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Map of Countries that Criminalise LGBT People

The map below provides an overview of the countries across the world where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are criminalised. 

- Credit to Human Dignity Trust -

Key Facts

71

jurisdictions criminalise private, consensual, same-sex sexual activity. The majority of these jurisdictions explicitly criminalise sex between men via ‘sodomy’, ‘buggery’ and ‘unnatural offences’ laws. Almost half of them are Commonwealth jurisdictions.

43

jurisdictions criminalise private, consensual sexual activity between women using laws against ‘lesbianism’, ‘sexual relations with a person of the same sex’ and ‘gross indecency’. Even in jurisdictions that do not explicitly criminalise women, lesbians and bisexual women have been subjected to arrest or threat of arrest.

11

jurisdictions in which the death penalty is imposed or at least a possibility for private, consensual same-sex sexual activity. At least 6 of these implement the death penalty – Iran, Northern Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen – and the death penalty is a legal possibility in Afghanistan, Brunei, Mauritania, Pakistan, Qatar and UAE.

15

jurisdictions criminalise the gender identity and/or expression of transgender people, using so-called ‘cross-dressing’, ‘impersonation’ and ‘disguise’ laws. In many more countries transgender people are targeted by a range of laws that criminalise same-sex activity and vagrancy, hooliganism and public order offences.

Solidarity | Reach out and Touch

We aim to move audiences from empathy to action on LGBTQ+ rights issues. 100% of the proceeds go to 75 SHOTS Pocket Cinema, a non-profit media arts organization by, for, and about marginalized BIPOC queer artists, originally from the Global South. Through the power of mobile filmmaking, we support the collaborative creation of experimental films that amplify underrepresented voices, foster global solidarity, and advocate for humanitarian causes.

The main subject is a non binary black person's head and shoulder in b/w. Their haircut is short and shaved on the side. It is a cartoon illustration. There is a hand holding a smartphone in front of the subject in landscape mode. The index finger and thumb are all that you can see from the hand and it's in the same b/w colour as the subject with silver undertones. The frame of the phone is golden colour. The screen of the phone is cracked  and ressembles a damaged windshield that has been broken by a fallen rock/pebble from a truck on the highway. The colour image on the screen of the phone, focuses on the naked eyes cheekbone and pierced nose.  It’s in the radiant colour of the rainbow The mouth is in b/w as it is outside the frame of the smartphone. Illustration by Wacyl Kha 75 SHOTS  founding member. Queer Cinema from the Global South
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