lgbt travel ghana

LGBT Rights In Ghana: Everything You Should Know Before You Visit! 🇬🇭

Posted on Last updated: December 3, 2023

Categories LGBTQ+ Rights , Ghana

Cecilia Miller is a lesbian love warrior and educator fighting for queer justice and ensuring every shade of the rainbow shines bright & bold!

LGBT rights in Ghana have been a topic of concern as the country faces legal and societal challenges and discrimination against its LGBT citizens. Sexual acts between males are considered “unnatural carnal knowledge” and have been illegal since the colonial era.

The majority of Ghana’s population holds anti-LGBT sentiments, leading to widespread discrimination and abuse against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals both in public and family settings. As a result, the LGBT community in the country remains under attack, and this has a direct impact on local people and tourists alike.

When traveling to Ghana as an LGBT individual, it is vital to be cautious and vigilant, as the situation can change quickly, and information may be outdated. We recommend seeking current advice before traveling to ensure the necessary precautions are in place. There are a few LGBT advocacy groups, like LGBT+ Rights Ghana, that focus on raising awareness and fighting for the rights of the community in the country. These organizations may offer valuable resources and support for both locals and visitors.

However, it is important to remember that Ghana is considered an un-queer-friendly destination, and the overall recommendation is to choose a more welcoming location for your next holiday. By staying informed and cautious about the situation in Ghana, you can make an educated decision on whether to visit this country or opt for a more inclusive and accepting destination.

History Of LGBT Rights In Ghana

The history of LGBT rights in Ghana can be traced back to a complex and nuanced mixture of tolerance and acceptance, overshadowed by long periods of persecution, discrimination, and unwarranted violence. LGBT persons in the country have historically faced numerous legal and societal challenges, as well as discrimination that non-LGBT citizens do not experience. Moreover, the majority of Ghana’s population holds anti-LGBT sentiments.

It is essential to understand that while discussing LGBT rights in Ghana, both local people and tourists are affected. Ghana’s legal system criminalizes sexual acts between males under the term of “unnatural carnal knowledge”. Discrimination and violence against LGBT individuals occur in public and family settings alike. Consequently, both local residents and tourists can be subjected to this discrimination and should remain vigilant.

Given the situation, those visiting or residing in Ghana must exercise caution and stay updated on current information regarding LGBT rights in the country. It is vital to remember that situations can change quickly, and information may become outdated, which further emphasizes the importance of seeking the most recent advice before traveling.

To better understand and protect oneself, engaging with relevant LGBT advocacy groups, such as LGBT+ Rights Ghana , may provide valuable information and support. These organizations strive to promote awareness, acceptance, and protection for the LGBT community within the country.

However, it is crucial to note that Ghana may not be the most suitable destination for LGBT individuals seeking a welcoming and queer-friendly environment. Considering the current state of LGBT rights and the pervasive anti-LGBT sentiments in the country, it is strongly recommended that those planning a vacation consider alternative destinations that are more inclusive and open to the LGBT community.

The LGBT Legal Situation In Ghana

The legal environment for LGBT individuals in Ghana remains challenging and discriminatory. Sexual acts between males have been illegal since the colonial era, and societal attitudes towards LGBT people are generally negative. In fact, the Ghanaian Parliament passed an extreme anti-gay bill in 2023, which further tightened the laws against members of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s important to understand that this impacts both local people and tourists visiting the country.

For tourists, it’s crucial to be cautious and vigilant when traveling to Ghana. Be mindful of the cultural differences and remember that situations can change quickly. Always seek current advice before traveling, as information can be outdated. It’s advisable to connect with local LGBT advocacy groups, who can provide guidance and support should you encounter any difficulties during your trip.

One such organization is LGBT Rights Ghana , which works to promote the rights and well-being of LGBT individuals in the country. Engaging with them can provide valuable information and ensure that you are aware of the challenges you may face while in Ghana.

That being said, the recent changes in Ghana’s anti-LGBT laws serve as a reminder that it is a very un-queer-friendly destination. We encourage you to consider other travel options that offer a more inclusive and welcoming environment. Your safety and well-being should always be a top priority when choosing your next holiday destination.

In conclusion, while Ghana is a beautiful country with a rich cultural history, it remains an unwelcoming environment for the LGBT community. It’s essential to remain cautious, well-informed, and vigilant when considering travel to Ghana and always prioritize your safety and the safety of those around you.

The LGBT Social Situation In Ghana

The social situation for LGBT individuals in Ghana is challenging, as they face legal and societal discrimination. The majority of Ghana’s population holds anti-LGBT sentiments . This environment affects local people and tourists alike. It is crucial for visitors to be aware of the local cultural context and take necessary precautions in order to protect themselves.

When navigating the social climate in Ghana, it is essential to err on the side of caution. The situation can change, and there may be bad actors in every country. Remain vigilant and always seek current advice before traveling. Information may be out of date, and being well-informed is crucial for personal safety.

Several LGBT advocacy groups are active in Ghana, such as the NGLHRC or the Human Rights Advocacy Centre. These organizations can provide valuable resources and information for those seeking support or updates on the prevailing social situation. It is important to follow their guidance and recommendations for safe navigation of the local context.

It is essential to remember that, overall, Ghana is a very un-queer-friendly destination. We recommend exploring alternative travel destinations that genuinely welcome and celebrate LGBT individuals for your next holiday. While some may still choose to travel to Ghana, being aware of the social situation and prioritizing personal safety should always be a top priority.

Trans Rights In Ghana

In Ghana, transgender individuals experience challenges and discrimination similar to the rest of the LGBT community. Both local people and tourists face significant risks due to the lack of legal protection and socially conservative attitudes prevalent in the country.

It is important for travelers to be aware of the local situation and take steps to protect their safety. Staying informed about the current political and social climate is paramount, as conditions can change rapidly. Always exercise caution and maintain a low profile, especially in public spaces. Keep in mind that Ghana is generally considered a less queer-friendly destination, and it may be advisable to consider other destinations more welcoming of LGBT individuals for a holiday.

For up-to-date information and guidance on LGBT rights in Ghana, it is helpful to connect with local advocacy groups such as LGBT+ Rights Ghana , who are working to improve the situation on the ground. They can provide advice, resources, and support tailored to the experiences of transgender individuals.

While some progress has been made in recent years, the overall situation for trans rights in Ghana remains challenging. By staying vigilant and informed, both locals and tourists can navigate these difficulties and work to promote a more inclusive environment for all.

The Future For The Queer Community In Ghana

The future of LGBT rights in Ghana remains uncertain as the nation continues to grapple with discrimination and legal challenges. The recent unanimous passing of an extreme anti-gay bill by the Ghanaian Parliament has further tightened legal restrictions against members of the LGBTQ+ community, and significant social stigma still persists.

Tourists visiting Ghana should be aware of the distinct difference in how LGBT rights and protections may affect them compared to local citizens. While tourists may not be specifically targeted, it’s important to remain cautious and consider the potential risks and challenges faced by the local LGBT community before planning travel to an un-queer-friendly destination.

To protect yourself when visiting Ghana, it’s essential to stay informed about the current legal and social landscape. You can do so by consulting up-to-date information on global human rights and travel organizations such as the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) and the US State Department website . Notably, situations can change quickly, and information might be outdated, so seek current advice before traveling.

Staying connected with local and international LGBT advocacy groups can be beneficial in providing support and resources during your visit. In Ghana, LGBT+ Rights Ghana is a prominent local organization working to promote the rights of LGBT individuals.

Finally, it’s crucial to remain vigilant, as bad actors can be found in any country, and their actions may not be representative of the population as a whole. It’s usually advisable to opt for destinations that are more LGBT-friendly and can offer a welcoming and safe environment.

In summary, while there are ongoing challenges in Ghana’s LGBT rights landscape, staying informed, cautious, and connected to advocacy groups can help visitors navigate an un-queer-friendly environment. However, it’s highly recommended to consider alternative destinations that embrace diversity more openly for a comfortable and worry-free experience.

Protect Yourself While Travelling In Gay Ghana

In Ghana, LGBT rights face significant challenges, with legal and societal discrimination impacting both locals and tourists. For instance, sexual acts between males are considered illegal as “unnatural carnal knowledge,” and the majority of the population holds anti-LGBT sentiments ( source ).

As a visitor to Ghana, it is crucial to remain vigilant and cautious, considering the unfavorable environment for LGBT individuals. Keep in mind that situations can change rapidly, and it is essential to seek updated information and advice before traveling to the country.

There are several steps you can take to protect yourself if necessary while visiting Ghana. Firstly, avoid public displays of affection and be discreet about your sexual orientation or gender identity. Try to stay informed about local attitudes and events, as this may affect your experience in the country.

It is also a good idea to connect with local and international LGBT advocacy groups, such as LGBT+ R i ghts Ghana , who can offer support, resources, and advice. These organizations can help keep you updated on the latest developments and incidents related to the LGBT community in Ghana.

In conclusion, despite the potential attraction of visiting Ghana, its lack of acceptance and support for the LGBT community might urge you to reconsider your choice of destination. We recommend choosing a more LGBTQ-friendly location that welcomes and embraces diversity for your next holiday.

Remember, staying vigilant and informed will help protect and prepare you for any unexpected situations, and it’s always best to err on the side of caution when traveling to destinations with a less-than-accommodating atmosphere for the LGBT community.

Your Passport to a Rainbow of Destinations! 🌈✈️

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Queer-Friendly Spots in Accra, Ghana: A Travel Guide

Accra, Ghana: an ⁣illustrious city⁢ bursting ‌with vibrant energy, untamed⁤ rhythms, and⁢ a burgeoning queer-friendly⁤ scene waiting to ⁤be explored. Tucked⁣ away⁢ from the headlines and unknown to ⁢many,​ this West African ‌gem ⁤offers an⁤ endearing embrace to travelers seeking inclusivity, warmth, and acceptance. In this captivating travel guide, we embark on a journey through the diverse neighborhoods and hidden​ corners of ​Accra, where queer individuals‌ can find solace ⁣and celebration amidst a rapidly evolving cultural landscape. From pulsating LGBTQ+ nightlife to ‌charming cafes, art hubs, and serene spaces, ‍let ‍us⁤ uncover‌ the hidden ⁣treasures of Accra that​ have become havens ‌for ‍LGBTQ+ travelers, beckoning‌ with open arms and inviting hearts.

Table of ​Contents

• Exploring the Vibrant LGBTQ+‍ Scene in Accra
• Indulging ‌in Queer-Inclusive Accommodations and Spaces
• Unveiling the​ Best LGBTQ+ Events and Nightlife in ​Accra
• Navigating Queer-Friendly Hangouts and Cafes

Discovering LGBTQ+-Focused Organizations and Support Groups in Accra

Insights and conclusions.

Exploring ⁤the Vibrant​ LGBTQ+ Scene in ⁢Accra

The ‍Thriving LGBTQ+ Scene in​ Accra

Accra, the ‌capital‍ city of ‌Ghana, is known for its⁣ vibrant cultural‍ scene, and the LGBTQ+ community ‌plays a significant role in⁢ adding to its diversity. ‍This progressive city​ offers a safe and inclusive space where individuals ‍from the LGBTQ+ ⁣community ⁣can ⁣express their true selves, celebrate their identities, ​and connect with like-minded individuals.

When exploring‍ the LGBTQ+ ​scene in Accra, you’ll find ⁢a ⁢wide range of events and‍ venues ⁢tailored to this community’s needs. The city boasts ‌a ‌mix‍ of LGBTQ+-friendly ​bars, clubs, and underground​ spots ⁣that ​are hubs of creativity and ⁢self-expression. These establishments offer a welcoming environment where​ everyone can ​enjoy live⁣ performances, ⁤dance to pulsating beats, ⁢and engage in⁣ insightful conversations.

• Club Purple Rain: This‍ iconic LGBTQ+ venue in Accra is an absolute must-visit. With its ‌dazzling ⁤neon lights, energetic ​atmosphere, and thrilling⁤ drag shows, it is the perfect place to let loose‍ and immerse yourself ⁢in the vibrant community spirit.
• Underground LGBTQ+‍ Parties:‍ Accra is also‍ renowned for its underground LGBTQ+ parties that take ⁢place in hidden locations. ‍These ⁤events, characterized by ‍music,⁤ art, and ⁤captivating performances, bring together diverse individuals⁢ in ‍an ‌environment where they can⁤ freely express their identity.
• Annual LGBTQ+ Festivals:⁤ Accra hosts several annual​ LGBTQ+ festivals, creating spaces for celebration ⁣and advocacy. These events serve as platforms to raise awareness about the challenges faced by the ‌community and foster​ unity⁢ among its ⁣members. From film screenings ​to panel discussions, ⁣these festivals provide a rich cultural experience.

is a chance to‌ delve into a world that⁣ celebrates diversity,⁤ evokes inclusivity, and‌ embraces self-expression.‌ The ‍city provides a platform for individuals to connect,⁢ educate, and‍ empower themselves, making it ⁤a vital part of Ghana’s cultural tapestry.

Indulging in Queer-Inclusive Accommodations and Spaces

When ⁣it⁤ comes to ​finding ‌accommodations and spaces that are inclusive and welcoming for ⁤all individuals, it is‌ important to consider‍ the specific needs‌ and ⁢preferences of ​the queer community. Queer-inclusive accommodations and spaces⁢ go ⁣beyond ⁢simply providing a safe environment, but also strive to create an environment that⁢ celebrates diversity and fosters a sense of belonging.

Creating ⁣a Safe​ Haven:

• Offering gender-inclusive bathrooms and facilities, ensuring everyone feels comfortable and respected.
• Implementing queer-inclusive policies that promote non-discrimination and equal treatment for all⁢ guests.
• Training ⁢staff ⁣to be ⁤knowledgeable about ‍queer issues ⁢and etiquette, ensuring they can provide appropriate⁤ support and guidance to guests.
• Displaying symbols and ‌signs that signify‌ the establishment’s commitment‌ to ⁤inclusivity, such ‌as the rainbow flag or a LGBTQ+ ally sticker.

Celebrating Diversity:

• Organizing queer-themed events, workshops,‌ or ⁢guest speakers to educate and empower individuals within the LGBTQ+ community.
• Creating queer-friendly ‌spaces within the‌ establishment, such as a ⁣dedicated reading corner with books ​by queer authors or displaying artwork that highlights⁤ queer culture.
• Partnering with local LGBTQ+ organizations⁢ or businesses to offer ​special deals or discounts, supporting the community at⁢ large.
• Providing information and⁤ resources about queer-friendly attractions, clubs, bars, or community centers ‍in the surrounding area to‌ help guests fully embrace their ⁣identities and explore⁣ the local⁤ LGBTQ+ ⁢scene.

not only ensures‌ a comfortable and enjoyable stay for LGBTQ+⁢ individuals, but it also sends a powerful message⁣ of acceptance and ⁣support. By ⁣prioritizing⁤ inclusivity, these establishments become a vital part of ⁤creating a ‍world‌ where everyone can ⁣feel safe, affirmed, and celebrated.

Unveiling the Best⁣ LGBTQ+⁢ Events and ⁢Nightlife in Accra

Accra, the vibrant capital ​city of Ghana, is not only known ⁢for its rich cultural heritage and‍ stunning ⁢landscapes ‌but ⁤also for its thriving LGBTQ+ community. In recent ⁣years, Accra has ​become an inclusive​ and ⁤accepting destination for events‌ and ​nightlife catering⁣ specifically to the LGBTQ+ ‌community. Here,‍ we unveil some of‌ the best LGBTQ+ events and nightlife venues ​that are making‌ waves in Accra.

