* Moldova	legal	-	Yes	See homosexuality in Moldova
* Monaco	legal	Registered partnership	No	See homosexuality in Monaco
* Montenegro	legal	Registered partnership	Yes	See homosexuality in Montenegro
* Netherlands	legal	marriage	Yes	The Netherlands became the first country in the world to allow same-sex marriage in 2001. See homosexuality in the Netherlands
* North Macedonia	legal	-	Yes	See homosexuality in North Macedonia
* Norway	legal	marriage	Yes	See homosexuality in Norway
* Austria	legal	marriage	yes (only related to the world of work)	See homosexuality in Austria
* Poland	legal	-	Yes	See homosexuality in Poland
* Portugal	legal	marriage	Yes	Portugal became the eighth country in the world to allow same-sex marriage in 2010. See homosexuality in Portugal
* Romania	legal	-	Yes	See homosexuality in Romania
* Russia	legal	-	No	"Gay propaganda" has been punishable again since 2013. See homosexuality in Russia
* San Marino	legal	Registered partnership	No	See San Marino homosexuality
* Sweden	legal	marriage	Yes	See homosexuality in Sweden
* Switzerland	legal	Registered partnership ; (Introduction of Marriage in Counseling)	Yes*	In Art. 8 of the Federal Constitution see also Homosexuality in Switzerland
* Serbia	legal	- (in consultation)	Yes	See homosexuality in Serbia
* Slovakia	legal	-	Yes	See homosexuality in Slovakia
* Slovenia	legal	Registered partnership; (coming soon) marriage	Yes	See homosexuality in Slovenia
* Spain	legal	marriage	Yes	Spain became the third country in the world to allow same-sex marriage in 2005 due to various legislative initiatives. See homosexuality in Spain
* Czech Republic	legal	Registered partnership	Yes	Registered partnership against the President's veto decided by an absolute majority. The law came into force on July 1, 2006. See homosexuality in the Czech Republic
* Ukraine	legal	-	Yes	See homosexuality in Ukraine . Ukrainian law is not enforceable on the Russian- occupied Crimean peninsula , where de facto Russian law applies , see Homosexuality in Russia .
* Hungary	legal	Registered partnership; (Introduction of Marriage in Counseling)	Yes	See homosexuality in Hungary
* Vatican City	legal	-	No	H. is legally legal, but against the teaching of the state church . See Homosexuality in Vatican City
* United Kingdom	legal	Marriage in England , Wales and Scotland ; Registered partnership	Yes	See UK homosexuality
* Belarus	legal	-	No	See homosexuality in Belarus
* Cyprus	legal	Registered partnership	Yes	See homosexuality in Cyprus

North and Central America

Homosexual acts are legal throughout mainland North and Central America . For countries marked with an asterisk (*) there is a separate article on homosexuality in that country:

country	Homo- sexual acts	Maximum penalty	Minimum penalty	Same sex Partnership or marriage	Anti- Discrimination Act	Remarks
American Virgin Islands	legal	-	-	marriage	-	American territory under the sovereignty of the United States
Antigua and Barbuda	illegal	15 years	-	-	-	Punishment for both men and women
Aruba (autonomous territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands )	legal	-	-	-	Yes	In the opinion of the Dutch government, Aruba, which belongs to the Dutch Kingdom, must be synonymous. Recognize marriages, which the Aruba government opposes. Aruba has appealed against a court decision in favor of the Dutch government.
* Bahamas	legal	-	-	-	No	See Homosexuality in the Bahamas
* Barbados	illegal	life sentence	-	-	No	Laws are being reviewed. See Barbados homosexuality
* Belize	legal	-	-	-	Yes	See Belize homosexuality
Bermuda ( British overseas territory )	legal	-	-	-	In consideration
British Virgin Islands ( British Overseas Territory )	legal	-	-	-	-
* Costa Rica	legal	-	-	marriage	No	See homosexuality in Costa Rica
Dominica	illegal	ten years	-	-	No	See Homosexuality in Dominica
Dominican Republic	legal	-	-	-	No	See Homosexuality in the Dominican Republic
El Salvador	legal	-	-	-	No	See Homosexuality in El Salvador
Grenada	illegal (men) legal (women)	ten years	-	-	No	See Homosexuality in Grenada
Guadeloupe ( French overseas territory )	legal	-	-	marriage	Yes
Guatemala	legal	-	-	-	Yes	See homosexuality in Guatemala
Haiti	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Haiti
Honduras	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Honduras ; Prohibition of same-sex marriage and adoption in the constitution since 2005.
* Jamaica	illegal (men) legal (women)	ten years	2 years	-	No	Section 76 of the Offenses against the Person Act (from British colonial times) punishes male h. Traffic as the heinous crime of sodomy with up to 10 years imprisonment, combined with hard labor. See homosexuality in Jamaica
Cayman Islands ( British overseas territory )	legal	-	-	-	Yes
* Canada	legal	-	-	marriage	Yes	See homosexuality in Canada
* Cuba	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Cuba
Martinique ( French overseas territory )	legal	-	-	marriage	Yes
* Mexico	legal	-	-	differently*	Yes	* Civil communities in Coahuila and marriage in Mexico City See homosexuality in Mexico
Netherlands Antilles (autonomous territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands )	legal	-	-	-	Yes	Only recognition of marriages concluded in the Netherlands.
Nicaragua	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Nicaragua ; In the course of a criminal law reform by the Sandinista government, homosexual acts were abolished with effect from March 2008.
Panama	legal	-	-	-	No	See Homosexuality in Panama
St. Kitts and Nevis	illegal (men) legal (women)	ten years	-	-	No	See St. Kitts and Nevis Homosexuality
St. Lucia	illegal	ten years	fine	-	No	See St. Lucia Homosexuality
St. Vincent and the Grenadines	illegal	ten years	?	-	No	See St. Vincent and the Grenadines Homosexuality
* Trinidad and Tobago	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands ( British overseas territory )	legal	-	-	-	No
* United States	legal (nationwide since 2003)	-	-	Marriage (nationwide since 2015)	different 1	1 Anti-discrimination laws only partially at local or state level. (See also homosexuality in the United States )

