Experience

66 countries criminalise gay sex

Posted by Timothy on

The number of countries where consensual same-sex sexual relations are illegal has risen to 66 following the adoption of a new anti-LGBTQ law in Niger in June 2026, marking a reversal after years of gradual global decriminalisation. Specialist on the subject is the blog 76 Crimes. When Colin Stewart started that project, the list contained 76 countries.

Until recently, the long-term trend had been one of steady progress. At the beginning of the 2000s, more than 90 countries criminalised same-sex intimacy. By early 2025, that number had fallen to 63 as courts and legislatures across Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Asia struck down or repealed colonial-era laws.

However, the past two years have seen several significant setbacks. Burkina Faso and Mali introduced new criminal bans in 2025, Niger followed in June 2026, and Trinidad and Tobago‘s Court of Appeal reinstated the country’s colonial-era “buggery” and “gross indecency” laws after they had previously been struck down by a lower court. Senegal also strengthened its legislation in 2026, while Ghana‘s parliament approved legislation that would further criminalise LGBTQ identity and advocacy, although that bill still requires presidential approval before taking effect.

Muslim-majority countries now account for the majority

Of the 66 countries that criminalise same-sex relations, 36 have Muslim-majority populations, representing around 55% of the global total. Twenty-six are Christian-majority countries, accounting for approximately 39%, while the remaining four have mixed or other religious majorities.

Two years ago, Muslim-majority countries represented around half of all countries with anti-gay laws, while Christian-majority countries accounted for 44%. The widening gap reflects contrasting legal developments in recent years.

Numerous Christian-majority countries have abolished their anti-gay laws through either court rulings or parliamentary action. Court decisions decriminalised same-sex intimacy in Belize (2016), Barbados (2022), Antigua and Barbuda (2022), Saint Kitts and Nevis (2022), Mauritius (2023), Dominica (2024), Namibia (2024), and Saint Lucia (2025). Legislative reforms removed criminal penalties in Mozambique (2014), Palau (2014), São Tomé and Príncipe (2014), Nauru (2016), Seychelles (2016), Angola (2019), Botswana (2019), Singapore (2022), the Cook Islands (2023), and Niue (2024). Bhutan repealed its law in 2021, while India‘s Supreme Court struck down Section 377 in 2018.

By contrast, no Muslim-majority country has repealed laws criminalising same-sex relations in recent years. Instead, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have all introduced new criminal provisions since 2025.

No sovereign country in Europe currently criminalises consensual same-sex relations. Northern Cyprus, recognised only by Turkey (Türkiye), repealed its law in 2014, making Europe the first continent without any country criminalising same-sex intimacy.

Criminalisation is not the only form of repression

Several countries no longer criminalise same-sex intimacy but continue to restrict LGBTQ rights through so-called ‘anti-propaganda’ laws. Russia, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and previously Lithuania have adopted legislation restricting positive references to LGBTQ people or relationships. Libya and Nigeria also enforce anti-LGBT “propaganda” laws alongside their criminal bans on same-sex intimacy.

Progress has slowed, but the long-term trend remains positive

Despite recent setbacks, the long-term picture remains one of significant progress. More than two dozen countries have repealed or overturned anti-gay laws during the past two decades, many of them inherited from the British Empire.

Nevertheless, developments in West Africa and the Caribbean show that legal progress is not irreversible. The increase from 63 to 66 countries over the past two years demonstrates that political decisions and court rulings can quickly reverse earlier gains, even as many other parts of the world continue moving towards greater legal equality for LGBTQ people.

The following countries and territories criminalise consensual same-sex sexual relations, although the scope and enforcement of these laws vary considerably.

The 66, as of June 2026

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

* Indonesia criminalises same-sex relations only in Aceh Province, South Sumatra Province, and several municipalities.

** Lebanon’s anti-homosexuality law has been ruled inapplicable by several courts, but it has not been formally repealed nationwide.

Note: The Gaza Strip is listed separately because the criminalisation applies there under the territory’s legal system, whereas same-sex relations are legal in the West Bank under the legal code administered by the Palestinian Authority. This distinction is commonly made in international overviews of laws criminalising homosexuality.

United States

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

Flag of South Korea.

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. 

Going gay for Malaysia.

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.

LGBTQIA+ and travel

2 Comments Add yours

  1. Monkey's Tale's avatar Monkey's Tale says:
    27 June 2026 at 8:37 am

    When you said Europe was the first continent, I thought a Central American country must be holding NA back, but it is the US!!! One more reason to continue our boycott of them. 😊 Maggie

    Reply
    1. Timothy's avatar Timothy says:
      27 June 2026 at 9:52 am

      Indeed. And there’s no movement towards a better future. Quite the contrary 🙁

      Reply

Leave a Reply

To respond on your own website, enter the URL of your response which should contain a link to this post's permalink URL. Your response will then appear (possibly after moderation) on this page. Want to update or remove your response? Update or delete your post and re-enter your post's URL again. (Find out more about Webmentions.)