Nightlife Venues:

• The‌ Rainbow Lounge: Located ‍in the heart of ⁢the city,‌ this iconic lounge offers a safe space for the⁤ LGBTQ+⁤ community and ​allies to relax ⁤and unwind. With⁤ dazzling⁣ rainbow-themed décor,⁤ pulsating⁤ music, ⁣and an extensive drink menu,⁣ this spot guarantees an unforgettable night.
• Club Prism: Known as the epicenter ‍of LGBTQ+ nightlife⁣ in ​Accra, Club Prism‌ sets the ⁢stage for ⁣fabulous⁢ parties and electrifying performances. Get ready⁤ to dance the night​ away in a vibrant atmosphere filled with ‌colorful lights and infectious​ energy.
• The Empowerment Bar: ⁣This inclusive bar, owned ⁢and operated ⁤by ⁢LGBTQ+‍ individuals, not only serves​ delicious cocktails but also hosts⁣ empowerment events⁤ and live performances. It’s ⁣the perfect​ spot to connect with‌ like-minded individuals and celebrate unity within⁢ the community.
• Accra Pride Festival: An annual celebration of love, diversity, and ⁢equality, the ‌Accra⁢ Pride‌ Festival brings​ people together from all walks of life. This week-long event​ features ‍ a vibrant parade, educational workshops, ⁤inspiring talks,⁤ and thrilling performances.
• Drag Brunches: Nothing beats a glamorous afternoon‌ filled with drag performances and‌ mouthwatering ​brunch. These events create a welcoming space for drag artists and spectators to embrace self-expression ⁣and enjoy a ⁤delicious meal.
• Queer Film Festivals: Step into the world‌ of LGBTQ+ cinema at the various queer film festivals ‍held throughout the year in Accra. These events ⁢showcase thought-provoking films that ⁢challenge stereotypes and promote understanding and empathy.

So whether ‍you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community or an ally, Accra has ​a wide range of ‍events and nightlife options that⁤ cater to ​all tastes.‍ These venues ‌and ‍gatherings provide‍ a safe and engaging environment to celebrate love, diversity, and inclusivity in this incredible ‌city.

Navigating Queer-Friendly Hangouts and ⁢Cafes

Exploring the LGBTQ+ scene in your city⁢ or while traveling can be an⁣ exciting ‍and ⁢rewarding experience. ​To help you make the most⁤ of your ​adventures, we have gathered some tips to navigate⁣ queer-friendly hangouts and cafes. Remember, these places offer a safe⁢ and inclusive‌ environment for all, fostering a sense of community and acceptance.

First⁢ and foremost,‌ do your research. With the⁤ multitude of ‌queer-friendly hangouts​ and cafes, it’s essential ​to find the ones​ that align with your interests and preferences. Look for reviews and recommendations from⁣ fellow LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as online directories or apps dedicated to queer spaces. These ‌resources can help you identify⁣ venues​ that not only provide‍ a welcoming atmosphere​ but also cater​ to a diverse range of identities and ‌experiences.

• Be ​open to exploring different neighborhoods. Queer-friendly hangouts ⁣and cafes can be found in various areas,⁤ so don’t limit yourself to just one ⁢location. Venture out and​ discover unique spots outside the traditional‍ queer-centric districts. Not only‌ will you broaden your horizons, but⁤ you may stumble upon ‌hidden gems cherished by ⁢locals.
• Take note of inclusive signage and symbols. When visiting potential hangouts or cafes, keep⁢ an eye out ⁤for ​LGBTQ+ flags, stickers, or⁢ any⁣ other visible indicators of support. These signs‍ often signify that the⁢ establishment actively⁣ promotes inclusivity and is a safe space for⁣ the community. It⁤ can provide reassurance and contribute to a comfortable experience.
• Engage with the‍ staff and fellow patrons.​ Once you’ve‌ selected ‌a queer-friendly hangout or cafe, don’t hesitate‌ to ​strike​ up‌ conversations with⁣ the staff and⁤ other⁤ visitors. These interactions can lead to ‌valuable recommendations and‍ insights into the local LGBTQ+ scene. Building ⁤connections within the‍ community can enhance your overall experience‌ and open doors to​ new friendships.

Remember, the world ⁢is full of queer-friendly spaces waiting to be explored. By following these⁣ tips and embracing the inclusive‍ spirit,‌ you can have incredible adventures while fully immersing yourself in the vibrant LGBTQ+ culture.

In⁣ the⁢ vibrant city of Accra, there is a growing presence of LGBTQ+-focused organizations and support groups that provide safe spaces and vital resources for the ‍community. These organizations play⁤ a crucial ⁤role ‍in fostering acceptance,⁣ advocating ⁣for human rights, and offering support to LGBTQ+ ⁣individuals living in Accra​ and ⁢its surrounding⁣ areas.

Here ⁣are​ a few remarkable organizations that are making ‌a difference:

• LGBTQ+ Rights Ghana: This pioneering organization is dedicated to advocating for equal rights, combating ⁢discrimination, and promoting acceptance within Ghanaian society. They offer legal assistance, counseling services, and community outreach ‍programs to empower ‍LGBTQ+ individuals and ‌educate the public.
• Safe Haven: As the name⁣ suggests, ⁤Safe Haven provides a supportive environment for ‍LGBTQ+ individuals by offering counseling, mentorship programs, and social ​activities. Their focus is on fostering a sense of‌ community and providing a safe space for ​individuals to express themselves ​freely.
• Trans Support ‌Ghana: ​ This⁤ organization ⁤is specifically ​geared towards creating awareness and advocating for the rights ‍of​ transgender individuals in⁤ Accra.‌ They offer⁣ resources, support groups, and ‍educational programs focused ⁤on transgender issues.

These organizations and support groups work tirelessly to create a more inclusive society⁤ in Accra, breaking down barriers ​and⁢ offering a lifeline to those who may feel marginalized‌ or isolated. By joining forces and raising awareness, they are paving the way‌ for progress‍ and ‌a brighter future​ for the LGBTQ+ community in Accra.

What​ are some ⁢ queer-friendly spots to visit in Accra,‍ Ghana?

Accra offers ‍numerous queer-friendly spots for travelers to​ explore. Some popular options include Purple on⁤ the Roof,‌ a rooftop bar known for its inclusive ‍and vibrant atmosphere, ​and Elle Lokko, a contemporary⁢ art space that ‌celebrates diversity ​and hosts events ⁤catered to the LGBTQ+ community. These spots provide ‌a ‍safe and welcoming environment ​for queer individuals to socialize and⁤ connect.

Are there any LGBTQ+-owned‌ businesses​ in Accra?

Yes, Accra is home to several LGBTQ+-owned businesses that are worth supporting. ​Check out NyoNyo ⁤Essentials, a queer-owned skincare ⁣brand that ‌offers natural and eco-friendly⁤ products, or African Rainbow Resort, a LGBTQ+-friendly guesthouse that provides a safe and⁢ inclusive space for queer ⁤travelers.

Are there LGBTQ+ events or festivals held in ‍Accra?

Absolutely! Pride Month ‌is celebrated in Accra with various LGBTQ+ events ⁣and festivals.⁢ The⁤ Accra ⁤International ⁢Queer Film Festival ‍showcases queer cinema and promotes dialogue and understanding. ⁣Additionally, the⁣ Accra‌ LGBTQ+ Pride March brings together locals and tourists alike⁢ to celebrate love and equality.

What are some ‍LGBTQ+-friendly neighborhoods in Accra?

While Accra doesn’t have specific⁣ LGBTQ+-centric ⁣neighborhoods, there are areas that‍ are more tolerant and inclusive. Osu, for example, is a popular neighborhood known for its vibrant nightlife ⁤and diverse community‌ that welcomes LGBTQ+ individuals. It’s⁣ important to note, however,⁣ that ⁤acceptance can ‍vary from place to⁤ place, and ⁢it’s ⁤always a good‍ idea ‍to follow local advice and respect ⁣cultural ‍norms.

Are there⁤ any⁢ LGBTQ+ support groups or⁢ organizations ‍in Accra?

Yes, the‍ LGBTQ+ community ‌in Accra benefits from the presence ‌of organizations like​ the LGBT+ Rights Ghana, which provides support,⁢ advocacy, and resources for queer individuals. They have been actively ​working towards creating a more inclusive ⁣society and fighting against discrimination.

How ⁤can ‍tourists show​ their support for the ‌LGBTQ+ community in Accra?

Tourists can show their support for the LGBTQ+ community in Accra by patronizing queer-friendly businesses, attending LGBTQ+⁢ events,⁤ and engaging in​ respectful and inclusive conversations.‍ It’s important to be ⁣mindful of ⁤local ‍customs, laws,⁢ and sensitivities while advocating for equality and understanding.​

As the sun sets on our journey through the vibrant streets of Accra, Ghana,⁣ we ⁢bid farewell to the enchanting ​world of queer-friendly spots‍ that have left an indelible⁣ mark ‌on our hearts.‍ From discovering hidden gems to immersing ourselves in the warm embrace of a⁢ progressive community, our travel guide has‌ navigated ‌us ‌through an extraordinary tapestry of diversity and acceptance.

As we reflect on‌ our time spent wandering this dynamic city, we‍ are ​reminded of the remarkable resilience and⁤ courage of the LGBTQ+ individuals who have carved out safe havens ⁣within its bustling walls. Each colorful⁣ corner and inviting establishment we⁣ explored has ⁤woven itself into⁣ a⁤ mesmerizing tale​ of ‌inclusion and celebration of ⁢love⁣ in​ all ​its⁤ forms.

From the ​first tearful ⁣embrace at the⁤ iconic Rainbow ‌Lounge, where⁤ the walls​ reverberate⁣ with stories of triumph and‌ liberation, ⁤to the electrifying beats at The​ Coven ⁤Club, pulsating with​ a spirit of ​acceptance and fearless self-expression, we​ have witnessed Accra’s profound‍ commitment to fostering an inclusive⁤ atmosphere.

The rapturous flavors of‍ queer-owned restaurants, such as Queer ​Abundance Cuisine, have ‌tantalized ​our taste‍ buds and nourished our souls, paying homage to Ghana’s rich culinary heritage while fostering an⁤ environment of⁣ love and respect. The tender moments shared within the cozy​ embrace of ⁣Queer Justice bookstore or the vibrant creations adorning the ⁣walls of the Artist Asylum gallery have revealed⁣ the deep-rooted artistic talents of an accepting community ⁣eager ⁤to‍ foster ‌connections.

Accra, with its‍ vibrant⁢ tapestry‌ of cultures and traditions, has blossomed into a sanctuary‍ for ⁤LGBTQ+ ‌individuals—a haven where love transcends boundaries, and freedom of expression is ‌celebrated with⁢ open arms. ⁤Though challenges​ still persist, our journey through⁣ queer-friendly spots has ‍illuminated the path towards a more inclusive future.

As we conclude this​ travel ⁢guide, we invite you​ to carry a ⁣piece of Accra’s ​queerness⁢ within ‌your heart. ⁤May its spirit of acceptance and unwavering support embolden‌ us all‌ to champion equality in our⁤ own corners of the world. While ⁤bidding adieu ‍to the enchanting queer-friendly ⁣spots of ⁣Accra,​ let us carry their vibrant light forward,⁤ igniting change⁤ and⁢ rewriting the narrative of acceptance ​for all who follow in our ⁤footsteps.

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LGBTQI+ Travel: Gay-friendly African countries + travel tips

I am vanilla. Pretty much as vanilla as they come. I often remind myself that I travel as a fairly privileged, white, straight woman (that’s a topic for another blog post). My travels are so often predominantly shaped by these aspects that it’s easy to forget that it might be any other way for someone else, especially people of colour, different religions and creeds, disabilities and members of the LGBTQI+ community.

This article is updated regularly (June 2023) to remain up to date with recent changes.

Love is hard work as it is. Never mind having to be told who you can and cannot be, who you should and shouldn’t love, and what you can and cannot do. This post is dedicated to a few of my dear friends, as well as those who feel that if they were to be true to themselves and follow their hearts that they would be ridiculed, teased and discriminated against in various ways either at work, in their social circles, religious communities or families. This post is dedicated to all those people who tread lightly so as not to upset others’ steadfast beliefs, as ridiculous as that sounds. I am sorry that some people are so silly, please remember that we are not all like that. Love is love!

Of the 64 countries in the world that criminalise homosexuality, almost half are found in Africa. In 2023, there were 22 gay-friendly African countries based on the most recent research conducted by International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (IGLA). This post aims to help you decide on gay-friendly travel destinations in Africa. It also advises on when is the best time to travel to these gay-friendly countries to make the most of gay pride and parades throughout the year.

16 tips for LGBTQI+ Travel to African countries

• Learn about the history of the LGBTQI+ community in the countries you plan to visit , especially as numerous African countries are conservative in their outlooks on sexuality and gender identity, whether it be due to religious or cultural beliefs, or based on local laws and legislation. Understand their struggles, progress and unique cultural contexts.
• Research the local laws regarding LGBTQI in your intended country of travel through government websites, travel advisories and news articles. Try to find out if these alws are enforced and to what extent so that you understand the potential consequences to make informed decisions. 
• Use discretion when discussing personal details with strangers or in unfamiliar or potentially hostile environments, such as your sexual orientation or gender identity, especially in countries where homosexuality is stigmatised or illegal.
• Use gender-neutral language when discussing your personal life or relationships. Refer to your partner as a friend or travel companion. This can help avoid potential misunderstandings or confrontations.
• Connect with local LGBTIQ+ communities though online platforms. Ask them about what it’s like living in their country. They can surely advise you on gay-friendly accommodation options, restaurants, clubs and bars, as well as travel agencies, and which places to avoid.
• Check out the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA), which provides very useful tips, information and resources about LGBTQI travel around the world.
• Global Gayz is a resource for gay travellers to Africa and shares personal stories from human rights activists on the ground.
• Ask for the advice from other LGBTQI travellers on travel forums, such as Lonely Planet’s Thorntree Forum and TripAdvisor’s forum to tap into the experiences of other travellers.
• Support LGBTQI+ travel suppliers , operators, businesses and organisations that support and promote inclusivity and equality. It is the perfect opportunity to meet other LGBTQI community members from around the world. They will offer on-the-ground experience and will know what to expect, plus how to ensure that your travels are safe.
• Be aware of entrapment campaigns in countries with minimal or no LGBTQI rights, where undercover or plain clothes police officers monitor certain venues, websites or smartphone apps to gain insight into common LGBTQI community meeting places. Ask about this on travellers’ forums. And if you are meeting with someone for the first time, always suggest to meet up in public first.
• Trust your instincts, stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, remove yourself from the situation.
• Be cautious when using public Wi-Fi and avoid accessing or sharing sensitive or personal information. Public networks may not be secure, and it’s essential to protect your privacy and data.
• Be mindful of public spaces . In some African countries PDAs (public displays of affection) between a man and a woman are frowned upon, either due to cultural norms or religious piety. And PDAs between a same-sex couple may also provoke unwanted attention. Rather err of the side of safety, be discreet, and keep your affections for when you are in private.
• Respect the local customs and traditions , even if you may not agree with them. Being mindful of cultural sensitivities will minimise drawing unnecessary attention to yourself. Dress conservatively, especially when visiting a religious site to avoid attracting unwanted attention to yourself or potential discrimination. This can also help you blend in. Women, particularly, should have a scarf or cover up their cleavage, shoulders, arms and legs.
• Travel with supportive allies who are aware of your identity and sexual orientation. Their presence can help create a sense of safety and solidarity. Have a restroom buddy when using a gender-affirming restroom, so they may stand by your door while you use the restroom.
• Update your passport details before you travel so that your name, photo and gender correspond with your gender identity, as some transgender travellers have encountered difficulties at ports of entry.
• Airport security can be a nightmare for anyone, but even more so if you come across a security staff member who might not be familiar with the non-binary community. In some countries, such as the United States, you can opt out of an Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) scan, ask if this is a possibility if you feel uncomfortable. Though this will most likely be replaced with a closer-than-most-feel-comfortable-with pat-down. Know that you may in many instances request a private AIT screening and can choose the gender of the airport security staff who does the pat down.