Oceania

For countries marked with an asterisk (*) there is a separate article on homosexuality in that country:

country	Homo- sexual acts	Maximum penalty	Minimum penalty	Same sex Partnership or marriage	Anti- Discrimination Act	Remarks
American Samoa ( Suburb of the United States )	legal	-	-	-	No
* Australia	legal	-	-	Registered partnership ; marriage	Yes	See homosexuality in Australia
Cook Islands	illegal (men) legal (women)	14 years	fine	-	No
Fiji	legal	-	-	-	Yes	After a court decision, the criminal law was revised.
French Polynesia ( French overseas territory )	legal	-	-	marriage	No
Guam ( outside United States )	legal	-	-	marriage	No
Kiribati	illegal (men) legal (women)	14 years	fine	-	No
Marshall Islands	legal	-	-	-	No	Decriminalization in 2004 criminal law reform
Micronesia	legal	-	-	-	No
Nauru	legal	-	-	-	No	Legalized in 2016
New Caledonia ( French overseas territory )	legal	-	-	marriage	No
* New Zealand	legal	-	-	marriage	Yes	See homosexuality in New Zealand
Niue	legal	-	-	-	No
Palau	legal	-	-	-	No	Legalization took place in 2014.
Papua New Guinea	illegal (men) legal (women)	14 years	fine	-	No
Solomon Islands	illegal	14 years	fine	-	No	Homosexuality is de jure illegal, but it is no longer prosecuted. Legalization has been discussed in parliament since 2009.
Samoa	illegal	7 years	fine	-	No	Despite the prohibition, homosexual acts are not prosecuted. However, an application made in 2011 calling for the official legalization of homosexual acts was rejected.
Tokelau (Dependent Territory of New Zealand)	legal	-	-	-	No
Tonga	illegal (men) legal (women)	ten years	fine	-	No
Tuvalu	illegal (men) legal (women)	14 years	fine	-	No
Vanuatu	legal	-	-	-	No
Wallis and Futuna ( French overseas territory )	legal	-	-	Pacte Civil de Solidarité	?

South America

Homosexual acts are legal in all of South America except Guyana . For countries marked with an asterisk (*) there is a separate article on homosexuality in that country:

