Countries and Their Anti-LGBTQIA+ Laws

• Saudi Arabia – Same-sex sexual activity is criminalized under Sharia law and can be punishable by death, flogging, or imprisonment.
• Iran – Same-sex relations are illegal and can carry the death penalty, especially for men.
• Nigeria – Same-sex relationships are criminalized; in northern states under Sharia law, punishments include death by stoning. The Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act also bans public displays of same-sex affection.
• Brunei – Enforces Sharia law, which includes death by stoning for same-sex acts, though a moratorium on the death penalty has been announced.
• Uganda – Recently passed laws that criminalize same-sex relationships and “promotion of homosexuality,” with penalties including life imprisonment.
• Yemen – Same-sex acts are illegal and can be punished by death, flogging, or imprisonment under Islamic law.
• Somalia – Same-sex sexual activity is criminalized under both civil and Sharia law, with punishments including imprisonment and death.
• Malaysia – Same-sex acts are criminalized under both civil and Sharia law; transgender expression is also penalized in many states.
• Russia (Chechnya) – While Russia decriminalized same-sex acts in the 1990s, Chechnya has been reported to detain and torture LGBTQIA+ individuals. Russia also enforces laws banning “LGBT propaganda”.
• United Arab Emirates – Same-sex acts are criminalized, and laws against “cross-dressing” or “posing as a woman” have been used to target LGBTQIA+ individuals.

These laws are often vague and inconsistently enforced, but they create environments of fear, discrimination, and violence.