Gay travel in Africa: Locals versus international travellers

It goes without saying that many African countries greatly rely on the tourism economy, which often means that different rules apply to locals and international visitors. Popular tourist hubs and holiday resorts are much more gay-friendly, even if they are found in countries that have rather strict laws on homosexuality, like Namibia, Mauritius, Maldives, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. That being said, it’s always recommended to practise discretion or to travel with a tour company if you feel uncomfortable with independent or solo travel .

List of gay-friendly countries in Africa

Is Africa safe for gay travellers? Here’s a list of gay-friendly African countries that was published by IGLA in 2023.

• Burkina Faso
• Central African Republic
• Congo-Brazzaville
• Ivory Coast (cases of detention and prosecution)
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Mayotte Island (French territory: gay marriage is legal)
• Reunion Island (French territory: gay marriage is legal)
• Sao Tome and Principe
• South Africa (The only African country where gay marriage is legal)

List of African countries where homosexuality is illegal or punishable

Here is a list of African countries where it is illegal to be gay or to partake in consensual same-sex relations. It includes the average jail term; any other documented punishment; and whether a monetary fine is applicable. Please travel with your common sense about you.

• Algeria (2 years jail term; fine)
• Burundi (2 years jail term; fine)
• Cameroon (5 years jail term; fine)
• Chad (2 years jail term; fine)
• Comoros (5 years jail term; fine)
• Egypt (jail term varies; no fine)
• Eritrea (7 years jail term; no fine)
• Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) (unknown, no fine)
• Ethiopia (unknown, no fine)
• The Gambia (life imprisonment, no fine)
• Ghana (3 years jail term; no fine)
• Guinea (3 years jail term; fine)
• Kenya (14 years jail term; no fine)
• Liberia (1 year jail term; fine)
• Libya (5 years jail term; no fine)
• Malawi (14 years jail term; no fine)
• Maldives (8 years jail term; flogging: 100 lashes; fine)
• Mauritania (death penalty; 2 years jail term; fine)
• Mauritius (5 years jail term; no fine)
• Morocco (3 years jail term; fine)
• Namibia (unknown; no fine)
• Nigeria (in northern territories: death penalty; 21 years jail term; flogging; fine)
• Senegal (5 years jail term; no fine)
• Sierra Leone (life imprisonment; no fine)
• Somalia (possible death penalty according to sharia law; 3 years jail term; no fine)
• South Sudan (10 years jail term; fine)
• Sudan (life imprisonment; fine)
• Tanzania (life imprisonment; fine)
• Togo (3 years jail term; fine)
• Tunisia (3 years jail term; fine)
• Uganda (life imprisonment; no fine)
• Zambia (life imprisonment; no fine)
• Zimbabwe (1 year jail term; fine)

List of African countries where homosexuality carries life imprisonment

• Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) (unknown)
• Ethiopia (unknown)
• Sierra Leone

List of African countries where homosexuality invokes the death penalty

• Northern territories of Nigeria (where sharia law rules)
• Southern territories of Somalia (where sharia law rules)

African gay tour operators and travel suppliers

• Taste the Cape Travel and Tours (South Africa)
• Springbok Atlas Tours & Safaris (South Africa)
• Rhino Africa Safaris (South Africa)
• African Safari Guru (South Africa)
• Amatungulu Tours (South Africa)
• Out 2 Africa (South Africa)
• Lelobu Safaris (Botswana)
• McBern Tours and Travel (Uganda)
• Sikeleli Travel and Expeditions (Zimbabwe and Canada)

Gay-friendly African countries in-depth overview

South africa.

South Africa is one of the continent’s most progressive countries when it comes to LGBTQI+ human rights with Cape Town being the gay capital of Africa. 2023 marks 27 years since South Africa decriminalised homosexuality and 17 years since the country legalised same-sex marriage. It was the fourth country in the world to do so and the first on the African continent. Each March, the Mother City ( Cape Town ) hosts the annual Cape Town Pride. Thousands flock to the coastal city for a few days of revelry. And even if you’re not there for Cape Town Pride there are countless gay-friendly accommodation options particularly around De Waterkant suburb (find others on misterb&B.com), entertainment venues and restaurants (BeefCakes). Johannesburg’s Pride Parade turns 34 this year. Around 20 000 people walk the streets advocating for equal rights elsewhere in the world, mixed with with a serious dose of fun.

South Africa’s gay events calendar

• Cape Town Pride: Late February, early March
• Pink Loerie Mardi Gras, Knysna: May
• Durban Pride: June
• Johannesburg Pride October
• Mr Gay South Africa: November
• Durban Gay & Lesbian Film Festival : November
• Mother City Queer Project Carnival: December

Related Reading: Travel to  South Africa

This archipelago of 115 tropical islands that floats in the India Ocean oozes romance with its powder white beaches, crystalline waters, luscious vegetation and craggy peaks that offer panoramic views over the islands. This popular wedding and honeymoon destination legalised homosexuality in 2016. The country has recognised same-sex marriage and couples can legally adopt. A ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy permeates everyday life, with ‘bibin’ being the Creole word used for homosexuality. No matter your sexual orientation, discretion is still advised.

Related Reading: Travel to the  Seychelles

Réunion Island

The Indian Ocean island extends a warm embrace to queer travellers looking for an inclusive and welcoming destination. Much like mainland France – of which it is an independent department – Réunion has made strides in promoting progressive values and cultivating diversity. Same-sex marriage has been legally recognised here since 2013, reinforcing Réunion’s commitment and celebration of equal rights. In fact, discrimination based on sexual orientation is outlawed. Beyond its legal framework, Réunion exudes a spirit of acceptance and openness due to its multicultural heritage of French, African, Indian and Chinese influences. Look out for the rainbow sticker pasted on hotel, bar, club and restaurant windows for gay-friendly establishments that cater to the community’s particular needs. There are pockets of vibrant queer culture to be discovered, where you can connect with like-minded individuals to experience the island’s nightlife. Drop by for a drink at Zanzibar Cafe, in the capital of St Denis, followed by a night out at Le Prince. And then lay your head at any of a selection of LGBTQI-friendly accommodations that are suitable for every budget from home stays and guesthouses to charming boutique hotels and luxury resorts.

Related Reading: Travel to Réunion

In mid-2015 Mozambicans celebrated the decriminalisation of homosexuality with its new penal code – the original one was inherited from their former colonisers, Portugal. There has been little violence towards LGBTQI+ individuals in the past, and it is a safe African destination to travel in that regard, especially as people’s attitudes are slowly warming in this country that is predominantly Christian and Muslim. Mozambique’s southern provinces (the capital Maputo as well as holiday hubs like Vilanculos and Bazaruto Island ) are much more tolerant than those in the north. Despite this, Mozambican gay rights group Lambda states that society does not encourage non-normative sexual and gender identities to live openly, especially as there are no anti-discrimination laws that protect LGBTQI+ individuals. The organisation also leads training workshops with police officers and magistrates across the country. Though there are no LGBTQI-only bars and clubs, there are spaces and places that are known to be LGBTQI-friendly.

Related Reading: Travel to  Mozambique

Ivory Coast

The Ivory Coast has been a relative safe haven in western Africa for the LGBTQI+ community and travellers. It has consistently been voted as one of the top gay-friendly African countries to travel to. The Miss Woubi beauty pageant is an annual cross-dressing beauty pageant held in the capital city of Abidjan each year since 2009. Its name derives from the Ivorian slang word that makes reference to the so-called “effeminate” partner in a same-sex relationship between two men. Though social codes dictate discreet public behaviour with most men adhering to hetero-normative sexual behaviour during daylight hours, there are a number of gay-friendly bars and clubs in Abidjan. Alternative Cote d’Ivoire is an active gay rights group.

Rwanda is the only country in the east African region without anti-homosexuality laws. Before being colonised by Belgium, the Tutsi tribe engaged in same-sex contact for the purposes of spiritual rearmament. Today, while same-sex relationships are not illegal in this small landlocked country of 12 million that is famous for its Silverback gorilla trekking holidays, the legislation does not allow for same-sex marriages. Back in 2011, Rwanda was one of 10 African countries to sponsor the United Nations’ joint statement that condemned violence against the LGBTQI community. And it signed the U.N resolution condemning countries that deliver the death penalty for consensual same-sex relations – the United States, interestingly enough, has not signed it. The capital city of Kigali boasts numerous gay-friendly venues with Nyamirambo being the most LGBTQI-friendly part of the city.

I don’t normally write about LGBTQI+ topics, so please kindly let me know if my terminology is incorrect. Please also tell me about your experiences as an LGBTQI+ traveller in Africa, so that I can update this post, which is based on the most recent news reports as well as research conducted by human rights groups.

If you enjoyed this post, please PIN it for later! 

Iga Motylska

One comment:.

If you are Gay and would love to see gorillas, go to Rwanda.

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ACCRA, GHANA

Holiday houseboys, to fully appreciate accra you need to book a holiday houseboy, your personal friendly tour guide. he will be able to show you around like a local. whether you want to see the tourist sites, places off the beaten track or discover new experiences, the holiday houseboy is there to help you. he looks after your safety and welfare at all times., jquery(function() { _initlayerslider( '#layerslider_225_xlr2ydrn7spf', {createdwith: '6.10.2', sliderversion: '6.10.2', allowfullscreen: true, pauseonhover: 'enabled', skin: 'v6', sliderfadeinduration: 350, usesrcset: true, skinspath: 'https://www.holidayhouseboys.com/wp-content/plugins/layerslider/assets/static/layerslider/skins/', performancemode: true}); });, isaac is a licensed certified tour guide. he is a native born ghanaian from the ashanti tribe. moreover isaac has spent most of his life in accra. along with his many high rated reviews, isaac loves his job as a guide. having being a guide since 2007, he indeed has a lot of experience behind him. other tourism experience includes working as a tour agent for travel agencies across usa. he has also served in he roles of both tour manager and tour guide agent. if you don’t find him guiding, you may find him at his turn table. for isaac has spent four years in radio as a music producer.  back as a guide though, isaac’s goal is to inform, educate, inspire and entertain his guests to the best of  his abilities with his endearing charm., isaac is 39 years old, does not smokes and speaks english and three local ghanaian languages., total cost for the guide services of isaac for one day (8 hours) = a non refundable deposit of usd 45 by paypal or major credit card (visa, mastercard, american express) plus usd 50  in cash to isaac after his services. total 95 us dollars., this does not include transport, entrance fees or any food & beverage costs., isaac has a toyota 4 x 4 and a salon car. the additional costs for isaac to use one of his vehicles is usd25 for four hours, and an additional usd 50 for 8 hours., jquery(function() { _initlayerslider( '#layerslider_79_rl1qqs9p6o8c', {sliderversion: '', responsiveunder: 0, layerscontainer: 0, twowayslideshow: true, skin: 'fullwidthdark', globalbgcolor: 'transparent', hoverbottomnav: true, usesrcset: true, skinspath: 'https://www.holidayhouseboys.com/wp-content/plugins/layerslider/assets/static/layerslider/skins/', type: 'responsive', showcircletimer: false, performancemode: true}); });, david has graduated as a travel and tourism consultant. coupled with his iata/uftaa travel and tourism consultant diploma certificate from montreal canada, david has experience of billboard advertising and distribution of hair salon products. in addition to this he has 3 years of travel and tourism administrative work in south africa. he has continually sought to better himself in education and job opportunities. albeit his passion is tourism. in his spare time he likes playing football, dancing especially to local songs, watching international movies and sports. he likes watching  boxing, handball tennis soccer, and current news affairs programmes via internet., david is 33 years old, does not smokes and speaks english and the local language twi., total cost for the guide services of david for one day (8 hours) = a non refundable deposit of usd 45 by paypal or major credit card (visa, mastercard, american express) plus usd 50  in cash to david after his services. total 95 us dollars., how to book a holiday houseboy, to book any of our holiday houseboys please go to the enquiry form ., or send an email to [email protected] ., alternatively whatsapp +94-76-630-1069., remember a holiday houseboy is your gay friendly tour guide who looks after your safety and welfare at all times., please note these are guide services and not sexual services., book one or more of these amazing activities to make the most of your stay in accra., highlights of accra, accra is the capital of ghana. a bustling african city where modern buildings intermingle with local markets and crazy traffic. where bright coloured clothing clash with their surroundings. its population is 1.6 million., the city has had  a lot of european influence in the 17th country. it was not only the british. there were the swedes, the danes, the dutch and the portuguese. each building their own fortresses in the form of castles and forts. osu castle is viewable with a guide, but its history is somewhat sinistre. it relates to the slave trade in ghana. however you get good ocean views. the combination of settlements of osu, la and jamestown were the first settlements to make up this african capital., the best way to discover ghana is through the eyes of a local., ghana gained its independence in 1957, ---> at that time kwame nkrumah was president. the kwame nkrumah memorial park gets its name in his honour. the park hosts a museum which shows the story of his life. in addition the park contains his mausoleum., besides the park, try the famous makola market. a colourful bazaar like no other. your bargaining skills will be put to the test. nevertheless there are other shopping areas too. go to osu oxford street for more street shopping. but there are also upmarket shopping malls. there are the marina mall, the accra mall and the junction mall., one of the most important developments was the accra-kumasi railway. as a result this enabled the cacoo from the plantations in the interior to get access to the port. consequently with this development cacao became ghana’s highest export earner., this african city is not without its entertainment. the city offers buzzing night-life as does the nearby beach of labadi. moreover there is another famous beach attached to the city, kokrobite beach. additionally bojo beach is also popular., on the other hand if you like to try your luck, there are many casinos. golden dragon casino, millionaires casino and la palm casino bring in the punters., don’t forget to explore the bustling markets of accra, why not visit  the makol and salaga markets of accra. learn the art of bargaining from your solo tour guide ., he will let you in on a few local secrets that will help in your shopping efforts., afterwards why not stop at the timber market in arena accra. learn about the many different uses of wood sourced from local forests and plantations., while there, visit the intriguing herb market and marvel at the range of roots, leaves and herbs on display., find out how these plants are used in the voodoo religion and as cures for a range of different illnesses and afflictions., finish this tour of accra’s markets armed with useful knowledge about traditional medicine. local traditional medicine men and women frequently rely on nature to provide cures and relief for various ailments, find hotel deals & discounts in accra, find your cheapest flight.

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The 203 Worst (& Safest) Countries for LGBTQ+ Travel in 2023

Instead of relying on hearsay and anecdotes from other travelers, we took a deep look at LGBTQ+ rights, country by country. After 400+ hours of research, we’ve reviewed all countries’ individual laws and gathered data from a variety of trusted international sources to create the definitive “LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index” that will help you find the safest (and least safe) countries for your next trip abroad.

Our methodology

We ranked 203 countries with available data, and then carefully examined LGBTQ+ rights for each country. We created our LGBTQ+ travel safety index based on a total of ten ranking factors, each pertaining to the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ individuals. We worked with academic researcher, Eliot Assoudeh PhD. , to design the methodology and cross-reference all data. We utilized a mixed-methods research design to create the index.

Note on Russia/Ukraine: Russia and Ukraine were included in this study. However, keep in mind that (as in all instances of political unrest), the most marginalized people in society are often targets . Please note that the situation for LGBTQ+ people is constantly evolving in the region.