country	Homo- sexual acts	Maximum penalty	Minimum penalty	Same sex Partnership or marriage	Anti- Discrimination Act	Remarks
* Argentina	legal	-	-	marriage	In some cities	See homosexuality in Argentina
* Bolivia	legal	-	-	- (in consultation)	Yes	See homosexuality in Bolivia
* Brazil	legal	-	-	marriage	In some cities and regions	Only some regions protect against discrimination. Others have no laws about it. See homosexuality in Brazil
* Chile	legal	-	-	Registered partnership	Yes	Registered partnership adopted by parliament in January 2015. See homosexuality in Chile
* Ecuador	legal	-	-	marriage	Yes	See homosexuality in Ecuador
Falkland Islands ( British overseas territory )	legal	-	-	marriage	No
French Guiana ( French overseas territory )	legal	-	-	marriage	Yes
* Guyana	illegal (men) legal (women)	life sentence	-	-	In consideration	Legalization of homosexual acts is currently being discussed. See homosexuality in Guyana
* Colombia	legal	-	-	marriage	Yes	In July 2011, the Constitutional Court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to same-sex marriage. The ruling obliged Parliament to pass a law on opening marriage by June 20, 2013. In April the Constitutional Court decided to open marriage nationwide with immediate effect. See homosexuality in Colombia
* Paraguay	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Paraguay
* Peru	legal	-	-	- (in consultation)	Yes	See homosexuality in Peru
* Suriname	legal	-	-	-	No	See homosexuality in Suriname
* Uruguay	legal	-	-	marriage	Yes	The opening of marriage was adopted in April 2013. See homosexuality in Uruguay
* Venezuela	legal	-	-	- (in consultation)	In consultation	See homosexuality in Venezuela

literature

• Int. Bar Association, H. Graupner, Ph. Tahmindjis: Sexuality and Human Rights , Haworth Press, 2005, ISBN 1-56023-555-1 .
• Marc Schüffner: Marriage protection and civil partnership , Duncker & Humblot 2007, ISBN 3-428-12438-3 .
• Manfred Bruns / Rainer Kemper, LPartG - Handkommentar , Baden-Baden, 2nd edition, 2005, ISBN 978-3-8329-1182-9 .
• Christian Schäfer: Unnatural fornication (§§ 175, 175a, 175b, 182 aF StGB). Discussion of reform and legislation since 1945 , Berlin: Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag, 2006.
• Kai Sommer: The criminal liability of homosexuality from the Imperial Era to National Socialism: An analysis of the criminal offenses in the penal code and in the draft reforms (1871–1945) , Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 1998.

Web links

German

• ILGA-Europe: Gender equality , Brussels, 1998 (PDF; 537 kB)
• Legal comparison Europe (with detailed provisions)
• GayLaw - Gays and Lesbians in Law and Law Worldwide
• Homosexuality Laws Worldwide

English

• Very extensive and legally differentiated presentation of the legal situation of homosexuals in almost all countries of the world
• Comprehensive presentation of the legal situation worldwide
• Human rights for homosexuals worldwide IGLHRC
• Legal Survey On The Countries In The World Having Legal Prohibitions On Sexual Activities Between Consenting Adults In Private (pdf) (2006; 81 kB), ( 2009 ; PDF; 717 kB)
• Sodomy Laws Around the World ( Memento from July 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive )

