The tally of countries with anti-homosexuality laws has again risen to 65 with last month’s official publication of a homophobic new penal code in Mali in West Africa, Erasing 76 Crimes reports. This means that in January 2025, 65 countries (and other entities) criminalise gay sex. 

The new law provides for  seven years in prison for LGBTQIA+ rights advocacy and up to two years in prison for same-sex activity in public. But, although it declares consensual private same-sex intimacy a crime, the new law does not specify a punishment for that offense.

Mali’s ruling National Transitional Council adopted the measure in November 2024 by a nearly unanimous vote (131 in favor and 1 against). It was officially published in December. The nation has been led by a military junta for more than three years.

State-sponsored homophobia

What is state-sponsored homophobia? Homophobia organised, institutionalised or condoned by the state. The most obvious shape state-sponsored homophobia takes are the so-called sodomy laws or anti-sodomy laws. Laws which prohibit and/or punish gay sex.

Sodomy is historically broader than men having anal sex with men. Sodomy used to be any form of sex which is not penis penetrating vagina. There’s no sugarcoating this. So even heterosexual fellatio (a blowjob), straight duos having anal sex or just masturbating are strictly speaking sodomy. But nowadays it is mostly interpreted as gay sex. Man-on-man action. 

Sodomy laws has one major source of inspiration: religion. Quite a few countries outlawing sodomy are predominantly or officially muslim countries. 

The other main origin of sodomy laws is the British Empire. Even today, many of the member states of the Commonwealth of Nations outlaw gay sex as an inheritance of the colonial era.

But there are other of forms of state-sponsored homophobia.

• Barring same-sex couples to marry or refusing to recognise their household as being a family. 
• Limiting or prohibiting the ‘promotion of alternative lifestyles‘. Think of the so-called anti-gay propaganda laws in Russia or Hungary or the now recent ‘Don’t Say Gay‘ law in Florida. Between 1988 and 2000 (Scotland) and 2003 (England and Wales), the United Kingdom had Section 28. It was a key aspect in the tv series ‘Queer As Folk‘. 
• Some countries forbid NGO’s to advocate LGBTQIA+ issues. 
• Some states use public decency laws to persecute homosexuals. Egypt is a notorious example. Every country has laws regulating public decency, but sometimes homosexuality in public and in private is seen as publicly indecent. 

67 to 69

67 of the 193 member states of the United Nations and 71 countries and other terrorities penalise gay sex. That’s roughly one third of the world. ILGA World uses the UN list of nations. Dedicated blog 76 Crimes takes a slightly broader approach. 

“In six UN member states, the death penalty is the legally prescribed punishment for consensual same-sex sexual acts: Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Nigeria (12 Northern states only), Saudi Arabia and Yemen. In 5 additional UN member states – Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia (including Somaliland) and the United Arab Emirates – certain sources indicate that the death penalty could potentially be imposed for consensual same-sex conduct, but there is less legal certainty on the matter”, says ILGA World.

At least 42 UN member states have legal barriers to freedom of expression on sexual orientation and gender identity issues

At least 51 UN member states have legal barriers to the formation, establishment or registration of NGOs working on issues related sexual and gender diversity.

The List

Here I’m publishing Colin Stewart‘s list on 76 Crimes. 

1. Algeria.
2. Burkina Faso.
3. Burundi.
4. Cameroon.
5. Chad.
6. Comoros.
7. Egypt.
8. Eritrea.
9. Eswatini (Swaziland).
10. Ethiopia.
11. Gambia.
12. Ghana.
13. Guinea.
14. Kenya.
15. Liberia.
16. Libya.
17. Malawi.
18. Mali.
19. Mauritania.
20. Morocco.
21. Nigeria.
22. Senegal.
23. Sierra Leone.
24. Somalia.
25. South Sudan.
26. Sudan.
27. Tanzania.
28. Togo.
29. Tunisia.
30. Uganda.
31. Zambia.
32. Zimbabwe.
33. Afghanistan.
34. Bangladesh.
35. Brunei.
36. Indonesia (Aceh Province, South Sumatra Province and four cities in other provinces).
37. Iran.
38. Iraq.
39. Kuwait.
40. Lebanon (law ruled invalid in one court in 2014 and disqualified for use against same-sex intimacy in another court in February 2017).
41. Malaysia.
42. Maldives.
43. Myanmar.
44. Oman.
45. Pakistan.
46. Palestine (Gaza Strip only).
47. Qatar.
48. Saudi Arabia.
49. Sri Lanka.
50. Syria.
51. Turkmenistan.
52. United Arab Emirates.
53. Uzbekistan.
54. Yemen.
55. Grenada.
56. Guyana.
57. Jamaica.
58. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
59. Trinidad and Tobago.
60. Kiribati.
61. Papua New Guinea.
62. Samoa.
63. Solomon Islands
64. Tonga.
65. Tuvalu.