Positive factors

• Legalized Same-Sex Marriage (0 to +50 Points) — Is same-sex marriage legal and equal under the law in this country? If marriage is not equal, are civil unions legal? If not, does the country legally recognize foreign LGBTQ+ marriages? We ranked the scores for this metric based on how many years same-sex marriage has been legal in this country with the highest possible score being 50 points. Civil unions and other types of partnerships received 25 points or less and were also ranked by the number of years they have been legal. Additionally, if a country only legally recognizes foreign LGBTQ+ marriages then they earned 10 points. Source: Recognition of same-sex relationships – Human Rights Watch , we also cross-referenced with Equaldex: Collaborative LGBTQ Knowledge Base
• LGBTQ+ Worker Protections (0 to +50 Points) — For the people living in that country, are there legal protections against discrimination in the workplace? 50 points were awarded for both sexual orientation and gender protection; 25 points were awarded for sexual orientation protection only. Additionally, if a country only recognizes limited rights for LGBTQ+ worker protections, then they earned 10 points. Source: LGBTQ+ Worker Protections – ILGA
• Legal Protections Against Anti-LGBTQ+ Discrimination (0 to +50 Points) — Are there either constitutional or broad legal protections of LGBTQ+ people in this country? Constitutional protections were awarded 50 points; broad protections were awarded 25 points. Additionally, if a country only recognizes limited protections against discrimination, then they earned 10 points. Source: Anti Discrimination Laws – ILGA
• Criminalization of Hate-Based Violence (0 to +50 Points) — Is anti-LGBTQ+, hate-based, or homophobia-inspired violence considered a hate crime in this country? Is hate-based, anti-LGBTQ+ speech considered hate speech? The existence of hate crime penalties received 50 points; incitement-only punishments received 25 points. Additionally, if a country only has limited criminalization of hate-based violence, then they earned 10 points. Source: Criminalization of Hate-Based Violence – ILGA
• Adoption Recognition (0 to +50 Points) — Is joint adoption and/or second-parent adoption legal in this country for same-sex parents? The recognition of both joint and second-parent adoption received 50 points, while only second-parent adoption recognition received 25 points. Source: Adoption Recognition – ILGA
• Gallup World Poll (0 to +100 points) — In the Gallup poll, individuals were asked, “Is the city or area where you live a good place or not a good place to live for gay and lesbian people?” The percentages represented and used in our metrics include those who said “good place” for that country. We gave this factor a double weighting (maximum 100 points) because it gives a very clear pulse on the general attitude towards LGBTQ+ people by locals in each country. If, for example, a country answered 92% positively to the Gallup question, then they were awarded 92 points. We use the most recently available data available for that country. Source: Gallup World Poll
• Transgender Legal Identity Laws (0 to +50 points) — The degree of legal recognition provided to transgender people varies widely throughout the world. We individually reviewed the laws for each country and asked the following questions. Does the country allow individuals to change their legal gender identity without requiring sex reassignment surgery (SRS) or hormone replacement therapy (HRT)? If so, these countries were awarded 50 points or less depending on the details of the law. Does the country require SRS for people to qualify for legal gender change? If so, these countries received 25 points or less depending on the details of the law. Does the country have no rights for or against people legally changing their gender? If so, these countries received 0 points. Source: We reviewed individual laws of each country and Transgender Rights – Wikipedia

Negative factors

• Illegal LGBTQ+ Relationships and Acts (0 to -100 Points) — Can “sodomy,” “indecent acts,” or “buggery” result in punishments under the law such as physical violence, a fine, or prison time? Any possible death sentences or life-in-prison sentences under the law receive the maximum -100 point penalty. All other punishments were ranked by severity. We gave this factor a negative double weighting because the fact that homosexuality is illegal and can receive the death sentence means that the laws of these countries are extremely unfavorable for LGBTQ+ people. Source: Global Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws – Human Rights Watch
• Propaganda/Morality Laws (0 to -50 Points) — Are there laws sanctioned by the state to prevent the dissemination or publication of information about queer culture? Are there laws affecting the creation of LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)? This metric was graded based on the severity of the punishments with -50 points being the worst score. Source: Global Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws – Human Rights Watch
• Transgender Legal Identity Laws (0 to -50 points) — We individually reviewed the laws for each country and asked the following question. Does the country make it illegal for people to change their gender? If so, these countries were given up to negative fifty points depending on the severity of punishment. For example, in Oman, simply imitating the opposite sex gets up to 1 year in prison and this country received the full -50 points. Source: Global Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws – Human Rights Watch
• Transgender murder rates (0 to -100 points) — Countries were awarded zero points if they did not have any recorded transgender murders, but were deducted up to 100 points if transgender murders were reported through the Transgender Murder Monitoring website. Rates are per million citizens and occurred between 2008 and September 2022. Source: Transgender Murder Monitoring – TvT

To measure LGBTQ+ safety abroad, one cannot look only at data on whether or not same-sex marriage is legal and if anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination laws are in place. It also depends on the general attitude of the culture, minutiae of the legal system, and oppression of LGBTQ+ rights. These issues can affect everything, from your ability to show public displays of affection to being able to share a hotel room bed to the capacity at which you can use dating apps without being caught by the local police. A few items on our list, such as adoption recognition and worker protections, may not affect LGBTQ+ travelers directly, but these factors are a good indication of overall attitudes within the culture.

Study Limitations: Due to budget constraints, the methodology used in our index does not sample the actual experiences of LGBTQ tourists who have visited each country. One way we attempted to overcome this weakness was by utilizing the Gallup World Poll as well as looking at each country’s laws and any progress the country’s had in comparison with our previous years’ studies.

What’s changed for LGBTQ+ individuals over the past year?

Some of the positive highlights include:

• Cuba legalized same-sex marriage in September 2022.
• While gay marriage is still banned, Japan is making progress toward the acceptance of same-sex marriage, and gay couples can now register a domestic partnership as of November 2022. 
• Switzerland legalized same-sex marriage on July 1, 2022.
• Singapore, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis decriminalized homosexuality in 2022.
• As of January 31, 2023, same-sex marriage and adoption are fully legal in Slovenia.
• Croatia passed laws expanding the rights of same-sex couples to joint adoption in August 2022.
• In December 2022, the U.S. Virgin Islands increased its discrimination protections for people based on their sexual identity and gender expression.
• New Zealand plans to implement gender self-identification on June 15, 2023. 

Unfortunately, not all news was good for LGBTQ+ rights in the past year. Russia passed stricter laws that prohibit LGBTQ+ “ propaganda .” In 2022, Indonesia banned sexual activity outside of marriage to come into effect in three years, but this will target LGBTQ+ people who are not permitted to marry in the country. According to the ACLU , the 2023 legislative session has already seen over 120 bills aimed at restricting the rights of LGBTQ+ people in the United States.

Where are same-sex relationships illegal?

Unfortunately, some countries where it’s illegal to be gay or trans also happen to be popular vacation spots. For instance, it’s illegal to be gay in Jamaica; the “buggery law,” which is leftover from the colonial era, allows for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, including hard labor. Jamaica was called “ the most homophobic place on Earth ” by Time magazine in 2006. That label has clung to Jamaica ever since, and with good reason. In a 2013 survey of 71 LGBTQ+ people conducted by Human Rights Watch, more than half said they had been victims of homophobic violence. Non-violent discrimination is even more pervasive, with bullying and exclusion faced in education, healthcare, and within local communities. Although there is some light at the end of the tunnel for Jamaica since there are signs that it’s moving toward reform.

Those looking for trans- and gay-travel-safe countries should reconsider popular vacation destinations like Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Myanmar, and Egypt as well as some of the more popular beaches in the Caribbean, like Saint Lucia and Barbados.

Please note: All countries marked with an asterisk* in the below list were former British colonies and their anti-LGBTQ+ laws mostly came into effect under British rule.

(CLICK the country names for more details on their anti-LGBTQ+ laws) Jamaica* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -132

Section 76. Whosoever shall be convicted of the abominable crime of buggery, committed either with’ mankind or with any animal, shall be liable to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for a term not exceeding ten years.

LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -75

Sections 132, 133.

• GROSS INDECENCY

(1) A person who commits an act of gross indecency with another person commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 10 years or on summary

conviction to 5 years.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to an act of gross indecency committed in private between an adult male person and an adult female person, both of whom consent.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2)

(a) an act shall be deemed not to have been committed in private if it is committed in a public place; and

(b) a person shall be deemed not to consent to the commission of such an act if

(i) the consent is extorted by force, threats or fear of bodily harm or is obtained by false and fraudulent representations as to the nature of the act;

(ii) the consent is induced by the application or administration of any drug, matter or thing with intent to intoxicate or stupefy the person; or

(iii) that person is, and the other party to the act knows or has good reason to believe that the person is suffering from a mental disorder.

(4) In this section “gross indecency” is an act other than sexual intercourse (whether natural or unnatural) by a person involving the use of the genital organs for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire.

Laws of Saint Lucia Criminal Code Cap.3.01 95 Revision Date: 31 Dec. 2005

(1) A person who commits buggery commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment

(a) life, if committed with force and without the consent of the other person;

(b) ten years, in any other case.

(2) Any person who attempts to commit buggery, or commits an assault with intent to commit buggery, commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for 5 years.

(3) In this section “buggery” means sexual intercourse per anus by a male person with another male person.

Source: Criminal Code, No. 9 of 2004, sections 132, 133.

Article 16. Buggery “(1) A person who commits buggery is guilty of an ofence and liable on conviction to imprisonment for— (a) twenty-fve years, if committed by an adult on a minor; (b) ten years, if committed by an adult on another adult; or (c) fve years, if committed by a minor; and, if the Court thinks it ft, the Court may order that the convicted person be admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. (2) Any person who attempts to commit the ofence of buggery, or is guilty of an assault with the intent to commit the same is guilty of an ofence and liable to imprisonment for four years and, if the Court thinks it ft, the Court may order that the convicted person be admitted to the psychiatric hospital for treatment. (3) In this section “buggery” means sexual intercourse per anum by a male person with a male person or by a male person with a female person.

Source: Sexual Offences Act 1998, article 16. Grenada* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: 33

Article 431. If any two persons are guilty of unnatural connexion, or if any person is guilty of unnatural connexion with any animal, every such person shall be liable to imprisonment for ten years.

Source: Criminal Code of 1987, article 431. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -70

Sections 146, 148.

148. Any person, who in public or private, commits an act of gross indecency with another person of the same sex, or procures or attempts to procure another person of the same sex to commit an act of gross indecency with him or her, is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for five years.

146. Any person who commits buggery with any other person; commits buggery with an animal; or permits any person to commit buggery with him or her; is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for ten years.

(Click the country names for more details on their anti-LGBTQ+ laws)

Sections 214, 215, 217. 214. Any person who- (1) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (2) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (3) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature; is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years.

215. Any person who attempts to commit any of the offences defined in the last preceding section is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for seven years. The offender cannot be arrested without warrant.

217. Any male person who, whether in public or private, commits any act of gross indecency with another male person, or procures another male person to commit any act of gross indecency with him, or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any male person with himself or with another male person, whether in public or private, is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for three years. The offender cannot be arrested without warrant.

Source: Criminal Code Act (Chapter 77), 1990, sections 214, 215, 217; Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2013. Malawi* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -163

Sections 153, 137A. 153. Unnatural offences Any person who— (a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (b) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature, shall be guilty of a felony and shall be liable to imprisonment for fourteen years, with or without corporal punishment.

Source: Penal Code of 1930 (amended 2010), sections 153, 137A. Oman LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -145

Articles 33, 233, 266(d).

266. The penalty shall be imprisonment for a period not less than one month, and not more than one year, and a fine of not less than (100) one hundred Omani riyals, and not more than (300) three hundred Omani riyals, or one of these two penalties for each mention: D – appeared publicly in the appearance of women in his clothing or body.

Source: Omani Penal Code No. 7/1974, articles 33, 223 and Oman Penal Code, Article 266(d) Zambia* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -104

Sections 155, 156. 155. Any person who- (a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (b) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature; commits a felony and liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for a term not less than fifteen years and may be liable to imprisonment for life: Provided that where a person- (i) has carnal knowledge of a child against the order of nature; (ii) causes a child to have carnal knowledge of an animal; or (iii) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of a male or female child against the order of nature; that person commits an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for not less than twenty-five years and may be liable to imprisonment for life. (As amended by No. 26 of 1933 and repealed and replaced by Act No. 15 of 2005) Unnatural offences

156. Any person who attempts to commit any of the offences specified in section one hundred and fifty-five commits a felony and is liable, upon conviction of not less than seven years but not exceeding fourteen years. (As amended by No. 26 of 1933 and repealed and replaced by Act No. 15 of 2005)

Source: Penal Code Act (as amended by Act No. 15 of 2005), sections 155, 156. Tanzania* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -120

Sections 138(a), 154. 138 A. Acts of gross indecency between persons and person who, in public or private commits, or is a party to the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any person of, any act of gross indecency with another person, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not less than one year and not exceeding five years or to a fine not less than one hundred thousand and not exceeding three hundred thousand shillings; save that where the offence is committed by a person of eighteen years of age or more in respect of any person under eighteen years of age, a pupil of primary school or a student of secondary school the offender shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not less than ten years, with corporal punishment, and shall also be ordered to pay compensation of an amount determined by the court to the person in respect of whom the offence was committed for any injuries caused to that person.”

154. Unnatural of offences (1)Any person who- (a)has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (b)has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (c)permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature.commits an offence, and is liable to imprisonment for life and in any case to imprisonment for a term of not less than thirty years. (2)where the offence under subsection (1) of this section is committed to a child under the age of ten years the offender shall be sentenced to life imprisonment.”

Source: Penal Code of 1945 (as amended by the Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act, 1998), section 138(a), 154. Sudan* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -109

In July 2020, Sudan’s Sovereign Council amended the penal code, removing some crimes from the books and reducing sentences for others, including sodomy. Previously, the death penalty was punishment for individuals accused by committing “homosexual sex” defined by the act of penetration, for the third time. For people found guilty of this offense for the first time, sentences were lashing 100 times or prison up to 5 years. For the second time, the sentence was both punishments combined. Learn more here . Uganda* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -92

Sections 145, 148. 145. Unnatural offences. Any person who— (a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; (b) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature, commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for life.

148. Indecent practices. Any person who, whether in public or in private, commits any act of gross indecency with another person or procures another person to commit any act of gross indecency with him or her or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any person with himself or herself or with another person, whether in public or in private, commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for seven years.

Source: Penal Code Act of 1950 (Chapter 120), (as amended), section 145, 148. Egypt* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -96

Article 9(c), Article 1. Article 9: Punishment by imprisonment for a period not less than three months and not exceeding three years and a fine not less than 25 LE and not exceeding 300 LE in the Egyptian administration and not less than 250 Lira and not exceeding 3000 Lira in the Syrian administration or one of these two punishments applies in the following cases: (c) Whoever habitually engages in debauchery or prostitution.

Upon the apprehension of a person in the last category, it is permitted to send him for a medical examination. If it is discovered that he is carrying an infectious venereal disease, it is permitted to detain him in a therapeutic institute until his cure is completed.

It is permitted to determine that the convicted person be placed, upon completion of his sentence, in a special reformatory until the administrative agency orders his release. This judgment is obligatory in cases of recidivism, and the period spent in the reformatory is not allowed to be more than three years. …

Article 1: (a) Whoever incites a person, be they male or female, to engage in debauchery or in prostitution, or assists in this or facilitates it, and similarly whoever employs a person or tempts him or induces him with the intention of engaging in debauchery or prostitution, is to be sentenced to imprisonment for a period not less than one year and not more than three years and a fine between 100 and 300 LE in the Egyptian administration and between 1000 and 3000 Lira in the Syrian administration.

(b) If the person upon whom the crime is perpetrated has not reached the age of twenty-one years, the punishment is imprisonment for a period not less than one year and not more than five years and a fine between 100 and 500 LE in the Egyptian administration and between 1000 and 5000 Lira in the Syrian administration.

Source: Law 10/1961 on the Combating of Prostitution, article 9(c), article 1. Algeria LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -75

Art. 338. – All guilty of an act of homosexuality is punished with imprisonment of two (2) months to two (2) years and a fine of five hundred (500) to two thousand (2,000) DA .

If a sponsor is a minor of eighteen years, the penalty in respect of the major can be elevated up to three (3) years’ imprisonment and ten thousand (10,000) DA fine.

Source: 1966 Penal Code, article 338. Morocco LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -89

Article 489. Is punished by imprisonment from six months to three years and a fine of 200 to 1,000 dirhams, unless the fact constitutes a more serious offense, whoever commits an immodest or unnatural act with an individual of his sex.

(This has been Google translated from French).

Source: Penal Code of 1962, article 489. Tunisia LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -91

Article 230. Sodomy, if it does not enter any of the cases provided for in the preceding articles, is punishable by imprisonment for three years.