• Age of sexual maturity (including homosexual) worldwide

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Texts from the environment of the Old Testament. New episode. Volume 1: Texts and documents on legal and economic life, p. 83; see also: Nissinen, M. / Stjerna, K .: Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective, 2004, p. 25.
2. ^ Bleibtreu-Ehrenberg, Gisela: Tabu Homosexuality. The story of a prejudice, 1983 (= Bleibtreu-Ehrenberg), p. 17.
3. ↑ Alfons Städele (ed.): Tacitus. In: Cornelius Tacitus. Agricola. Germania. (Tusculum Collection). Munich; Zurich 1991, p. 334.
4. ↑ cf. B .: Reinhard, Wolfgang: Forms of life in Europe. A historical cultural anthropology, 2nd edition, Munich 2006.
5. ^ Greenberg, David: The Construction of Homosexuality, Chicago, London 1988, pp. 242-255.
6. ↑ ^{a b} Bleibtreu-Ehrenberg.
7. ↑ See the development in the early years of the Soviet Union: Reich, Wilhelm: Die sexual Revolution, Frankfurt 1971, pp. 211-214.
8. ↑ [ECHR, NJW 1984, 541 (Dudgeon v United Kingdom case); EUGRZ 1992, 477 (Norris v Ireland case); ÖJZ 1993, 821 (Modinos v Cyprus case)]
9. ↑ Felicitas Wilke: That changes for homosexual couples. Süddeutsche Zeitung from June 30, 2017
10. ↑ ^{a b} Steinmeier signs law on marriage for all. Spiegel online from July 21, 2017
11. ↑ For example, decision Text Supreme Court 11Os76 / 88, November 22, 1988 , in the legal information system of the federation.
12. ↑ VfGH examines the opening of marriage for same-sex couples in Austria. Courier of October 17, 2017
13. ^ The constitutional court allows marriage for everyone in Austria. In: Die Zeit , accessed December 5, 2017.
14. ^ The constitutional court in Austria allows "marriage for everyone". In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , accessed on December 5, 2017.
15. ↑ Opening of civil marriage to same-sex couples
16. ↑ novo-magazin.de : Defamation lawsuits and muzzles: ITN against the rest of the world , Novo No. 27, March / April 1997, p. 28.
17. ↑ The Standard: United States Against Homosexual Discrimination
18. ↑ Taiwan: Constitutional Court opens marriage. queer.de from May 24, 2017)
19. ↑ taz.de : Portugal introduces gay marriage, January 8, 2010.
20. ↑ CNN: Angola has decriminalized same-sex relationships, rights group says
21. ↑ Botswana government to appeal against law legalizing gay sex. The Guardian, July 6, 2019, accessed July 6, 2019
22. ↑ Amnesty International: Burundi abolishes the death penalty but bans homosexuality (English)
23. ↑ erwaertiges-amt.de : Djibouti / Travel and Safety Instructions / Special Criminal Law Regulations , as of December 1, 2006.
24. ↑ unhcr.org : Djibouti: Situation of homosexuals in Djibouti; treatment by the public and by the authorities; state protection available (2002-2004) December 2004.
25. ↑ talesmag.com : Real Answers to Real Questions - Djibouti, August 2005.
26. ↑ Reuters: Gabon senate votes to decriminalize homosexuality
27. ↑ [1] : Queer.de: Gabon forbids homosexuality
28. ↑ ILGA.org: Sponsored Homophobia, page 142 (PDF document) ( Memento of the original from October 10, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
29. ↑ erwaertiges-amt.de : Malawi - Special criminal law regulations , as of May 9, 2006.
30. ↑ No chance for gay marriage, Allgemeine Zeitung , March 3, 2011.
31. ^ Washingtonpost.com : Emily Wax: Namibia Chips Away at African Taboos on Homosexuality , October 24, 2005.
32. ↑ BBC report: The UN fears that if the law is passed, AIDS / HIV will spread
33. ↑ queer: EU: Resolution against Nigeria
34. ↑ queer.de : Nigeria takes tough action against gays , December 11, 2006.
35. ↑ Press release of the Bundestag faction Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen of March 21, 2007: Difficult times for homosexuals in Nigeria ( Memento of July 28, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
36. ↑ erwaertiges-amt.de : Nigeria - travel and safety information - special criminal law provisions , as of December 8, 2006.
37. ↑ erwaertiges-amt.de : Zambia - special criminal law regulations , as of June 29, 2006.
38. ↑ ilga.info ( Memento of the original from July 13, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : WORLD LEGAL SURVEY - Zambia , status 1998. 
39. ↑ ai-lgbt.org (DOC) ( Memento of the original from July 13, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : Sexual Minorities and the Law: A World Survey , Update July 2001. 
40. ↑ derstandard.at : Günter Spreitzhofer: Sansibar: Shadows in Paradise , January 31, 2005, from: SÜDWIND magazine 02/2005.
41. ↑ ^{a b} amnesty.de : Annual Report 2005 - Tanzania .
42. ↑ ilga.info ( Memento of the original from September 29, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : WORLD LEGAL SURVEY - Sao Tome and Principe , status 1998. 
43. ↑ ilga.info ( Memento of the original dated November 1, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : WORLD LEGAL SURVEY - Senegal as of 1998. 
44. ^ Gay Community Plays It Quietly in Face of Social Taboos ( Memento from February 23, 2009 in the Internet Archive ): Gay Community Plays It Quietly in Face of Social Taboos from IRIN , January 21, 2005
45. ↑ dbna.de ( Memento of the original from September 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : Prohibition - Zimbabwe criminalizes gay-handholding , July 18, 2006. 
