Countries where same-sex relationships are criminalised

Sharia penal code (2014–19) prescribes death by stoning for same-sex relations – moratorium on death penalty but law remains. No visible scene. Extreme caution.

Death penalty under sharia (rarely enforced; lashings/imprisonment more common). No visible community possible. Avoid all dating apps; extreme caution.

Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023: death penalty for "aggravated"; life imprisonment baseline. Travel strongly inadvisable for LGBTQ visitors.

Death penalty active and enforced. Forced gender reassignment for trans is state policy. No visible community. Travel strongly inadvisable.

Up to 14yrs federally; 12 northern sharia states have death penalty. Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2014 even bans support. Travel inadvisable for LGBTQ visitors.

Death penalty under sharia (Al-Shabaab regions) + 3yrs prison federal. Active conflict. Travel inadvisable.

Death penalty under sharia. Active conflict; no visible community. Travel inadvisable.

Taliban regime: death penalty for same-sex relations enforced. No visible community possible. Travel strongly inadvisable for LGBTQ visitors.

Up to 7yrs prison for same-sex relations + sharia penalties. World Cup 2022 highlighted enforcement. PDA dangerous; avoid apps.

Federal law: imprisonment + deportation. Sharia-based. Dubai outwardly cosmopolitan but PDA can be prosecuted. Avoid dating apps in country – entrapment cases reported.

Up to 3yrs prison. No visible scene; PDA dangerous.

Up to 7yrs prison; "imitating opposite sex" criminalised. PDA dangerous; avoid apps.

Up to 7yrs prison. Strong church culture. PDA dangerous.

Buggery law (10yrs prison). PDA dangerous.

Sharia-based; up to 8yrs prison + 100 lashes for same-sex relations. Tourist resorts insulated but PDA dangerous off-resort and on local islands.

Up to 10yrs prison. Conservative monarchy + church. PDA dangerous.

Buggery law (10yrs prison). PDA dangerous.

Same-sex relations illegal (up to 20yr prison + caning). Sharia courts apply additionally for Muslims. Underground scene in KL; PDA dangerous; avoid dating apps.

Buggery law (10yrs prison). PDA dangerous.

Up to 3yrs prison for same-sex relations. No visible scene; PDA dangerous.

Moroccan law applies (Article 489, 3yrs prison). Disputed territory. Travel inadvisable for LGBTQ visitors.

Article 319 (5yrs prison). Dakar has tiny underground scene; family/religious pressure heavy. PDA dangerous.

Up to life ("aggravated homosexuality"). PDA dangerous.

Up to 2yrs prison. Closed authoritarian state; no public scene. PDA dangerous.

Colonial-era law (3yr prison); harsh new bill passed parliament 2024 (court challenges pending). PDA dangerous.

Up to life imprisonment. Activists prosecuted. PDA dangerous.

Up to 14yrs prison; moratorium on prosecutions but law remains. PDA dangerous.

Same-sex relations illegal (rarely enforced). Absolute monarchy; PDA dangerous.

Up to 5yrs prison. PDA dangerous.

Same-sex relations illegal under colonial-era law (10yr prison) though rarely prosecuted. Colombo scene exists discreetly; PDA inadvisable.

Article 489 (3yrs prison). Casablanca/Marrakech have discreet scene; Western tourists generally not targeted but PDA strongly inadvisable.

Up to life imprisonment + forced anal exams. Anti-LGBTQ government rhetoric. PDA dangerous; avoid apps.

Article 392 (3yrs prison). PDA dangerous.

Buggery law. Underground scene; PDA dangerous.

Up to life imprisonment (rarely enforced). PDA dangerous.

Article 230 (3yrs prison) + forced anal exams reported. Tunis has tiny underground scene; PDA dangerous.

Up to 3yrs prison. No visible scene; PDA dangerous.

Constitutional ban on same-sex marriage; "sodomy" up to 14yrs. Mugabe-era rhetoric still echoes. PDA dangerous.

Up to 1yr prison + new harsher bill proposed. PDA dangerous.

No specific law but "debauchery" + "incitement" used (up to 17yrs effective). Cairo dating-app entrapment well-documented. PDA dangerous; avoid apps in country.

Buggery law (10yrs hard labour). Dancehall homophobia historic. PDA dangerous broadly.

Up to 3yrs prison. PDA dangerous.

Section 377 active (life imprisonment). Activists murdered (2016 Xulhaz Mannan). No visible scene. PDA dangerous.

Sections 162–165 (up to 14yrs). Nairobi has underground scene; PDA dangerous; political climate worsening.

Section 347-1 (5yrs prison) frequently enforced; activists murdered. PDA dangerous.

Up to 3yrs prison. Closed authoritarian state. PDA dangerous.

Up to 15yrs prison. Religious/family pressure dominant. PDA dangerous.

Up to 14yrs prison. Tribal/church pressure heavy. PDA dangerous.

Up to life imprisonment under Pakistan Penal Code 377 + sharia. No visible scene; trans (khwaja sira) have some legal protections. PDA dangerous; avoid apps.

Article 534 ("against nature") used; some courts have ruled it doesn’t cover same-sex relations. Beirut had vibrant scene; recent crackdowns. PDA inadvisable.

"LGBT movement" classified as extremist (2023). Same-sex relations not criminal but expression heavily restricted. PDA dangerous; dating apps risky. Avoid identification.

Up to 2yrs prison (since 2017). PDA dangerous.

Section 377 colonial-era ban active. Post-coup junta also socially repressive. Yangon’s small scene driven underground. PDA dangerous.

Gaza criminalises (10yr prison); West Bank decriminalised but socially hostile. Active conflict. Travel dangerous broadly.

No specific law but "public indecency" used; jihadist-controlled north hostile. Travel inadvisable.

Law passed 2024 criminalising same-sex relations (10–15yr prison). Militias have killed LGBTQ people. No visible community. Travel dangerous.

Death penalty officially repealed 2020 but lashings/imprisonment remain. Active civil war. Travel inadvisable.

Up to 5yrs prison; sharia influence. War-divided country. Travel dangerous broadly.

Up to 14yrs prison. Conflict-affected. Travel inadvisable.

Article 520 (3yr prison). War-shattered country; no visible scene; ISIS-era killings. Travel dangerous broadly.