Source: Penal Code of 1913 (as modified), article 230. Ethiopia LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -93

Articles 629, 630.

Article 629.- Homosexual and other Indecent Acts. Whoever performs with another person of the same sex a homosexual act, or any other indecent act, is punishable with simple imprisonment.

Article 630.- General Aggravation to the Crime. (1) The punishment shall be simple imprisonment for not less than one year, or, in grave cases, rigorous imprisonment not exceeding ten years, where the criminal: a) takes unfair advantage of the material or mental distress of another or of the authority he exercises over another by virtue of his position, office or capacity as guardian, tutor, protector, teacher, master or employer, or by virtue of any other like relationship, to cause such other person to perform or to submit to such an act; or b) makes a profession of such activities within the meaning of the law (Art. 92). (2) The punishment shall be rigorous imprisonment from three years to fifteen years, where: a) the criminal uses violence, intimidation or coercion, trickery or fraud, or takes unfair advantage of the victim’s inability to offer resistance or to defend himself or of his feeble-mindedness or unconsciousness; or b) the criminal subjects his victim to acts of cruelty or sadism, or transmits to him a venereal disease with which he knows himself to be infected; or c) the victim is driven to suicide by distress, shame or despair.

Source: Criminal Code of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Proclamation No. 414/2004, articles 629 and 630. Kenya* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -87

Sections 162, 165.

162. Unnatural offences Any person who— (a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (b) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years: Provided that, in the case of an offence under paragraph (a), the offender shall be liable to imprisonment for twenty-one years if— (i) the offence was committed without the consent of the person who was carnally known; or (ii) the offence was committed with that person’s consent but the consent was obtained by force or by means of threats or intimidation of some kind, or by fear of bodily harm, or by means of false representations as to the nature of the act. [Act No. 42 of 1951, s. 6, Act No. 5 of 2003, s. 30.]

165. Indecent practices between males Any male person who, whether in public or private, commits any act of gross indecency with another male person, or procures another male person to commit any act of gross indecency with him, or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any male person with himself or with another male person, whether in public or private, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for five years.

Source: Penal Code of Kenya, Revised Edition 2012 [2010], section 162, 165. Senegal LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -67

Article 319 (para. 3). Any indecent assault or attempted without violence on the person of a child of one or the other sex under the age of thirteen, shall be punished by imprisonment for two to five years. Will be punished the maximum penalty, the indecent assault committed everywhere ascendant or any person having authority over the minor victim, even over the age of thirteen.(Law No. 66-16 of February 1, 1966)

Notwithstanding the heavier penalties provided for by the previous paragraphs or Articles 320 and 321 of this Code shall be punished by imprisonment for one to five years and a fine of 100,000 to 1,500,000 francs, anyone who commits an indecent act or act against nature with an individual of his sex. If the act was committed with a minor of 21 years, the maximum penalty will always be.

Source: Penal Code of 1965, article 319 (para. 3). Cameroon* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -54

Article 347 bis. – Homosexuality. Is punished with imprisonment of six months to five years and a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 francs anyone who has sex with someone of their sex. (This has been Google translated from French).

Source: Cameroon Penal Code of 1967, article 347 bis. Zimbabwe* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -52

Section 73. (1) Any male person who, with the consent of another male person, knowingly performs with that other person anal sexual intercourse, or any act involving physical contact other than anal sexual intercourse that would be regarded by a reasonable person to be an indecent act, shall be guilty of sodomy and liable to a fine up to or exceeding level fourteen or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both. (2) Subject to subsection (3), both parties to the performance of an act referred to in subsection (1) may be charged with and convicted of sodomy. (3) For the avoidance of doubt it is declared that the competent charge against a male person who performs anal sexual intercourse with or commits an indecent act upon a young male person— (a) who is below the age of twelve years, shall be aggravated indecent assault or indecent assault, as the case may be; or (b) who is of or above the age of twelve years but below the age of sixteen years and without the consent of such young male person, shall be aggravated indecent assault or indecent assault, as the case may be; or (c) who is of or above the age of twelve years but below the age of sixteen years and with the consent of such young male person, shall be performing an indecent act with a young person.

Source: Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, (Effective 2006), section 73. Ghana* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -49

Section 104. Unnatural Carnal Knowledge. (1) Whoever has unnatural carnal knowledge— (a) of any person of the age of sixteen years or over without his consent shall be guilty of a first degree felony and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than five years and not more than twenty-five years; or (b) of any person of sixteen years or over with his consent is guilty of a misdemeanour; or (c) of any animal is guilty of a misdemeanour. (2) Unnatural carnal knowledge is sexual intercourse with a person in an unnatural manner or with an animal.

Source: Criminal Code 1960 (amended 2003), section 104. Eswatini* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -46

Common Law Offense

Same-sex relations are outlawed in Eswatini. Sodomy is criminalized though the sentence is not specified and is regarded as a common law offense.

Source: Common law offense. Togo LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -45

Article 88. Will be punished by imprisonment of one to three years and a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 francs anyone who has committed a shameless act or against nature with an individual of his sex. (This has been Google translated from French).

Source: Penal Code of 13 August 1980 (amended 2000), article 88. Namibia LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: 48

Common Law Offense. Sodomy and “unnatural sexual offences between men,” are illegal in Namibia, though the sentence is not specified and is considered to be a common law offense.

Source: Common Law Offense. Mauritius* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: 15

Section 250. Sodomy and Bestiality (1) Any person who is guilty of the crime of sodomy or bestiality shall be liable to penal servitude for a term not exceeding 5 years.

(2) (a) Notwithstanding sections 151 and 152 of the Criminal Procedure Act, where it is averred that the sodomy is committed on a minor or a physically or mentally handicapped person, the person charged shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than 2 years.

(b) Part X of the Criminal Procedure Act and the Probation of Offenders Act shall not apply to a person liable to be sentenced under paragraph (a).

Source: Mauritius Criminal Code of 1838, section 250. Burundi LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -45

Subsection 3: Homosexuality

Article 567: Whoever makes sex with the same sex is punished with imprisonment of three months to two years and a fine of fifty thousand to hundred thousand francs or one of these penalties.

Source: Law No. 1/05 of April 22, 2009, on the Revision of the Criminal Code, article 567. Comoros LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -56

Article 318: Any indecent assault consummated or attempted on the person of a child of one or the other sex under the age of fifteen will be punished by imprisonment for two to five years. Will be punished with the maximum of the sentence, the indecent assault committed by any ascendant or any person having authority over the minor victim over the age of fifteen. Without prejudice to the more serious penalties provided for in the preceding paragraphs or Articles 320 and 321 of this Code shall be punishable by imprisonment for one to five years and fine of 50,000 to 1,000,000 francs, anyone who has committed a shameless act or against nature with an individual of his sex. If the act was committed with a minor, the maximum of penalty will always be pronounced. (This has been Google translated from French).

Source: Penal Code of the Federal Islamic Republic of Comoros, 1995, article 318. Chad LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -58

Article 354: Is punished by imprisonment from three months to two years and a fine of 50,000 to 500,000 FCFA, whoever has sex with the people of his sex. (This has been Google translated from French).

Source: Chad Penal Code 2017 Eritrea LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -75

Articles 310, 311. Art. 310. – Homosexual Conduct. (1) A person who performs with a person of the same sex an act corresponding to the sexual act, or any other indecent sexual act, is guilty of homosexual conduct, a Class 7 serious offence, punishable with a definite term of imprisonment of not less than 5 years and not more than 7 years.

Art. 311. – Consent to Sexual Conduct. (3) Consent is no defense to an offence under Article 309 (Incest) or Article 310 (Homosexual Conduct).

Source: Penal Code of 2015, article 310, 311. Gambia* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -139

A “person who has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature … or permits any person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature” commits a felony known as an unnatural offense and, on conviction, is punishable by a 14-year prison term. (Criminal Code of 1934, § 144, 3 LAWS OF GAMBIA, Cap. 8:01 (rev. ed. 2009).) Acts that constitute “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” include:

(a) carnal knowledge of the person through the anus or the mouth of the person; (b) inserting any object or thing into the vulva or anus of the person for the purpose of simulating sex; and (c) committing any other homosexual act with the person. (Id. § 144.)

Attempt to commit an unnatural offense, which is also a felony, is subject to a seven-year prison term. (Id. § 145.).

The legislation introduces a new offense involving homosexuality known as “aggravated homosexuality,” which is punishable on conviction by life in prison. (Id.) A person commits this offense if he or she engages in a homosexual act and the:

(a) person against whom the offence is committed is below the age of eighteen; (b) offender is a person living with HIV Aids; (c) offender is a parent or guardian of the person against whom the offence is committed; (d) offender is a person in authority over the person against whom the offence is committed; (e) victim of the offence is a person with disability; (f) offender is a serial offender; or (g) offender applies, administers or causes to be administered by any man or woman, any drug, matter or substance with intent to stupefy or overpower him or her, so as to enable any person to have un-lawful carnal connection with any person of the same sex. (Criminal Code (Amendment) Act No. 11 of 2014, § 4, SUPPLEMENT C TO THE GAMBIA GAZETTE No. 15 (Oct. 16, 2014), HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH.)

Source: Gambia Criminal Code (Act No. 25 of 1933), amended 1965; Gambia Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 2005; Gambia Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 2014. Guinea LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -80

Article 274: Any shameless or unnatural act committed with an individual of his sex or with an animal is punishable by imprisonment from 6 months to 3 years and a fine of 500,000 to 1,000,000 Guinean francs or one of these only two sentences. When the act was committed with a minor under 18, the maximum penalty is always pronounced. When this act has been consummated or attempted with violence, the culprit is sentenced to 5 to 10 years’ imprisonment. (This has been Google translated from French).

Source: Penal Code of the Republic of Guinea, 2016, article 274. Kuwait* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -180

Article 193 and Article 198.

Article 193 If another man becomes a man who has reached the age of twenty-one and that is with his consent, both of them shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding seven years.

Article 198 Any person who brings a signal or acts of indecent assault in a public place or who is seen or heard by anyone in a public place or resembles the opposite sex in any way shall be punished. Imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year and a fine not exceeding one thousand dinars or one of these two penalties.

(This has been Google translated from Arabic).

Source: Kuwait Penal Code (1960), Law No. 16, article 193. And Kuwait Penal Code, No. 16 of 1960, art. 198. Liberia LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -40

Article 14.74 – Voluntary Sodomy. A person who engages in deviate sexual intercourse under circumstance not stated in Section 14.72 or 14.73 has committed a first degree misdemeanor.

Source: Penal Law – Title 26 – Liberian Code of Laws Revised, 1978, article 14.74. Libya* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -150

Articles 407-408.

Article 407 (4) Whoever has intercourse with a person with his consent will be punished with his partner by imprisonment of not more than five years.

Article 408 (4) Whoever commits an indecent act with a person with his consent will be punished with his partner with imprisonment. (ibid., 38)

Source: Libyan Penal Code of 1953, as amended by Law No. 70 (1973), articles 407-408. Mauritania LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -96

Articles 306, 308.

ART. 308. Every major Muslim who commits an immodest act or an unnatural act with an individual of his sex shall be punished with death by public stoning. In the case of two women, they will be punished by the penalty provided for in Article 306 (1).

ART. 306. – Anyone who commits public outrage against Islamic modesty and morals or who has violated sacred places or helped to violate them, if this action is not included in crimes carrying Ghissass or Diya, shall be punishable by a correctional sentence of three months to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of 5,000 to 60,000 UM. Every Muslim guilty of the crime of apostasy, either by word or by action in an apparent or obvious manner, will be invited to repent within three days. If he does not repent within this time, he is condemned to death as an apostat, and his property will be confiscated for the benefit of the Treasury. If he repents before the execution of this sentence, the public prosecutor will seize the Supreme Court, for the purpose of his rehabilitation in all his rights, without prejudice to a correctional penalty envisaged with the 1st paragraph of this article. Anyone guilty of the crime of apostasy (Zendagha) will, unless he repents beforehand, be punished with the death penalty. Will be punished with imprisonment from one month to two years, anyone who will be guilty of the crime of indecent assault. Any major Muslim who refuses to pray while recognizing the obligation of the prayer will be asked to fulfill it until the time limit for the completion of the obligatory prayer concerned. If he persists in his refusal until the end of this period, he will be punished with the death penalty. If he does not recognize the obligation of prayer, he will be punished with the penalty for apostasy and his property confiscated for the benefit of the Treasury. He will not benefit from the service consecrated by the Muslim rite.

Source: Penal Code of 1983, articles 306, 308. Sierra Leone* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -63

Section 61. Whosoever shall be convicted of the abominable Crime of Sodomy and Buggery, committed either with Mankind or with any Animal, shall Bestiality. be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be kept in Penal Servitude for Life or for any Term not less than Ten Years.

Source: Offences against the Person Act 1861, section 61. Somalia* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -150

Articles 409, 410.

Art. 409. (Homosexuality). – Whoever has carnal intercourse with a person of the same sex shall be punished, where the act does not constitute a more serious crime, with imprisonment [96. P.C.] from three months to three years. Where the act committed is an act of lust different from carnal intercourse, the punishment imposed shall be reduced by one third [119 P.C.].

Art. 410. (Security Measures). – A security measure [161 s. P.C.] may be added to a sentence for the crimes referred to in articles 407, 408, and 409.

Source: Penal Code, Legislative Decree No. 5/1962, articles 409, 410. South Sudan* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -126

Section 248, Section 379.

248. Unnatural Offences. (1) Whoever, has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any person and whoever allows any person to have such intercourse with him or her commits an offence, and upon conviction, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years and may also be liable to a fine. (2) If the intercourse referred to in subsection (1), above, is committed without consent, the offender shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years and may also be liable to a fine; provided that, a consent given by a person below the age of eighteen years to such intercourse shall not be deemed to be a consent within the meaning of this section. Explanation— Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the offence described in this section.

379. Vagabond. (1) The term “vagabond” means— (a) any person who after being convicted as an idle person, commits any of the offences which would render him or her liable to be convicted as such again; (b) any person who is found to be in possession of breaking implements with the intent to commit house trespass; 187 Act 9 Penal Code Act 2008 (c) any suspected person or reputed thief who by night frequents or loiters about any shop, warehouse, dwelling house, dock or wharf with the intent to commit any offence under Chapter XXI of this Act; (d) any person who knowingly lives wholly or in part on the earnings of a prostitute or in any public place solicits or importunes for immoral purposes; and (e) any male person who dresses or is attired in the fashion of a woman in a public place. (2) Whoever is convicted as a vagabond shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or with a fine or with both.

Middle East

LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -143

There is no codified penal Law in Saudi Arabia. Sentences are derived from interpretations of Sharia law.

Source: There is no codified penal Law in Saudi Arabia. Sentences are derived from interpretations of Sharia law. Qatar* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -137

Articles 296, 298.

Article (296) One is convicted to no less than a year and no more than three years in prison in case of: 1- Leading a female to commit adultery. 2- Instigating, inducing, seducing a female anyhow to commit adultery or frequenting a brothel in order to commit debauchery whether inside or outside the country. 3- Leading, instigating or seducing a male anyhow for sodomy or dissipation. 4- Inducing or seducing a male or a female anyhow to commit illegal or immoral actions. 5- Bringing, exposing or accepting a male or a female in the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Article (298) Anyone who takes adultery or sodomy as a profession or a living is convicted to no more than ten years in prison. The same penalty is imposed on anyone who exploits a person’s debauchery and dissipation.

Source: Penal Code, Law No. (II) of 2004, articles 296, 298. Sharia law also applies to Muslims. United Arab Emirates (UAE)* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -134

Article 359. Any person who denies the dress of a woman and enters a special place for women shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year and by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dirhams or by one of these penalties. It is forbidden for non-women to enter at that time.

Source: Federal Law No. 7 of 2016, art. 359. Yemen* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -128

Articles 264, 268.

