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Fox Odoi-Oywelowo at the global equality summit in South Africa in 2024. (Enrique Anarte photo courtesy of Thompson Reuters Foundation)

Uganda’s pro-LGBTQI+ rights legislator loses parliamentary seat

Fox Odoi-Oywelowo fought against Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act

‘Join us in raising the issue of Guadeloupe school named after anti-gay singer’
Homeless transgender woman Yas
Cameroon: Homeless trans woman illustrates what U.S. cutbacks have done

Resources

This site's activist journalists have laid the groundwork for Project Not Alone, which frees imprisoned victims of African homophobia. This illustration shows two gay men waiting for donations that will pay their fines and set them free.
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Map of 66 countries that criminalize homosexuality
Homosexuality is now illegal in 65 nations
21 varieties of traditional African homosexuality
Death penalty, ex-gay therapy, 100s of prisoners, the Commonwealth, more

Upbeat news

MP Asumani Basalirwa is the new face of homophobia in the Parliament of Uganda. (Photo courtesy of the Parliament of Uganda)
Uganda: Voters reject anti-LGBTQI+ lawmakers
Participants pose for a photo at the Legal Cafe that's a regular monthly event.
Cameroon Legal Café empowers participants to know their rights
Edward Mwebaza addresses the media (Photo courtesy of HRAPF)
Uganda drops the first case brought under its Anti-Homosexuality Act
Sarah Bireete.(Photo courtesy of CPARuganda.com)
Ugandan rights defender Sarah Bireete freed

Important work funded by our readers

Marriage was a gay man’s shield. Exposure forced him to start again
Word cloud showing the names (pseudonyms) of the 56 prisoners for whom Project Not Alone has won early release.
Readers’ donations have freed a total of 56 victims of African homophobia
Rainbow flag: St. Paul's Foundation for International Reconciliation needs your financial support for its work advancing LGBT rights. Click the image to donate.
To support LGBT rights, include St. Paul’s Foundation in your year-end giving
We freed four Muslim men imprisoned when their imam called them gay

Africa

Fox Odoi-Oywelowo at the global equality summit in South Africa in 2024. (Enrique Anarte photo courtesy of Thompson Reuters Foundation)
Uganda’s pro-LGBTQI+ rights legislator loses parliamentary seat
Homeless transgender woman Yas
Cameroon: Homeless trans woman illustrates what U.S. cutbacks have done
A U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement flight operates out of a Seattle airport in August 2025. (Lindsey Wasson photo courtesy of AP)
U.S. deports lesbian asylum-seeker to Cameroon, where homosexuality is illegal
Ugandan police arrest 2 women for kissing in public

Caribbean

‘Join us in raising the issue of Guadeloupe school named after anti-gay singer’

Map of the 65 countries where sexual relations between people of the same sex are illegal. YELLOW countries have sodomy laws that are currently being challenged before local courts. Sri Lanka, in PINK, currently has a bill before its parliament to repeal its sodomy law. Indonesia, in ORANGE, has laws that criminalize homosexuality only in some subnational jurisdictions. All states in RED have nationwide sodomy laws and no known legislative efforts or court challenges to remove them.

LGBTQ rights update: 2025 tally and 2026 preview

Guadeloupean performer Admiral T is known for his homophobic lyrics.

Homophobic song by Guadeloupe artist Admiral T removed from streaming platforms

Europe

Kazakhstan arrests LGBTI rights activists
Sam George, a leader of Ghana's anti-LGBTQ partisans in parliament (Photo courtesy of Ghana Web)
Homophobes in Ghana and Turkiye keep pushing for anti-LGBTQ laws
HUNGARY-LGBT-PRIDE-ANNIVERSARY
LGBTQ rights in 2026: What to expect around the world
Logo of ILGA, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.
Russia makes it a crime to work with ILGA World on behalf of LGBTQ rights

Asia

Agustina, 41, a trans woman from Jakarta, Indonesia, poses before the Trans Super Heroes fashion show on Dec. 17, 2023. (Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana photo courtesy of Reuters)
Indonesia parliament considering dangerous ban on LGBTQ content
Kazakhstan arrests LGBTI rights activists
HUNGARY-LGBT-PRIDE-ANNIVERSARY
LGBTQ rights in 2026: What to expect around the world
Pakistani Senator Mushtaq Ahmad proposes the creation of a government "gender re-assigment board" that would control a trans person's official gender identity. (Photo courtesy of Global Living Space)
Anti-trans officials and violence reverse progress for transgender Pakistanis

Middle East/North Africa

Spotlight on Mauritania, where LGBT people hide their identities for fear of stigma
LGBTQ rights advocacy is only possible in secret in Libya. (Photo courtesy of Kuchu Times / Zoonar.com)
Spotlight on Libya, where the LGBTQ community hides in the shadows
Map of the 65 countries where sexual relations between people of the same sex are illegal. YELLOW countries have sodomy laws that are currently being challenged before local courts. Sri Lanka, in PINK, currently has a bill before its parliament to repeal its sodomy law. Indonesia, in ORANGE, has laws that criminalize homosexuality only in some subnational jurisdictions. All states in RED have nationwide sodomy laws and no known legislative efforts or court challenges to remove them.
LGBTQ rights update: 2025 tally and 2026 preview
Iran, captained by Alireza Jahanbakhsh (pictured), is scheduled to face Egypt in what's set to be a pride match in Seattle at the FIFA World Cup. (Etsuo Hara photo courtesy of ABC / Getty)
Iran and Egypt protest World Cup match scheduled amid Pride celebrations

Americas

A U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement flight operates out of a Seattle airport in August 2025. (Lindsey Wasson photo courtesy of AP)

U.S. deports lesbian asylum-seeker to Cameroon, where homosexuality is illegal

For her safety, she’s now in hiding.

Red ribbon logo in the fight against HIV/AIDS
U.S. retreat from WHO harms global health and the HIV response
HUNGARY-LGBT-PRIDE-ANNIVERSARY
LGBTQ rights in 2026: What to expect around the world
Kenya health worker
After U.S. cuts anti-HIV funds, Kenya’s health staff work without pay

Oceania

HUNGARY-LGBT-PRIDE-ANNIVERSARY

LGBTQ rights in 2026: What to expect around the world

Map of the 65 countries where sexual relations between people of the same sex are illegal. YELLOW countries have sodomy laws that are currently being challenged before local courts. Sri Lanka, in PINK, currently has a bill before its parliament to repeal its sodomy law. Indonesia, in ORANGE, has laws that criminalize homosexuality only in some subnational jurisdictions. All states in RED have nationwide sodomy laws and no known legislative efforts or court challenges to remove them.

LGBTQ rights update: 2025 tally and 2026 preview

2025 LGBTQ rights update: Mixed results in Oceania