Stonewall is a charity which works in England, Scotland, and Wales. We are not best placed to inform or advise individuals and organisations about the legislation in other countries. For more detailed information about LGB and T rights abroad, see the website of the International Lesbian and Gay Association. In this section you will find information on:
The legal and social situation for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals is very different in different parts of the world.
In some countries lesbians, gay men and bisexuals enjoy full protection from discrimination, but in some countries homosexuality is still a crime punishable by the death penalty.
According to Amnesty International:
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| At least 70 countries in the world have entered the 21st century with laws on their statute books prohibiting same-sex relations.
“Crime of hate, conspiracy of silence. Torture and ill-treatment based on sexual identity”, Amnesty International, 2001
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This report provides evidence that lesbians, gay men and bisexuals all over the world still suffer persecution and violence simply for being who they are. They are tortured and humiliated by state officials to extract confessions of ‘deviance’, and raped to ‘cure’ them of it. They are attacked in their homes and communities to punish and intimidate them because of their sexual orientation.
ILGA has produced two key reports:
'LGBT world legal wrap up survey' - examines the legal status of gay people and same sex relationships across the world.
'With the government in our bedrooms' - a survey on the laws across the world prohibiting consenting adult same-sex sexual acts.
The main organisations working to monitor crimes against lesbians, gay men and bisexuals worldwide and to provide advocacy for victims of such crimes are the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC).
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual rights are being increasingly recognised by major international human rights organisations. For example, Amnesty International now considers people who are imprisoned for their sexuality or gender identity as ‘prisoners of conscience’ and closely monitors and campaigns against human rights violations against lesbians, gay men and bisexuals. Similarly, the Human Rights Watch, another major international human rights organisation, has embraced LGB rights issues and published a report on this subject.
There have been signs of improvement in the situation for lesbians, gay men and bisexuals in many individual countries and international organisations. The most progressive approach towards the elimination of discrimination against lesbians, gay men and bisexuals has been in Europe. In many countries discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation is explicitly prohibited in national constitutions, criminal codes, employment legislation and other laws. There are also a number of countries providing legal recognition for same-sex partnerships.
Click here to see Amnesty International's map of LGBT rights across the globe.
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