Article (264): Homosexuality is the contact of one man to another through his posterior; both sodomites whether males or females are punished with whipping of one hundred strokes if not married. It is admissible to reprimand it by imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year punishment by stoning to death if married.

Article (268): Lesbianism is intercourse between one female and another. Anyone engaged in this act with another shall be punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years. If the act happens under coercion imprisonment may be expanded to seven years.

Source: Penal Code 1994, articles 264, 268. Iran LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -104

Articles 233-41.

Article 233- Livat is defined as penetration of a man’s sex organ (penis), up to the point of circumcision, into another male person’s anus.

Article 234- The hadd punishment for livat shall be the death penalty for the insertive/active party if he has committed livat by using force, coercion, or in cases where he meets the conditions for ihsan; otherwise, he shall be sentenced to one hundred lashes. The hadd punishment for the receptive/passive party, in any case (whether or not he meets the conditions for ihsan) shall be the death penalty.

Note 1- If the insertive/active party is a non-Muslim and the receptive/passive party is a Muslim, the hadd punishment for the insertive/active party shall be the death penalty.

Note 2- Ihsan is defined as a status that a man is married to a permanent and pubescent wife and whilst he has been sane and pubescent has had a vaginal intercourse with the same wife while she was pubescent, and he can have an intercourse with her in the same way [vaginal] whenever he so wishes.

Article 235- Tafkhiz is defined as putting a man’s sex organ (penis) between the thighs or buttocks of another male person.

Note- A penetration [of a penis into another male person’s anus] that does not reach the point of circumcision shall be regarded as tafkhiz.

Article 236- In the case of tafkhiz, the hadd punishment for the active and passive party shall be one hundred lashes and it shall make no difference whether or not the offender meets the conditions of ihsan [mentioned in note 2 of article 234], or whether or not [the offender] has resorted to coercion.

Note- If the active party is a non-Muslim and the passive party is a Muslim, the hadd punishment for the active party shall be the death penalty.

Article 237- Homosexual acts of a male person in cases other than livat and tafkhiz, such as kissing or touching as a result of lust, shall be punishable by thirty-one to seventy-four lashes of ta’zir punishment of the sixth grade.

Note 1- This article shall be equally applicable in the case of a female person.

Note 2- This article shall not be applicable in the cases punishable by a hadd punishment under Shari’a rules.

Article 238- Musaheqeh is defined as where a female person puts her sex organ on the sex organ of another person of the same sex.

Article 239- The hadd punishment for musaheqeh shall be one hundred lashes.

Article 240- Regarding the hadd punishment for musaheqeh, there is no difference between the active or passive parties or between Muslims and non-Muslims, or between a person that meets the conditions for ihsan and a person who does not, and also whether or not [the offender] has resorted to coercion.

Article 241- In the cases of indecent offenses, in the absence of admissible legal evidence and with denial of the accused, any type of investigation and interrogation in order to discover hidden affairs and things concealed from the public eye shall be prohibited. In cases with the possibility of commission of an offense with force, coercion, assault, abduction, or deception, or cases which are considered as commission [of an offense] with resorting to force, this rule shall not be applicable.

Source: Islamic Penal Code of Iran, 2013, articles 233-41. Pakistan* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -89

Section 377 Unnatural offences: Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than two years nor more than ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation: Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the offence described in this section.

Source: Pakistan Penal Code (XLV of 1860), section 377 Lebanon LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -70

Article 534.

Penal Code 1943, Article 534 Sexual Intercourse Against Nature Article 534 prohibits “sexual intercourse against nature” with a penalty of up to one year imprisonment. This provision has been applied to intercourse between men and between women.

Penal Code 1943, Article 521 Disguising as a Woman Article 521 criminalises gender expression by making it an offence for a man to “disguise himself as a woman”. The penalty for this offence is up to six years imprisonment.

Source: Criminal Code of 1943, article 534. Uzbekistan LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -70

Article 120 Besoqolbozlik* (Homosexual Intercourse): Besoqolbozlik, that is, voluntary sexual intercourse of two male individuals – shall be punished with imprisonment up to three years.

The following country does not have sufficient data on the LGBTQ+ community, so it has not been included in our LGBTQ+ Danger Index graphic above. However, same-sex relationships are illegal:

Article 520 Three years imprisonment shall be punished by nature violates the mjamah. (This has been Google translated from Arabic).

The following country lacks adequate information on LGBTQ+ issues, so they have not been included in our LGBTQ+ Danger Index graphic above. However, same-sex relationships are illegal:

Section 152(2).

152.— (2) Any person who:— ( a ) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (6) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature, is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for ten years.

Asia/Pacific

Sections 377A, 377B, 377D.

Carnal intercourse against the order of nature 377A. Any person who has sexual connection with another person by the introduction of the penis into the anus or mouth of the other person is said to commit carnal intercourse against the order of nature. Explanation—Penetration is sufficient to constitute the sexual connection necessary to the offence described in this section.

Punishment for committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature 377B. Whoever voluntarily commits carnal intercourse against the order of nature shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty years, and shall also be punished with whipping.

Outrages on decency 377D. Any person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any person of, any act of gross indecency with another person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years.

Source: Malaysia Penal Code, 2006, section 377A, 377B, 377D. State Sharia (Islamic) laws also apply. Myanmar* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -118

Sections 377. Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with transportation for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Source: Penal Code of 1860, section 377. Maldives* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -100

Sections 410, 411, 412.

Section 410 – Unlawful Marriage (a) Unlawful Marriage. A person commits an offense if: (8) two persons of the same sex enter into a marriage;

Section 411 – Unlawful Sexual Intercourse (a) Unlawful Intercourse. A person commits an offense if: (1) he engages in sexual intercourse (2) he engages in sexual intercourse with a person of the same sex. (b) Grading. [(d) Additional Punishment Authorized. In addition to the punishment authorized under Chapter 90, to impose the penalty imposed under Islamic Sharia, an additional punishment of 100 lashes is authorized for the offense.]* (f) Definitions. (2) “Same- sex intercourse means”; (A) Insertion by a man his sexual organ or any object into the anus of another man for sexual gratification. Or the insertion into another mans mouth the penis of a man or (B) Insertion of a woman’s organ or any object into the vagina or anus of another woman for sexual gratification. (3) “Lashes” means the symbolic punishment of striking an offender’s back with a short length of rope in a manner not designed to cause bodily injury. A single person must inflict all of the lashes prescribed as punishment, and he may only drive the rope using his wrists; he may not use any other part of his arm or movement in his shoulders, hips, back, legs or torso for that purpose.]9

Section 412 – Unlawful Sexual Contact (a) Unlawful Intercourse. A person commits an offense if: (b) Offense Defined. A person engaging in sexual contact with a person of the same is committing an offense. (c) Prohibition. “prohibited sexual contact” means indecent acts other than the offenses prescribed under Section 411 (a) of this Code, with a person of same sex, or with a person of the opposite sex other than with a person to whom he is married, or with an animal, for obtaining sexual gratification.

Source: Maldives Penal Code, Section 410, 411, 412. Sri Lanka* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -91

Sections 365, 365A.

Article 365. Unnatural ofences [AGAINST THE ORDER OF NATURE] “Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years […] Explanation – penetration is sufcient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the ofence described in this section.”

Article 365A. Acts of gross indecency between persons [GROSS INDECENCY] “Any person who, in public or private, commits, or is a party to the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any person of any act of gross indecency with another person, shall be guilty of an ofence and shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years or with a fne, or with both and where the ofence is committed by a person over eighteen (18) years of age in respect of any person under sixteen (16) years of age shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term not less than 10 years and not exceeding 20 years and with a fne and shall also be ordered to pay compensation of amount determined by court to the person in respect of whom the ofence was committed for the injuries caused to such a person.”

Source: Penal Code (as amended by the Penal Code (Amendment) Act, No. 22 of 1995), articles 365, 365A. Bangladesh* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -9

Section 377: Unnatural offenses. Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation: Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the offense described in this section.

Source: Penal Code 1860, section 377. Bhutan LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: 16

Section 213, 214

Unnatural sex 213. A defendant shall be guilty of the offence of unnatural sex, if the defendant engages in sodomy or any other sexual conduct that is against the order of nature.

Grading of unnatural sex 214. The offence of unnatural sex shall be a petty misdemeanour.

Source: Penal Code of Bhutan, 2004, Chapter 14: Sexual Offences, Section 213. Brunei* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -200

Article 377

Unnatural offences. 377. Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman, or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine. [S 12/97] Explanation — Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the offence described in this section.

Sections 153, 155.

153. Any person who- (a) commits buggery with another person or with an animal; or (b) permits a male person to commit buggery with him or her, shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment for 14 years.

Indecent practices between males: 155. Any male person who, whether in public or private, commits any act of gross indecency with another male person, or procures another male person to commit any act of gross indecency with him, or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any male person with himself or with another male person, whether in public or private, shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment for 5 years.

Source: Kiribati Penal Code, Revised Edition 1977, section 153, 155. Papua New Guinea* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -80

Sections 210, 212.

210. 1. UNNATURAL OFFENCES. (1)A person who– (a) sexually penetrates any person against the order of nature; or (b) sexually penetrates an animal; or (c) permits a male person to sexually penetrates him or her against the order of nature, is guilty of a crime. Penalty: Imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years. (2) A person who attempts to commit an offence against Subsection (1) is guilty of a crime. Penalty: imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

212. INDECENT PRACTICES BETWEEN MALES. (1) A male person who, whether in public or private– (a) commits an act of gross indecency with another male person; or (b) procures another male person to commit an act of gross indecency with him; or (c) attempts to procure the commission of any such act by a male person with himself or with another male person, is guilty of a misdemeanour. Penalty: Imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years.

Source: Criminal Code Act 1974, section 210, 212. Samoa* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: 48

Section 67: Sodomy. (1) A person who commits sodomy is liable: (a) where the act of sodomy is committed on a female, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years; or (b) where the act of sodomy is committed on a male, and at the time of the act that male is under the age of 16 years and the offender is of or over the age of 21 years, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years; or (c) in any other case, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years. (2) Sodomy is complete upon penetration. (3) It is no defence to a charge under this section that the other party consented

Source: Crimes Act 2013, No. 10, section 67. Solomon Islands* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -85

Sections 160, 162.

160. Any person who- (a) commits buggery with another person or with an animal; or (b) permits a male person to commit buggery with him or her, shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment for fourteen years.

162. Any person who, whether in public or private – (a) commits any act of gross indecency with another of the same sex; (b) procures another of the same sex to commit any act of gross indecency; or (c) attempts to procure the commission of any act of gross indecency by persons of the same sex, shall be guilty of a felony and be liable to imprisonment for five years.

Source: Penal Code (Revised Edition 1996), sections 160-162. Tonga* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -155

Sections 136, 139, 142.

136 Sodomy and bestiality. Whoever shall be convicted of the crime of sodomy with another person or bestiality with any animal shall be liable at the discretion of the Court to be imprisoned for any period not exceeding ten years and such animal shall be killed by a public officer. (Substituted by Act 9 of 1987.)

139 Attempted sodomy, indecent assault upon a male. Whoever shall attempt to commit the said abominable crime of sodomy or shall be guilty of an assault with intent to commit the same or of any indecent assault upon any male person shall be liable at the direction of the Court to imprisonment for any term not exceeding 10 years.

142 Whipping for certain offences. Whenever any male person shall be convicted of any offence against sections 106, 107, 115, 118, 121, 122, 125, 132, 136 and 139 of this Act the Court may, in its discretion in lieu of or in addition to any sentence of imprisonment authorised under this Act order the person so convicted to be whipped in accordance with the provisions of section 31 of this Act. (Substituted by Act 9 of 1987.)

LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -65

Article 135

(1) Sodomy, that is, sexual intercourse between a man and a man, shall be punishable by imprisonment for up to two years, with or without the obligation to reside in a certain locality for a period of two to five years.

Source: Criminal Code of Turkmenistan

Sections 153, 154, 155

153 Unnatural offences Any person who — (a) commits buggery with another person or with an animal; or (b) permits a male person to commit buggery with him or her, shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment for14 years.

154 Attempts to commit unnatural offences and indecent assault Any person who attempts to commit any of the offences specified in the last preceeding section, or who is guilty of any assault with intent to commit the same, or any indecent assault upon any male person shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment for 7 years.

155 Indecent practices between males Any male person who, whether in public or private, commits any act of gross indecency with another male person, or procures another male person to commit any act of gross indecency with him, or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any male person with himself or with another male person, whether in public or private, shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment for 5 years.

Source: Tuvalu Penal Code

Sections 154, 155.

154. Indecency between males – (1) Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years who, bring a male,- (a) Indecently assaults any other male; or (b) Does any indecent act with or upon any other male; or (c) Induces or permits any other male to do any indecent act with or upon him. (2) No boy under the age of fifteen years shall be charged with committing or being a party to an offence against paragraph (b) or paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of this section, unless the other male was under the age of twenty-one years. (3) It is not defence to a charge under this section that the other party consented.

155. Sodomy – (1) Every one who commits sodomy is liable- (a) Where the act of sodomy is committed on a female, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years; (b) Where the act of sodomy is committed on a male, and at the time of the act that male is under the age of fifteen years and the offender is of over the age of twenty-one years, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years; (c) In any other case, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years. (2) This offence is complete upon penetration. (3) Where sodomy is committed on any person under the age of fifteen years he shall not be charged with being a party to that offence, but he may be charged with being a party to an offence against section 154 of this Act in say case to which that section is applicable. (4) It is no defence to a charge under this section that the other party consented.

South America

(Click the country name for more details on their anti-LGBTQ+ laws)

Articles 352, 354.

352. Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or is a party to the commission, or procures or attempts to procure the commission, by any male person, of any act of gross indecency with any other male person shall be guilty of a misdemeanour and liable to imprisonment for two years.

354. Everyone who commits buggery, either with a human being or with any other living creature, shall be guilty of felony and liable to imprisonment for life.

The homophobic legacy of the British Empire

As noted, an asterisk next to the country names in the above list means that it was a former British colony. A whopping 44 of the 66 countries that have illegal same-sex relationships were once part of the British Empire. That is over 66%! This isn’t a coincidence. In almost all cases, the laws outlawing consensual gay sex were put into place under British rule and were left in place following independence.

India is an example country that has only in 2018 managed to annul Section 377, a British colonial-era law prohibiting “unnatural acts,” in order to legalize consensual gay sex. Ancient Indian literature such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana have many references to LGBTQ+ heroes including transgender warriors and two queens who made love in order for one queen to get pregnant with an heir for their kingdom. Long story short, this points to the fact that it was likely the British influence that largely led to Indian homophobia in the first place.

With this being said, all these countries have the choice and ability to update their laws. And in most cases, these former British colonies have been fully independent for half a century or more and have chosen not to change these antiquated laws. Long story short, the British influence may have brought the “sodomy” laws in the first place but the local attitudes and customs have decided to keep them .

Which are the top 50 LGBTQ+ safe countries for travelers?

• Netherlands
• United Kingdom
• Switzerland
• South Africa
• New Zealand
• United States
• Virgin Islands
• Puerto Rico
• Czech Republic

One country might surprise you for not ranking higher on our list: the United States. One reason for that is, of course, that there is a great deal of variation in gay rights depending on the state you’re in . There are also no constitutional or broad protections for LGBTQ+ rights under federal law in the U.S. Also, in some states, LGBTQ+ youth do not have access to helpful information, with these so-called “no-promo homo” laws counting in the “propaganda/morality” category. The U.S. might have come far, but it has a long way to go in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, especially for young transgender people .

How many countries have legalized gay marriage?

As of now, 30 countries (plus Guam, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico) have marriage equality, with Switzerland joining in July 2022. 15 countries recognize civil unions or partnerships. 9 countries do not allow marriage equality for their citizens but formally recognize foreign marriages.

Countries with marriage equality laws are often great spots for LGBT+ vacations, but be aware that gay travel to rural or fundamentalist communities can be problematic in almost any country — definitely don’t make assumptions when visiting smaller towns and communities.

