ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2012
ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2012
ILGA_State_Sponsored_Homophobia_2012
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LGBTI rights global overview<br />
The year in brackets refers to the year when the reform came into force.<br />
If no year is stated, either there has never been any regulation in the relevant area or no information<br />
could be found about the year the law took effect.<br />
Homosexual acts legal (113 countries)<br />
Africa Burkina Faso, Cape Verde (2004), 3 Central African Republic, Congo, Chad, Côte<br />
d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, 4 Equatorial Guinea, 5 Gabon,<br />
Guinea-Bissau (1993), 6 Madagascar, Mali, Niger, 7 Rwanda, 8 South Africa (1998)<br />
Asia Bahrain (1976) 9 , Cambodia, China (1997), 10 East Timor (1975), most parts of<br />
Indonesia, Israel (1988), Japan (1882), Jordan (1951), Kazakhstan (1998), Kyrgyzstan<br />
(1998), Laos, Mongolia, 11 Nepal (2008), 12 North Korea, Philippines, South Korea,<br />
Taiwan (1896), Tajikistan (1998), Thailand (1957), Vietnam, as well as the West Bank<br />
(1951) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory<br />
Europe Albania (1995), Andorra (1990), Armenia (2003), Austria (1971), Azerbaijan (2000),<br />
Belarus (1994), Belgium (1795), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1998-2001), 13 Bulgaria<br />
(1968), Croatia (1977), Cyprus (1998), Czech Republic (1962), Denmark (1933),<br />
Estonia (1992), Finland (1971), France (1791), Georgia (2000), Germany (1968-69), 14<br />
Greece (1951), Hungary (1962), Iceland (1940), Ireland (1993), Italy (1890), Kosovo<br />
(1994) 15 , Latvia (1992), Liechtenstein (1989), Lithuania (1993), Luxembourg (1795),<br />
Macedonia (1996), Malta (1973), Moldova (1995), Monaco (1793), Montenegro<br />
3 The 2004 Penal Code does not criminalise homosexual acts. Until it came into force, article 71 of the previous code<br />
of 1886 provided for ‘security measures’ for people who habitually practice ’vice against the nature’. Text of the new<br />
Penal Code is available at:<br />
www.mj.gov.cv/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=38&&Itemid=66..<br />
4 See Djibouti Penal Code of 1995, available at: http://www.djibouti.mid.ru/doc/UK.htm.<br />
5 However, according to Amnesty International’s 2006 report ” Sexual Minorities and the Law: A World Survey”,<br />
homosexual acts are still illegal in Equatorial Guinea. Text available at:<br />
http://www.asylumlaw.org/docs/sexualminorities/World%20SurveyAIhomosexuality.pdf.<br />
6 According to Waaldijk (2011), articles 133-138 on sexual offences in the new Penal Code of 1993 do not seem to<br />
criminalise homosexual acts more than heterosexual acts (Text of the law is available at:<br />
www.rjcplp.org/RJCPLP/sections/informacao/legislacao-nacional/anexos/gb-codigopenal/downloadFile/file/GuineBissau.CodigoPenal.pdf).<br />
7 The 1961 Penal Code with admendments up to 2003 is available at:<br />
http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/47fb8e642.html.<br />
8 See the Rwanda Penal Code of 1980 available at:<br />
http://www.amategeko.net/display_rubrique.php?ActDo=ShowArt&Information_ID=947&Parent_ID=3070640&type=p<br />
ublic&Langue_ID=Fr&rubID=30691315.<br />
9 A new Penal Code was enacted in 1976 and this repealed the old Penal Code of the Persian Gulf imposed<br />
by the British. Contrary to the second-hand source used in previous editions of the report, the Penal Code allows<br />
sodomy from the age of 21, and therefore sodomy was decriminalised as of adoption of the new code.<br />
10 Homosexual acts are also legal in all Chinese associates; Hong Kong (1991) and Macau (1996).<br />
11 See Article 125 of the Criminal Code of Mongolia of 2002, available at:<br />
http://www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/oeur/lxwemon.htm.<br />
12 The Supreme Court of Nepal ruled in 2008 that LGBTI people would be regarded as “natural persons” under law.<br />
While legislation to this effect was anticipated in 2010, there has been no legislation adopted as yet. See<br />
http://www.gaylawnet.com/laws/np.htm.<br />
13 The three parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina decriminalised homosexuality in three different years, each by enacting<br />
a new Criminal Code that introduced an equal age of consent: Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1998),<br />
Republika Srpska (2000), Brcko District (2001); see www.ohr.int/ohr-dept/legal/crim-codes/.<br />
14 East Germany (1968) and West Germany (1969).<br />
15 Kosovo is not a member state of the United Nations<br />
<strong>State</strong>-<strong>Sponsored</strong> <strong>Homophobia</strong> – May <strong>2012</strong><br />
<strong>ILGA</strong> – The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association - www.ilga.org<br />
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