76 countries (or 78) where homosexuality is illegal
Mapping repression
Depending on how you count them, there are 76 or 78 countries where homosexuality is illegal.
This blog takes its name from a list of 76 such countries.
This year’s report from the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, or ILGA, discusses 78.
Two countries that that the ILGA classifies as “unclear” or “uncertain” are:
- India, where the law against homosexual activity has been suspended pending court action, and
- Iraq, where no such law exists, but homophobic violence is unchecked and self-appointed sharia judges reportedly have imposed sentences for homosexual behavior.
For a detailed reconciliation of the two lists, see the blog page “76 countries where homosexuality is illegal.”
See also the full 2012 report from the ILGA (pdf) and a pdf version of the map above.
Interesting to read the posts and views regarding homosexuality, religion, education and social status.
Like you, I was born a sinner and am reminded every day of my actions / thoughts and what my faith reminds me / challenges me to do every day to continue to TRY to walk in God’s faith.
I believe homosexuality is wrong and destructive to a family unit and Christianity as a whole. I also truly believe that people are born different, but is up to that person to act upon a particular sin. We treat so many diseases or and underlying issues with medication… Maybe homosexuality should be diagnosed and treated this way? Don’t know.
Is there also a possibility that we as a society have become desensitized to certain beliefs and have strayed away from our roots. What do you stand for? What do we stand for as a country?
Who / what do we want to be when we grow up?
The Boy Scouts have have even folded under peer pressure and has, in part, made this move for monetary decisions. It is ok for a gay youth to tent with another scout as long as they do not “practice the sin”. I say get rid of all Boy / Girl Scout Associations and let them sleep together because as long as they do not “practice the sin”, we’re all good. Right! I digress.
As far as the religion piece goes. Again, I do to believe or support homosexuality and have seen first hand what it does to a family as I have several family members that are gay and it is very difficult to see the division within our family. The act of the sin is wrong and what I struggle with is the gay / lesbian movement seem to want to come out of the closet, have everyone support and love them, yet seemingly bash anyone that does not. I honestly have not seen where people have just plainly stated it is what they believe In and then leave it at that. If homosexuality was “normal”, there would be a way for them to procreate and not adopt a child or have / be a surrogate mother just so they can go home and play house.
The education and social status piece and comments mentioned do not hold water. An uneducated / poor country and acceptance to your belief does not make them intelligent, but maybe…. Just maybe they have faith and know what they believe in and have culture to support their history. Some of my coworkers are very intelligent and are lawyers with Masters Degrees with a few have Doctorate Degrees. Sadly, I hear comments about people and their education and pass judgement on them for their degree or lack thereof. Some of the nicest people I have met are just plain simple down to earth people and are not defined by what they own nor do they back their BMW’s and other sport cars into their garage with the lights on so passerby’s can appreciate their success.
Another note to add would be the continued strain on our healthcare system with treating Aids / HIV. Certainly, we have enough sexually transmitted diseases with us that cannot keep our privates, well private.
Mike
Dear Mike,
Thanks for the long comment. You touch on many subjects. I’ll just respond to the final one, about HIV/AIDS. To reduce the burden on the health care system, LGBT people should be allowed to learn about preventive measures, but in many countries, especially those with anti-gay laws, they are denied access to that information. That allows the disease to spread.
Please don’t tell me that your strategy for dealing with the problem is that LGBT people should stop being LGBT people.
Best,
Colin Stewart, editor of this blog
So, I’ve read all these comments and responses, and I don’t presume that my comment will change anyone’s mind, because it’s part of the human condition to like to hate.
It’s also part of the Human condition to want to kill. We are animals. We’re not vegetables, or minerals. We are mammals in particular. Hunters by nature. Being closely related to Chimpanzees we are highly intelligent mammals, and unfortunately, as other highly intelligent mammals are wont to do (Dolphins, Chimps, whales, etc.) we will even kill our own kind given sufficient boredom and time on our hands. These higher thinking mammals will kill for sport. In partcular, bands of male Chimps will set out on a hunt to track down a solitary weaker male chimp, set upon him, and physically tear him apart, just for pure pleasure, and because they can.
It makes them feel powerful and strong! That’s why we rape women, and kill fags, because it makes us feel good! That’s why we wrote the bible, quran, bodhisattva, pick your religious poison. We wrote it down, and said that god wills it. Why ? Cause we’re guys! And can get away with whatever we want. We’re guys who like Chicks, and according to natural law, like to kill our competition, and the weak, (just cause we can,) that’s why we wrote it into our bibles, whatever religion our particular “bibles” May be from: Christianity, Hinduism, islam. Pick your poison, gents. We’ll always blame it on whatever god we believe in, or choose to believe in for convenience sake, as long as it justifies killing fags, and banging chicks!! Cause if we really take it back to the Stone Age ( biblical times) we can go back to killing each other for Sport, or to win the girl! And who wouldn’t want to go back to biblical times, when the average life span was 36!!!! All those diseases, yum!!! wouldn’t that just be a better world?? (Well, it would be for us anyway,……….us normal guys)
So praise the lord, and pass the ammunition, as they used to sing in WWII!! We’ll get rid of all those evil fags that……………what is it they do to us, again? Awwwwww, never mind it duddn matter, just kill’em, & let Jesus, Muhammad, or whoever sort’em out! We don’t really care who the god is just as long as we can convince the rest of’em that we were seriously doing god’s work in his name, that should cover it. But once we kill all the fags, then what?? Who’ll we go after then? ……………….The JEWS, a’course!!
E’erbahdy hates them!! Their easy pickins!!! Gaawwwwly!! That’ll be funner ‘n a hickory switch on a schuyl marm!!
But then what? Who’ll we kill fer fun theyen?
Well, mah lorward, theirs plaeny of fawreners from other countries we don’t lyyke! We c’n truss’em up lyyke a Chrismas Hawg on a spiy-it!!!
If we work it ryyght, …………….’N take’r tyyme, ……………….’n paess the ryyght laws, …………….’n haeve a lil patience, HELL………..whe won’t even needa blame Jesus no morwer!! By then, we’ll jes be able ta say tha we’re American, gawd-fearin’ (duddn matter which one) MEN!
all of yuo who sopport gay i want advice you if you read the bible why GOD create the man for adam when he create them the first time…u are oppose the law of the nature please return to god … if not your chance is like sadom and gamora..but we who u say 78 country not sell our GOD TO dollar and technology …he is with us.upto the end not accept as law gay man or women cannot stand on our land !!!!!! account as man sleep with dog and monkey ,hyena ..other animal …from blessed country ,,ETHIOPIA
YOU CAN’T ERASE THRUTH IS NEVER ERASE !!!!! OUR PILLAR IS NOT DOLLAR OND TECHNOLOGY,””””HE the GOD who create nature and us like his similarity …”” we are ANTI GAY FROM AFRICA””””” TRUE never defeate human made passed over with time
i’m not a christian or anything really but i do know homosexuality is wrong. yes, ppl don’t like when some say bi is also still gay and trans is stupid/born in the wrong body is bs but i just don’t care and will stick with it
For those who have written being homosexual is a sin – my son is homosexual. Should I react by making him feel bad and tearing the family apart? He did not want or choose this and if given a choice would be straight. I cannot shame him straight and certainly don’t want my 3.8 honors college student to spend his life in jail.