Global transgender murder rates

TvT (Transrespect versus Transphobia) Worldwide tracks the instances of transgender people who have been murdered around the world. As of this publishing, over 4,000 trans murders have been tracked during the past 13 years with 1,645 of those crimes taking place in Brazil alone.

Countries with the highest rates of transgender murders (per million residents):

• Honduras – 11.80
• El Salvador – 9.30
• Brazil – 8.25
• Puerto Rico – 5.64
• Belize – 5.12
• Guyana – 5.11
• Mexico – 5.09
• Colombia – 4.63
• Venezuela – 4.59
• Dominican Republic – 4.38
• Uruguay – 4.04
• Guatemala – 3.92
• Ecuador – 3.28
• Argentina – 2.52
• Fiji – 2.25

Why are 14 of these 15 countries with the highest trans murder rates located in Central and South America?

The majority of reported trans murders are currently happening within Central and South America. But why is transgender murder such a frequent occurrence in Latin America? One article from Equal Times posits that a heavily patriarchal society combined with high transgender rates of sex work may be contributing factors. As many transgender individuals are shunned by their families, they turn to sex work to survive, which carries an additional risk to their safety. It is estimated that an extremely high number of transgender individuals are living in poverty , and only an estimated 25% of trans women will complete secondary school in Latin America.

The ostracization of individuals from their families and communities is considered another major factor in the high rates of violence and murder against LGBTQ+ people within Latin America. Additionally, police are often not a source of safety, and governmental protections are not in place to support those most vulnerable.

Learn more about the plight of trans people in Latin America:

• Fighting transfemicide in the Americas
• Brazil continues to be the country with the largest number of trans people killed
• Transgender immigrants who fled Latin America still face uncertainty in the US
• Three lives, one message: Stop killing Mexico’s transgender women

What other countries might be a problem for LGBTQ+ international travelers?

114 of the 203 countries offer at least some form of legal protection for LGBTQ+ people, but 82 of the 202 countries penalize either sexual acts, being trans, or the dissemination of information about LGBTQ+ rights. Many countries have confusing or inconsistent legislation, allowing for protections among some of the LGBTQ+ community while penalizing or harming others. This creates a grey area where it’s not quite safe to be out but not immediately threatening.

One of those countries is Japan . While LGBTQ+ representation in Japanese media has mostly been positive, and the Japanese public has consistently polled in favor of same-sex marriage, there’s a long way to go as far as legislation outside of the major cities.

But the conversation about danger is a little bit different than the question of which countries do not allow gay marriage. Japan is rarely dangerous, with 35% of locals saying Japan is a “good place” for gay people to live, while Russia frequently polls at only 9%. Countries like Armenia (at 4%), Kyrgyzstan (7%), and Mongolia (17%) all may be bad places to go as well, despite not having any formal anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that could harm travelers.

Beyond gay-marriage-illegal countries, here are some real problem places among the list of most-visited countries in the world:

• China — China’s relationship to LGBTQ+ culture is dubious to say the least. Homosexuality is no longer considered a mental disorder as of 2001, and the consensus is that homosexuality is legal and that most locals won’t care so long as you find the right bar to hang out in. At the same time, groups and events have frequently been banned, and censorship laws have frequently been used to ban LGBTQ+ content online in China. LGBTQ+ travel is possible, but only with caution and thorough research into the specific cities you’ll be visiting.
• Russia — Russia has gained increasing international infamy for the way the government treats its LGBTQ+ citizens. Activists have died or gone missing, and individuals who followed Russian gay marriage laws to the letter have been forced to flee the country . That’s ignoring the purges and torture happening in Chechnya . Rights have regressed in recent years, and travel isn’t advised, despite homosexuality being legal on paper.
• Indonesia — LGBTQ+ rights are increasingly considered to be a “moral threat” in Indonesia, with a law against pornography being used for any non-pornographic, pro-LGBTQ+ content. Meanwhile, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has only gotten worse as a result of this persecution. While it’s not illegal in the country, homosexuality could result in public humiliation and arrests nevertheless . This has become more perilous with the 2022 legislation passed that will outlaw all sex outside of marriage.

Iraq , Mozambique , and Bahrain are also examples of countries where same-sex relations are not illegal in the traditional sense but expression of LGBTQ+ sexuality has been suppressed and may still be considered “indecency” with legal consequences, depending on the circumstance.

If the country you want to visit is in one of those grey areas, consider reading more about it, talking to fellow travelers, or doing a bit more research before booking a flight.

If you don’t know whether or not the country you’re visiting will be safe, check the U.S. State Department’s write-ups for LGBTQ+ travelers . The Human Rights Watch’s country profiles are a good place to find information, too.

37 safety tips shared by four LGBTQ+ travel experts

As one can plainly see, LGBTQ+ travel safety varies a great deal, from relative comfort to the real possibility of danger. We looked at the specific legal status of rights abroad as well as polling information to create our LGBTQ+ travel index, but the on-the-street experience can be much more nuanced. Because anti-LGBTQ+ crime and harassment is rarely reported, especially not on an international scale, it’s hard to find data to inform travelers of what walking the streets might be like. Beyond our list, ask other queer people and allies there before you go. Make an online friend, do your research, and take your time.

Want to get tips from our four LGBTQ+ travel experts?

Keep reading!

8 tips from a trans travel expert

Aaron Edwards, an FTM trans travel blogger, shares the following helpful tips on staying safe while traveling.

1. Remember to bring all your documents

2. Research your destination thoroughly

Read up on local laws regarding LGBTQ+ people. Some places are much more restrictive than others and it is better to know your rights and not need them than to be stuck in a jail cell somewhere.

3. Knowing your next bathroom stop is must

Always know where your next bathroom stop will be or have a backup bathroom plan in case you are not comfortable with the situation.

4. Some destinations are best to avoid and travel insurance is worth it

Do your research and know which locations are best to avoid. I also recommend getting a good travel insurance plan no matter what your destination is because you never know when you might need it.

5. Have a letter from your doctor handy at the airport

If you are on HRT (hormone replacement therapy), always try to bring a doctor’s note to keep with your medication in your bag in case you have issues with airport security.

6. You will probably be questioned

Brace yourself to be questioned. A lot of cultures are known for their bluntness. Even people who pass extremely well can get stopped and asked questions based on documents, appearance, etc.

7. If possible, travel with a friend or a group

When in doubt, be with people. There is safety in numbers, especially if they are your friends and people who will stand up for you if it is needed. This applies whether you’re on a camping trip , staying at Airbnbs or at regular hotels.

8. Network via LGBTQ+ Facebook groups

Join transgender or LGBTQ+ related Facebook groups. It is an easy way to find other trans people who LIVE where you are traveling. They can give you their personal experiences, ideas of places to go, or even offer to hang out with you and give you a local tour.

12 travel safety tips from a gay couple

Derek and Mike are an American couple living in Europe and are the authors of Robe Trotting . They have written the following useful tips.

1. Check out Misterbnb

2. Bring copies of your important documents

All travelers should carry backup copies of their passport and other personal information, but there are some extra considerations that LGBTQ+ travelers should consider. It isn’t fun to think about, but Healthcare Power of Attorney and Hospital Visitation Authorization documents are essential. This is because domestic partnership and same-sex marriage laws differ widely around the world. We carry these documents on a flash drive and our attorney has prepared laminated wallet-sized Hospital Visitation Authorizations. This is something we hope to never use, but we feel better having when we travel. A neck wallet can be a great way to carry your most important documents including your passport etc.

3. Know your rights

Transgender and gender non-conforming travelers face higher levels of marginalization than other “LGB” travelers. For trans and gender non-conforming travelers, it’s important to know your rights, especially in airports. There are legal protections in the EU, UK, and USA to protect trans and gender non-conforming air travelers. Do some additional research when traveling outside of America, the UK, and Europe. In this travel zone, here are a few tips and expectations.

4. Select the gender that appears on your Government ID

When booking tickets, indicate the gender that appears on your government-issued identification. Sometimes this is different than the gender you present, but the legal requirement is only for the names on your ID and travel documents to match. You should never be questioned or forced to further prove your gender based on your gender presentation.

5. Pat-downs are based on the gender you present, not your ID

If a security pat-down is required, it must be completed by security personnel of the same sex as the passenger. In a pat-down situation, it will be based on the gender that the passenger presents and not their government-issued ID.

6. Body scanners don’t actually show your body

For trans and non-binary travelers worried about body scanners, the countries mentioned do not display the actual scan of your body to security personnel. In fact, all passenger images are displayed as generic body forms on the screens visible to staff. The screen does identify areas that should be screened more closely, but it uses a generic body form. For example, there would be a highlighted box around the midsection of the form if a traveler forgets to remove their belt. It does not show any details of the body or anatomy.

7. Wearing a prosthetic device or binder can lead to further questioning

Trans and non-binary travelers should be prepared for additional questioning if wearing prosthetic devices or binders. These travelers are not required to show, remove or lift clothing to reveal these devices. Simply answer any questions in a straight-forward manner and speak to a supervisor if any of those described situations should arise.

8. Consider LGBTQ+ tours

We all find safety in numbers, so consider LGBTQ+ tours that will specialize in gay travel. Similarly, consider booking a traditional tour company where you will have a local guide who is familiar with customs, speaks the language, and can advise you on how to stay safe while exploring the world. Many tour companies display their credentials in serving the LGBTQ+ community on their websites. You can also contact their customer service staff with additional concerns or specific questions on travel to certain destinations.

9. Know the local laws in the country you plan to visit

Do some research on the laws that exist in each country you plan to visit. Specifically, look up how often they’re enforced and when the laws were written. For example in Africa, many laws are left-over colonial-era codes that were put in place by other powers and are not enforced or are selectively enforced. For example, Morocco only sporadically enforces its anti-LGBTQ+ law and does not enforce it in resort towns like Marrakech . It’s mostly a law that still exists because of Islamic morality. Morocco even has an LGBTQ+ rights group and is largely viewed as tolerant. Some nations, like Uganda, are actively creating and expanding laws that target the LGBTQ+ community with penalties of death. Make a distinction between countries like Morocco and Uganda when considering your travels.

10. Remember to enjoy the local historic sites and cuisines

Focus on what you can do, and not what you can’t. Many countries will have a less visible LGBTQ+ community and social scene. Sometimes, this can be a blessing in disguise because it frees up your trip for other meaningful activities. Travel should be more than gay bars and nightclubs. Focus on what you can do like touring historic sites, visiting museums and trying new cuisines. It can be tough for a couple to resist public displays of affection, but no laws will be able to keep you from building travel memories, and you can make it up with extra private displays of affection.

11. Be careful with the location feature of dating apps

On gay apps like Grindr and Scruff, turn off the location feature. Even in countries where your rights are protected, gay-bashing can be an issue. In the Ukraine, for example, the “how far away” location feature is disabled nation-wide because of past incidents. Still, there is a thriving gay culture and plenty of gay locals. Always exercise caution and meet strangers in public spaces.

12. Always be culturally aware

Be culturally aware when you’re traveling anywhere. In many nations, public displays of affection from any couple, same or differing sex, are a taboo. Comply with these customs without feeling singled out. It may still be upsetting, but know that different-sex couples are also conforming their behavior to local norms. Similarly, some conservative destinations will have different norms on appearance and dress. It can be triggering to change your appearance, clothing, mannerisms, and behavior if you are LGBTQ+. Previous life experiences like bullying can bring up tough emotions but know that it’s most often local customs and not bigotry that require cultural conformity. I realize that for some individuals that will be easier than for others. My advice comes from a point of privilege as a masculine cis-gendered male, but I truly feel that certain sacrifices are worth it to travel.

9 safety tips from a traveling lesbian couple

Meg Ten Eyck is the creator of EveryQueer.com which is a website dedicated to inspiring and equipping LGBTQ+ travelers to live a life of adventures. She shared the following tips.

1. Cisgender people will most likely have fewer issues

2. Respect local customs

Be aware of local gender expectations. Are women supposed to be covered, wear headscarves or avoid certain activities? Try to respect local customs and blend in as much as possible.

3. Have someone you trust know your itinerary

Be sure to leave your itinerary and contact information with someone you trust. It’s always a good idea to have someone back home who has an idea of what you’re up to and where you plan on heading. It doesn’t have to be a minute-to-minute breakdown, contact information of hotels and flight numbers will work just fine.

4. Find LGBTQ+ friendly businesses before you leave

Consider using the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association as a resource for finding LGBTQ+ owned and affirming businesses in countries where you may have more concerns. Knowing that a business is owned by LGBTQ+ people or specifically seeks out LGBTQ+ accreditation may offer some peace of mind.

5. Be careful with PDA’s in certain countries

Be mindful of public displays of affection, in some locations like Russia or Morocco, mundane actions like holding hands, requesting a double bed at a hotel, casual touching, and kissing can be considered public displays. In some countries these actions are illegal and the consequences can be anything from a fine to imprisonment to being punishable by death. Not to be overly sensationalist here, there are lots of people who have traveled in anti-LGBTQ+ countries and have been just fine. There are also people who have not. It’s a case-by-case situation.

6. Be sure that sex toys are legal

In some countries, traveling with sexually explicit material can be used as evidence of sex work which may result in you being detained while traveling. Transgender and gender-nonconforming people are often unfairly targeted, be aware that in recent years there have been a few instances where people have used sex toys to victimize LGBTQ+ travelers. One couple was the victim of an alleged hate crime by TSA agents and another couple was arrested in Malaysia for being in possession of a sex toy. Keep in mind that traveling with these items into some countries is illegal. Be very cautious and do your homework before crossing borders with anything you think could be questionable.

7. Consider who you disclose your identity to

Consider who you disclose your identity to while you are traveling in countries that are not as LGBTQ-affirming as your home country.

8. Walk with confidence

Appear confident while walking in public areas. The more afraid and buckled over you look, the more of a target you’ll appear to be.

9. Invest in your personal safety

When in doubt invest in personal safety, if taking the more expensive cab ride over the bus ride seems like the safer option for you, do it.

8 tips from a gay travel expert

Andrew Dobson runs Dobbernationloves , an LGBTQ+ travel blog based in Toronto and shares these very helpful tips on international travel safety.

1. Take precautions with dating apps

2. Use the geo search to research your destination prior to leaving home

Use the geo-search feature on dating apps like Scruff and Grindr before you depart for your trip. You can ask locals about what the most popular gay bars and businesses are before you even arrive. Many destinations have suffered from gay bar closures so weekly or monthly LGBTQ+ parties are the norm and locals are always in the know.

3. Connect with the locals before you arrive

Use gay dating apps to connect with locals before you arrive and you’ll find friendly folks keen to show a tourist around. This is particularly helpful if you’re visiting a country like Germany where bartenders may not speak English.

4. Keep spots you discover confidential in sensitive destinations

If you’re visiting places like Egypt or Jordan where the LGBTQ+ community is largely underground for safety reasons, be sure to keep the spots you discover confidential to protect the local LGBTQ+ community. Posting about a popular gay coffee shop hangout in Cairo on TripAdvisor, for example, is a no-no.

5. Negative LGBTQ+ laws may not reflect tourist areas

Remember that just because a country’s government may have negative LGBTQ+ policies, doesn’t mean it isn’t a great gay holiday destination. The Maldives, for example, has laws in place for locals but during our visit to the Four Seasons Maldives, a majority of the guests at the resort were gay couples. Research the hotel and resort brands you’re planning on staying with before you book to ensure they are LGBTQ+ friendly.

6. Certain regions may be very LGBTQ+ friendly within a conservative country

Indonesia is the largest known as a conservative Muslim country but ironically the island of Bali is considered to be one of the best LGBTQ+ destinations in Asia. There can be significant tolerance differences based on each region you visit. Many hotels host luxurious gay honeymoons in Bali

7. Do your research on festival dates

Research the annual LGBTQ+ festivals to determine when the destination is likely to offer the most fun on holiday. In North America, we’re familiar with Pride parades but in Europe, the annual festival is referred to as CSD Celebrations or Christopher Street Day. LGBTQ+ festivals vary based on the culture of a place and its people. North American and Europe are known for flashy parades and all-night parties, where some smaller towns or more reserved countries focus on political protest, poetry readings or events centered around theatre and film.

