In these countries, same-sex relationships are punishable by law

According to the International Association of Lesbians and Gays (IGLA), 73 countries worldwide have criminal laws against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

In fact, IGLA data does not fully reflect this problem. For example, there is no Indonesia in their list, where millions of citizens have suffered from laws against LGBT people. The data also do not include three other governments that oppose same-sex relationships, because for various reasons they are not on the list of internationally recognized countries.

Today we invite you to find out in which countries the LGBT community was outlawed. In addition, we will tell you about 10 countries whose laws provide for the death penalty for same-sex relationships, at least on paper.

Official IGLA Report

According to the official IGLA report of 2016, there are 75 countries in the world that fight with same-sex relationships through laws. However, in May 2016, the Seychelles and Nauru canceled their laws, just after the IGLA report had already been prepared for publication. Then, on August 10, 2016, the Supreme Court of Belize also abolished laws against representatives of its country's LGBT. Thus, 72 countries remained on the IGLA list.

But already in December Chad's parliament approved a new criminal code, according to which same-sex relationships were outlawed. IGLA added another country to the list.

Addition to the list

In addition, the IGLA report mentions four political entities, but they are not included in the general list. This is, first of all, Indonesia, two large provinces of which have laws against homosexuality. The remaining three political organizations also have laws against LGBT people, but they are not recognized by the countries on the part of the international community. These are the Cook Islands, whose inhabitants have New Zealand citizenship, but consider themselves to be a separate state, the Gaza Strip in Palestine, and the Islamic State on the territory of Syria and Iraq.

In addition, Lithuania and Russia are also mentioned in the IGLA list. Although these countries do not have laws against the LGBT community, propaganda for homosexuality here is illegal. Libya and Nigeria have similar laws against propaganda, but same-sex relationships are also prohibited, so they are on the list.

List of St Paul's Foundation

Back in 2012, St. Paul's Foundation compiled its own list, which, in total, included 76 countries. This list was used for programs around the world aimed at repealing these laws.

Here are some of the latest changes in the list:

• The tiny states of Palau in the western Pacific, as well as Sao Tome and Principe in the Atlantic Ocean, have recently decriminalized homosexual relations, so they were excluded from this list in 2014.

• Mozambique, located on the south-east coast of Africa, with a population of 24 million people, in the second half of 2014 adopted a new Criminal Code and was removed from this list in early 2015.

• The country of Lesotho was also excluded from the list after the adoption of the new Criminal Code, which eliminated laws against representatives of LGBT people.

• As noted above, the Seychelles and Nauru have repealed their laws against homosexuals in May 2016, as well as Belize in August 2016. In addition, as noted above, Chad adopted a law against homosexuality in December 2016.

• Iraq was added to the list, although it does not have civil laws against same-sex relationships. But, according to the IGLA data for the year 2015, in Iraq throughout the country courts are being conducted, which condemn to death for same-sex relationships.

• Chad was mistakenly briefly added to the list in 2014 because of the proposed new criminal code, which would provide for 15 to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of 50 to 500 thousand francs "for those who have sex with persons Same sex. " The country was removed from the list after IGLA realized that the proposed changes were not approved by the President of Chad.

• The Islamic state was added to the list after the release of data on the executions of LGBT community representatives in areas of northern Iraq and northern Syria, which were conducted by his troops.

IGLA claims that the website of the Islamic Caliphate has a section with laws, one page of which is devoted to "punishment for sodomy". It states that "religiously sanctioned punishment for sodomy is death, whether by mutual consent or not."

Where are the laws against homosexuals

Here is a list of 76 countries and independent political entities that have laws against homosexuality.

Chad will be added if it becomes clear that the new Criminal Code of 2016 will enter into force

1. Africa. Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Malawi (enforcement of the law suspended), Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra -Leone, Somalia, Southern Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

2. Asia, including the Middle East. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Islamic State, India, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine / Gaza Strip, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkmenistan , United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Yemen.

3. North and South America. Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.

4. Oceania. Cook Islands, Indonesia (Aceh and South Sumatra), Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu.

USA

In the United States, laws against homosexuals were recognized as unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in 2003, but they still operate 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 these laws, and in some cases the police still enforce them. Over the past few years, more than a dozen representatives of the LGBT community have been detained for violating these laws, but the arrested persons were then released.

Europe

No country in Europe has laws against homosexuality. The last place in Europe with such laws was Northern Cyprus (which was recognized only by Turkey), but they were canceled in January 2014.

Prohibition of propaganda in Europe

In addition, it is worth mentioning those countries that prohibit the propaganda of homosexuality:

• Russia , which passed a law against propaganda in 2013. It prohibits any positive references to homosexuality in the presence of minors, including the Internet.

• Lithuania , which has a similar law. In 2015, an additional law was considered, but an additional law has not yet been passed that will impose fines on those who publicly "defy traditional family values."

• Ukraine , where such a law was considered in 2012 and 2013, but it was not adopted.

• Moldova , which first adopted, and then abolished such a law in 2013.

• Belarus , where in early 2016 the adoption of such a law was discussed.

Laws against propaganda in Asia and Africa

In addition, Kyrgyzstan (a country in Central Asia) in October 2014 was on the verge of adopting a fairly strict law against the propaganda of same-sex relationships. If this bill is adopted, any dissemination of positive information about same-sex relationships, and not just conversations in the presence of minors (as in Russia), will be recognized as a crime punishable by fines and imprisonment.

In Kazakhstan, the House of Parliament passed a bill "On protecting children from information that is harmful to their health and development", but the Constitutional Council rejected it in May 2015, stating that the wording was too vague.

As noted above, Libya and Nigeria also have laws against the propaganda of homosexuality, in addition to those that prohibit same-sex relationships.