46. ↑ allheadlinenews.com ( Memento of the original from September 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : Joanna Wypior: Public Displays Of Affection For Same-Sex Couples Now A Crime In Zimbabwe , July 16, 2006. 
47. ↑ Sudan drops death penalty for homosexuality. 76crimes.com, July 15, 2020, accessed July 17, 2020 . 
48. ↑ erwaertiges-amt.de : Tanzania - special criminal law regulations , as of June 8, 2006.
49. ↑ kirchenserver.org: NAD - Network Africa Germany ( Memento of the original of February 13, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : Pedophile priest convicted , August 12, 2006. 
50. ↑ queer.de : nb: Uganda: Homosexual marriage under penalty , July 8, 2005.
51. ↑ Michael Kirschner, Stefan Piller: Afghanistan: Homosexuality Laws, Legal and Everyday Practice ( Memento of the original from September 21, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Information from the SFH country analysis. Bern, 2006. 
52. ↑ queer.de: India legalizes homosexuality
53. ↑ tagesschau.de : Homosexuality is illegal again in India. (No longer available online.) December 11, 2013, archived from the original on December 14, 2013 ; Retrieved December 11, 2013 . 
54. ↑ Homosexual acts are no longer punishable in India. Süddeutsche Zeitung from September 6, 2018
55. ↑ Religious court in Indonesia: gay couple is whipped. Faz.net , May 17, 2017
56. ↑ Queer.de: Iran: Young people hanged , July 21, 2005 with excerpt from Iranian criminal law in German in the comments.
57. ↑ http://www.thenation.com/article/witnesses-execution?page=0,2 Richard Kim, member of Human Rights Watch's LGBT advisory committee in TheNation.com : “Based on evidence collected from lawyers and human rights activists and from Iranian news sources, Scott Long, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Project at Human Rights Watch, concludes, 'There is no evidence that this was a consensual act. The only reason to think this is what appears to be a mistranslation of the ISNA article. A whole tissue of speculation has been woven around mistranslations and omissions and this has been solidified into a narrative that this is a gay rights case. '"
58. ↑ BBC News: World: Asia-Pacific PM's daughter slams Malaysian anti-gay group , October 23, 1998.
59. ↑ BBC News: Gay ministers barred, Malaysia tells UK , November 1, 2001.
60. ↑ United Arab Emirates ( Memento from June 25, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
61. ↑ Queer.de : Estonian Parliament votes for registered partnership
62. ↑ Aldo Keel: The Faroe Islands introduce gay marriage. Neue Zürcher Zeitung from August 10, 2017
63. ↑ Chronicle: Gibraltar celebrates first same sex marriage
64. ↑ GuernseyExpress: Guernsey will introduce same-sex marriage
65. ↑ Referendum: Ireland votes for same-sex marriage on zeit.de.
66. ↑ Italy introduces gay partnership. In: Spiegel Online . May 12, 2016, accessed May 13, 2019 . 
67. ↑ LEGGE 20 maggio 2016, n.76, Gazetta uffiziale, May 11, 2016, accessed on May 13, 2019
68. ↑ Gaystarnews.com: Same-sex marriage finally legalized on island of Jersey
69. ↑ http://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/342766/Povijesna-odluka-Hrvatska-ima-Zakon-o-zivotnom-partnerstvu.html
70. ↑ More progressive than Italy - San Marino: Parliament decides on civil partnerships. November 16, 2018, from Queer.de, accessed on January 2, 2019.
71. ↑ tages-anzeiger.ch : "Homo marriage" possible from 2007 , May 1, 2006.
72. ↑ queer.de : dk: Slovenia introduces gay marriage , July 25, 2006.
73. ↑ gay-industries.com: Czech Republic introduces gay marriage , no date ( memento of the original from September 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
74. ↑ Act No. 115/2006 Coll. On the registered partnership ( Memento of the original of May 19, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
75. ↑ Vote in the House of Commons: British Parliament allows gay marriage , Spiegel online , July 17, 2013.
76. ↑ [2]
77. ↑ Guadeloupe franceantilles.fr: Le premier marriage gay celebre a Sainte Anne
78. ↑ erwaertiges-amt.de Country information from the German Foreign Office on Jamaica.
79. ↑ Queer: gay marriage in Cuba?
80. ↑ Rewmi.com: Martinique Premier mariage homosexual celebre deux femmes se sorit dit oui ( Memento of the original from December 20, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
81. ↑ queer.de: Nicaragua legalizes homosexuality
82. ↑ Queer: Panama legalizes homosexuality
83. ↑ American Samoa ( Memento from April 22, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
84. ↑ queer.de : dk: Fiji stops gay arrests , July 12, 2006.
85. ↑ Egaliteetrereconciliation.fr: Polynesie franchise le Premier marriage gay derange
86. ↑ Guam Just Recognized Gay Marriage & It's The First US Territory To Do So - But Won't Be The Last
87. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from March 22, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
88. ↑ Nauru legalizes homosexuality , queer.de of May 27, 2016
89. ↑ Citegay.fr: Novelle Caledonie le fait marriage gay Don nid
90. ↑ queer.de: New Zealand opens marriage
91. ↑ Queer.de : Palau legalizes homosexuality
92. ↑ erwaertiges-amt.de : Country information from the German Foreign Office on the Solomon Islands.
93. ↑ spiegel.de: New law in Uruguay: Yes to gay marriage

Please note the information on legal issues!