In the United States, anti-sodomy laws were ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003 with ‘Lawrence v. Texas‘ but they are still on the books in 13 states: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Virginia.

Conservative state legislators refuse to repeal the laws and, in some cases, police occasionally still arrest people on the basis of them. In the recent past, more than a dozen LGBTQIA+ people were arrested for violating those laws, but the arrestees were freed because prosecutors won’t seek convictions based on laws that have been ruled unconstitutional.

Military

There is a third list, Wikipedia. One difference there, is South Korea. 

On 21 April the Supreme Court there overturned the conviction of two men prosecuted under article 92-6 of the Military Criminal Act, which prohibits same-sex activity between soldiers with possible punishments of up to two years in prison, Human Rights Watch reports. 

Military authorities had accused the two men of engaging in consensual sex in a private residence while off duty. The charges against them were part of a wider crackdown on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) soldiers in 2017. Both were convicted and given suspended prison sentences.

In its judgment overturning the convictions, the Supreme Court said that the authorities’ use of article 92-6 to punish consensual sex outside of military settings jeopardizes the autonomy, equality, and dignity of soldiers.

Privilege of travellers

But what does that all mean to you and me? Well.

If you made it this far in this blog post, you may remember I wrote sodomy is broader than gay sex. Some countries, especially islamic states, prohibit extramarital sex. So even straight couples are barred of consensual sex. 

Yet, unmarried straight and (un)married gay couples do travel to places such as Morocco, Sri Lanka or Indonesia. And its their white and/or tourist privilege they will not be bothered. 

I am told Iran has a vibrant gay dating scene, but it’s discrete. Grindr was very active when I was in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 2014. 

So?

Should you not travel to these places. I am not saying that. But be knowledgable. Read up before you go-go. Look at your ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website for travel advice. Look up ‘LGBT rights in …” on Wikipedia.

27 MARCH 2025 | Trinidad and Tobago recriminalises gay sex

The global trend towards decriminalising same-sex relationships has suffered a setback following recent legal decisions in Trinidad and Tobago and Mali, Erasing 76 Crimes reports.

On 25 March, the Court of Appeal in Trinidad and Tobago ruled to reinstate the country’s anti-homosexuality laws, which had been overturned in 2018. The decision reversed a previous High Court ruling that had deemed the laws unconstitutional. The case is now being appealed to the Privy Council in London, which serves as Trinidad and Tobago’s highest court.

In a related development, Mali adopted a new penal code earlier in 2025 that includes provisions criminalising same-sex relationships. As a result, the total number of countries with anti-homosexuality laws has increased to 66. This reverses a previous decline, which had seen the number drop from over 90 in the early 2000s to 64 before these recent changes.

In contrast, several countries have decriminalised same-sex intimacy in recent years. Namibia and Dominica repealed such laws in 2024, while Mauritius and the Cook Islands did so in 2023. Singapore, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Barbados decriminalised same-sex relations in 2022.

The original lawsuit in Trinidad and Tobago was filed by British-Trinidadian activist Jason Jones, leading to a 2018 High Court ruling that declared laws against buggery and indecency unconstitutional. However, the Court of Appeal has now determined that decisions on decriminalisation should be made by Parliament rather than the judiciary.

According to Newsday of Trinidad and Tobago, the court reduced the penalties for buggery and serious indecency but upheld their criminal status. The ruling was decided by a majority, with Justices Nolan Bereaux and Charmaine Pemberton ruling in favour of the government’s appeal, while Justice Vashiest Kokaram dissented. The reinstated law reduces the maximum penalty for buggery from 25 years to five years in prison.

29 JULY 2025 | Ruling in St Lucia reduces number of countries with anti-gay laws to 64

As of 29 July, the number of countries that criminalise same-sex sexual activity has dropped to 64. The change follows a landmark ruling by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, which struck down St Lucia’s laws against consensual sodomy and ‘gross indecency’. The court found that sections 132 and 133 of the country’s Criminal Code were incompatible with the rights protected by the Constitution of Saint Lucia. As always 76 Crimes is our source.

The decision comes one month after the Pacific island nation of Niue repealed its own laws criminalising same-sex intimacy, reducing the global number of anti-gay jurisdictions at that time to 65.

In a press release, the Caribbean Forum for Liberation and Acceptance of Genders and Sexualities (CariFLAGS) described the broader impact of such laws. “We know that the so-called buggery law, despite not being frequently enforced in many territories, has had far-reaching impact on, among other aspects, the quality of life and mental health of Caribbean lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, who endure stigma and isolation from family members; as well as social exclusion, public hostilities, discrimination in the workplace, police brutality and sexual violence.”

The Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (ECADE), which supported the legal challenge alongside local advocacy group United and Strong, welcomed the ruling as a major victory. “Today’s ruling is not just a win in the courts, it also represents a step towards justice for the many lives lost to violence simply for being themselves,” said Kenita Placide, ECADE’s executive director. “It signals that our Caribbean can and must be a place where all people are free and equal under the law.”

Placide noted the personal significance of the judgement after years of advocacy. “For many years we’ve worked to see the rights, lives and dignity of LGBTQ+ persons in Saint Lucia and the OECS protected.”

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has jurisdiction over several countries and territories, including Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, and Montserrat, in addition to St Lucia. Its decisions set legal precedents across the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

In recent years, Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, and Dominica have all repealed laws criminalising consensual same-sex sexual relations.

Elsewhere in the region, progress has been uneven. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights ruled in 2021 that Jamaica must repeal its colonial-era sodomy law, but the Jamaican Supreme Court dismissed a challenge against it in 2023. In 2024, a top judge in St Vincent and the Grenadines threw out two legal cases seeking to overturn the country’s sodomy laws. In March 2025, an appeals court in Trinidad and Tobago reinstated its anti-sodomy provisions. That ruling is now being appealed to the Privy Council by British-based LGBTQ+ activist Jason Jones.

ECADE and United and Strong described the St Lucia ruling as “a beacon of hope amid recent setbacks” and a reaffirmation of the region’s commitment to equality.

1 SEPTEMBER 2025 | Burkina Faso adopts new anti-gay law with prison terms up to 5 years

Burkina Faso has become the latest country to criminalise homosexuality, bringing the global total of nations with anti-gay laws back to 65.

The law, passed unanimously on Monday 1 September 2025 by 71 unelected members of the transitional parliament, punishes “homosexuality and similar practices” with two to five years in prison and unspecified fines. Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala announced the measure on national television, adding that foreign nationals would be deported.

The military government, led by Ibrahim Traoré since two coups in 2022, follows neighbouring regimes in Mali and Niger in adopting hard-line anti-LGBTQ policies. Ghana is also debating stricter measures, while Uganda introduced the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” in 2023.

Journalist Rob Salerno noted the law’s vague wording could allow the junta to target opponents. Burkina Faso has now been added to the Erasing 76 Crimes list of countries with anti-gay laws.

LGBTQIA+ and travel

• GRINDR UNWRAPPED 2024 | Belgium and the Netherlands still love twinks.
• The best cities to visit as a gay solo traveller.
• EUROPEAN UNION | Pride events do raise awareness for LGBTQIA+.
• Gay Hong Kong.
• Mr Gay Europe 2026 contest to cruise with VACAYA at summer’s end.
• How gay friendly are trending travel destinations Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina with Republika Srpska, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine?.
• ILGA WORLD | Despite more legal protections for LGBTI people, stark opposition has been a recurring theme in debates in every UN member State.
• RAINBOW EUROPE MAP AND INDEX 2024 | These are the LGBTQIA+ friendly and LGBTQIA+ unfriendly countries in Europe.
• Spartacus Travel Awards pinpoint Brussels and Taiwan as top LGBTQIA+ destinations.
• SPARTACUS GAY TRAVEL INDEX 2024 | Malta, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, Portugal the most gay friendly destinations; Belgium now 21st.
• Pride movement in Europe expecting increased hostility.
• QUEER ANDORRA | Entre Nous, the only gay bar in the village.
• Europeans more accepting of LGBTQIA+ people than their political leaders.
• Queer Iceland & Rainbow(baiting) Reykjavík.
• Heading for the sun in gay destination Torremolinos.
• Manchester’s gaybourhood around Canal Street.
• 13 US states still officially punish gay sex.
• Sang Young Park, an insight on queer life in South Korea.
• Pride in Valladolid, Yucatán and queer encounters in Mexico.
• FLORIDA SOLO ROAD TRIP | Eye-opening encounters in Miami.
• FLORIDA SOLO ROAD TRIP | Key West.
• FLORIDA SOLO ROAD TRIP | Fort Lauderdale.
• FLORIDA SOLO ROAD TRIP | National Pulse Memorial and Museum in Orlando.
• Queer in a hostile world: more likely to be arrested for looking gay than for actual homosexual acts.
• Travel guide for people with HIV.
• LGBTQ+ get-together on Majestic Princess.
• HOW TO | Travel to the Eurovision Song Contest.
• Gays failing at being gay? ‘LGBTQ Mix & Mingle’ on Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas lacked enthusiasm.
• Gay Tel Aviv: pinkwashing or genuine?.
• To be or not to be out and proud LGBTQ when travelling?.
• A plea for LGBTQ travel in post-communist Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
• Gay Taipei with misterb&b.
• VIDEO | Looking for intimacy in a crowd of strangers in Japan and South Korea.
• Are you travelling to a hostile destination?.