Contact your hotel ahead of time

If you’re traveling with a same-sex friend or partner we always suggest contacting your hotel in advance to confirm what sort of bedding they offer. In some countries, two men will always be booked into a room with separate beds. In other countries, they’re happy to provide one bed for two men but you’d have to specify that in advance as they’ll automatically assume you’re traveling friends.

Why we wrote this article & did this study

Lyric grew up in Hollywood surrounded by actors, producers, and what she thought was a very open and accepting community for LGBTQ+ individuals. It wasn’t until she was 13 when she overheard her Uncle explaining that he was concerned he would be fired from an acting job if they found out he was gay, that she realized even one of the most liberal US communities was still plagued with homophobia.

Since then, LGBTQ+ rights have been at the forefront of Lyric’s awareness. She wondered how safe the US was for the LGBTQ+ community vs the rest of the world after hearing stories from other travelers. We then decided to dive deep into the subject and what we found was shocking.

So many questions entered our minds. For example, “Is it safe to travel to countries where the death penalty or life imprisonment is still a sentence for being openly gay?”

As travel journalists, we wanted to help the LGBTQ+ community educate themselves on the very complex and layered world of staying safe during international travel. But also, to try to bring more awareness to the often horrific treatment of LGBTQ+ people in many parts of the world. And hopefully, this will bring about change, acceptance, and love for all people regardless of their orientation.

How can you help bring about change?

Are you an ally and upset by this information? Here are two obvious ways you can help:

1. Share this article. Bringing awareness to a problem is the first step to fixing it. Share it on social media, send it to your loved ones and anyone you think should see it.

2. Consider donating to organizations that are making a difference. For example, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association or Human Rights Watch are organizations working to help find and report these issues and to help make the whole world — not just a piece of it — safer for LGBTQ+ people.

• Recognition of same-sex relationships 2020 – Human Rights Watch
• LGBTQ+ Worker Protections 2020 – ILGA
• Anti Discrimination Laws 2020 – ILGA
• Criminalization of Hate-Based Violence 2020 – ILGA
• Adoption Recognition 2020 – ILGA
• Gallup World Poll (2020 Data)
• Transgender Rights – Wikipedia
• Transgender Murder Monitoring – TvT
• Global Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws 2020 – Human Rights Watch
• Equaldex: The Collaborative LGBT Rights Knowledge Base

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Today in LGBTQ+ History

• Conversion therapy in Moldova Not banned 2014
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LGBTQ+ Rights by Country

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Same-sex marriage, censorship of lgbt issues, right to change legal gender, legal recognition of non-binary gender, lgbt discrimination, lgbt employment discrimination, lgbt housing discrimination, same-sex adoption, serving openly in military, blood donations by msms, conversion therapy, equal age of consent, equaldex is tracking 1 1 4 5 6 lgbtq-related laws., top contributors (month), recent edits, lgbt travel guide.

Explore the status and timelines of LGBT rights in each country, state, province, and region. Equaldex includes the legal status of same-sex marriage, adoption, serving openly in the military, discrimination protections, age of consent differences, blood donation restrictions, gender changing restrictions, and gay conversion therapy bans.

LGBT Rights in Asia

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LGBT Rights in Africa

• British Indian Ocean Territory
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LGBT Rights in Oceania

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Ghana intensifies crackdown on rights of LGBTQ people and activists

New legislation threatens prison sentences of up to five years for ‘wilful promotion, sponsorship or support of LGBTQ+ activities’

Ghana’s parliament has passed legislation that intensifies a crackdown on the rights of LGBTQ people and those promoting lesbian, gay or other non-conventional sexual or gender identities in the West African country.

The new legislation passed on Wednesday imposes a prison sentence of up to five years for the “wilful promotion, sponsorship or support of LGBTQ+ activities”.

The bill still has to be validated by the president before becoming law, which observers believe is unlikely before a general election in December.

Activist groups have called the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values bill a setback for human rights and urged President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government to reject it.

But the legislation is widely supported in Ghana , where Akufo-Addo has said gay marriage will never be allowed while he is in power.

Commonly referred to as the anti-gay bill, the sweeping legislation received sponsorship from a coalition comprising Christian, Muslim and Ghanaian traditional leaders, and passed through an unopposed voice vote.

While discrimination against LGBTQ people is common, no one has ever been prosecuted under the colonial-era law.

Under the provisions of the bill, same-sex relations could be punished with imprisonment ranging from six months to three years.

Those advocating for LGBTQ rights could be subject to harsher penalties, with potential jail terms of three to five years.

UN rights chief Volker Türk condemned the passing of the bill.

“I call for the bill not to become law,” he said. “Consensual same-sex conduct should never be criminalised.”

He warned that such measures can expose people to hate crime, and urged the government to “ensure everyone can live free from violence, stigma and discrimination, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity”.

A human rights coalition known as the Big 18, an umbrella group of lawyers and activists in Ghana, has also criticised the bill.

“You cannot criminalise a person’s identity, and that’s what the bill is doing, and it’s absolutely wrong,” said Takyiwaa Manuh, a member of the coalition.

“We want to impress on the president not to assent to the bill, it totally violates the human rights of the LGBT community,” Manuh told AFP.

Opposition lawmaker Sam George, the main sponsor of the bill, called on Akufo-Addo to assent to it.

“There is nothing that deals with LGBTQ better than this bill that has been passed by parliament. We expect the president to walk his talk and be a man of his words,” George said.

Members of Ghana’s LGBTQ community are worried about the implications of the bill.

Alex Kofi Donkor, the founder and director of the organisation LGBT+ Rights Ghana, said “the passing of this bill will further marginalise and endanger LGBTQ individuals in Ghana.

“It not only legalises discrimination but also fosters an environment of fear and persecution,” he said.

“With harsh penalties for both LGBTQ individuals and activists, this bill threatens the safety and wellbeing of an already vulnerable community.”

About 30 African countries currently ban homosexuality, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA).

Uganda, Mauritania and several northern Nigerian states punish same-sex relations extremely harshly, with those accused possibly facing the death penalty.

South Africa is the only nation on the continent to allow gay marriage, which it legalised in 2006.

Gay sex has been decriminalised in only a handful of countries: Cape Verde, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Mozambique and Seychelles, according to the ILGA.

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Ghana’s president vows no action on anti-LGBTQ+ bill until Supreme Court rules on a challenge to it

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ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Ghana’s president said Tuesday his government will wait for a Supreme Court ruling before taking action on a bill that would further criminalize members of the LGBTQ+ community in the West African nation.

President Nana Akufo-Addo said he sought to reassure the diplomatic community that Ghana would not be turning its back on its longstanding human rights record.

Gay sex is illegal in Ghana, carrying a three-year prison sentence, but the new bill could imprison people for more than a decade for activities including public displays of affection and promotion and funding of LGBTQ+ activities.

The president said a citizen mounted a constitutional challenge to the bill in court.

The bill has sparked condemnation from rights groups and some in the international community who have been concerned about similar efforts by other African governments.

“The anti-LGBT rights bill is inconsistent with Ghana’s longstanding tradition of peace, tolerance, and hospitality and flies in the face of the country’s international human rights obligations,” said Human Rights Watch researcher Larissa Kojoué.

Sponsors of the bill have said it seeks to protect children and people who are victims of abuse.

On Monday, Ghana’s Ministry of Finance warned that the bill puts $3.8 billion in World Bank funding at risk and likely would derail the $3 billion International Monetary Fund bailout program agreed to in 2023 and negatively affect the local currency’s exchange rate.

Ghana’s economy is recovering from its worst recession in decades.

In 2023, the World Bank said it would not consider new funding for Uganda after it enacted anti-LGBTQ+ legislation .

Ugandan court upholds anti-LGBTQ law but says some rights infringed

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Ugandan Court Upholds Draconian Anti-Gay Law

The law, which includes the death penalty as a punishment in some cases, has been strongly condemned, including by the United States.

By Abdi Latif Dahir

Reporting from Nairobi, Kenya

Uganda’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday largely upheld a sweeping anti-gay law that President Yoweri Museveni signed last year, undermining the efforts of activists and rights groups to abolish legislation that drew worldwide condemnation and strained the East African nation’s relationship with the West.

The legislation, which was signed into law by Mr. Museveni in May, calls for life imprisonment for anyone who engages in gay sex. Anyone who tries to have same-sex relations could face up to a decade in prison.

Uganda has faced international consequences for passing the law, with the World Bank suspending all new funding and the United States imposing sanctions and visa restrictions on top Ugandan officials. But the law was popular in Uganda, a landlocked nation of over 48 million people, where religious and political leaders frequently inveigh against homosexuality.

The fallout for Uganda will be watched closely in other African countries where a nti-gay sentiment is on the rise and anti-gay legislation is under consideration, including in Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania and South Sudan. In February, Ghana’s Parliament passed an anti-gay law , but the country’s president said that he would not sign it until the Supreme Court ruled on its constitutionality.

In Uganda, the five-judge bench said the law violated several key rights granted in the country’s Constitution, including the right to health and privacy. They also struck down sections of the law that criminalized failing to report homosexual acts, allowing any premises to be used to commit homosexuality or giving someone a “terminal illness” through gay sex.

But in their 200-page judgment, the judges largely rejected the request to quash the law.

“We decline to nullify the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 in its entirety, neither will we grant a permanent injunction against its enforcement,” Richard Buteera, one of the judges, said in a reading of the judgment’s summary to a packed courtroom. He added, “The upshot of our judgment is that this petition substantially fails.”

Frank Mugisha, a prominent gay rights activist and one of the petitioners, said that they would appeal the Constitutional Court’s decision to the Supreme Court.

“I am very sad,” Mr. Mugisha said in a telephone interview. “The judges have been swayed by the propaganda from the anti-gay movement who kept saying that this is in the public interest and refuting all the arguments that we made that relate to the Constitution and international obligations.”

The law in Uganda decrees the death penalty for anyone convicted of “aggravated homosexuality,” a sweeping term defined as acts of same-sex relations with minors or disabled people, those carried out under threat or while someone is unconscious. Even being accused of what the law refers to as “attempted aggravated homosexuality” carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Passage of the law — which also imposes harsh fines on organizations convicted of promoting homosexuality — alarmed human rights advocates, who said it would give new impetus for the introduction of equivalent draconian laws in other African nations. Uganda is among the African countries that already ban gay sex, but the new law creates additional offenses and prescribes far more punitive penalties.

The United Nations, along with local and international human rights groups, said that the law conflicted with Uganda’s Constitution and that it would most likely be used to harass and intimidate its L.G.B.T.Q. population.

The ratification of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, as the law is officially known, renewed scrutiny of the government of Mr. Museveni, who has ruled Uganda with a tight grip for almost four decades. Mr. Museveni, his son — whom he recently appointed as head of the army — and other top members of his government have been accused of detaining, beating, torturing and disappearing critics and opposition members.

The law was first introduced in March last year by a lawmaker who said that homosexuality was becoming pervasive and threatening the sanctity of the Ugandan family. Some legislators also claimed that their constituents had notified them of alleged plans to promote and recruit schoolchildren into homosexuality — accusations that rights groups said were false.

Anti-gay sentiment is prevalent among Muslim and Christian lawmakers and religious leaders from both faiths. They say that homosexuality is a Western import, and they held rallies to show support for the law before it passed.

A few weeks after it was introduced in Parliament, the law was quickly passed with only two lawmakers opposing it.

Activists, academics and human rights lawyers who challenged the law in court said it contravened not only Uganda’s Constitution, which guarantees freedom from discrimination, but also international treaties, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. They also argued that Parliament passed the law too quickly, with not enough time allowed for public participation — arguments the judgments rejected in their decision.

Human rights groups said that since the law was introduced and passed, L.G.B.T.Q. Ugandans have faced intensive violence and harassment.

Convening for Equality, a coalition of human rights groups in Uganda, has documented hundreds of rights violations and abuses, including arrests and forced anal examinations. Gay and transgender Ugandans have also been evicted from their homes and beaten up by family members — forcing many to flee to neighboring countries like Kenya .

The law’s passage brought swift repercussions for Uganda, too. Health experts also worried the law would hinder medical access for gay people, especially those seeking H.I.V. testing, prevention and treatment.

The United States said it would restrict visas for current and former Ugandan officials who were believed to be responsible for enacting the anti-gay policy. The Biden administration also issued a business advisory for Uganda and removed the country from a special program that allows African products duty-free access to the United States.

The World Bank, citing the anti-gay law, also said in August it would halt all future funding to Uganda . The economic pressures continued to pile on, with foreign travelers and investors staying away from Uganda.

Ahead of the ruling, Mr. Museveni remained publicly defiant, but analysts and diplomats said he privately worried about his country’s being labeled an outcast, and the devastating economic repercussions it was causing.

On Wednesday, members of the L.G.B.T.Q. community said the court’s judgment would not only amplify the government’s antagonism toward gay people but also deepen the animosity they face from members of the public.

The court’s decision opens a “Pandora’s box” that will push the lives of gay Ugandans “further more into darkness,” said Steven Kabuye, a gay rights advocate who fled to Canada after he was stabbed in January in an attack that activists said was spurred by homophobia linked to the law.

“I feel very disappointed but not surprised,” Mr. Kabuye said in a telephone interview.

Abdi Latif Dahir is the East Africa correspondent for The Times, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He covers a broad range of issues including geopolitics, business, society and arts. More about Abdi Latif Dahir

Georgia's Ruling Party Proposes Constitutional Changes to Ban "LGBT Propaganda"

G eorgia's ruling party, "Georgian Dream," has officially set forth proposals to amend the Basic Law of the country, aiming to implement measures against what it terms "LGBT propaganda."

As reported by Novosti-Georgia , the proposed changes to the country's constitution will be encapsulated in the constitutional law "On Family Values and Protection of Minors."

These changes have sparked a heated discussion about the implications for human rights and freedoms in Georgia.

A Closer Look at the Proposals

The amendment project, though not explicitly mentioning "LGBT," outlines a series of measures that directly impact the LGBT community and their rights.

Key points include defining marriage exclusively as the union between one genetic man and one genetic woman. Adoption or guardianship of minors will be restricted, allowed "only to spouses or heterosexual persons who are married according to the legislature of Georgia."

Gender-changing medical procedures will be banned; official documents must mandatorily list only "male" or "female" gender based on genetic data. Actions by government agencies or private entities that "directly or indirectly limit the use of concepts determined by gender" are deemed invalid.

Georgian Party Plans to Introduce Law Against "LGBT+ Propaganda"

Ghana Passes New Bill: Now It's Illegal to Identify as LGBTQ+

The proposals will also prohibit "events aimed at promoting same-sex family or intimate relationships, incest, adoption or guardianship of minors by a same-sex couple or non-heterosexual person, medical interventions for the purpose of changing sex."

Distribution of "works, programs, and other materials" related to LGBT subjects, along with their incorporation into the curriculum of both public and private educational institutions, will also be prohibited. The specific criteria for identifying materials as propaganda remain undefined.

The Path to Amendment

Despite the determination of "Georgian Dream" to push forward with these changes, the party currently lacks the parliamentary majority required for constitutional amendments. The plan is likely to be put to a vote after the upcoming parliamentary elections, with the party aiming to secure a constitutional majority.

The move has raised concerns among human rights advocates, who argue that the proposed changes constitute a violation of human rights and restrict freedoms of assembly and expression.

Broader Political Context

This initiative comes alongside "Georgian Dream's" renewed efforts to pass the law "on the transparency of foreign influence," likened to Russia's "foreign agents" law.

The first attempt to enact this law in spring 2023 was met with significant opposition from both the EU and the USA, leading to its withdrawal amid widespread protests. The decision to revisit the proposal has been criticized by Georgia's President, who asserts that it jeopardizes the country's European aspirations.

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