Template:LGBT rights table Africa

Northern Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB people allowed to serve openly in military	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression	No Anti-LGBT laws
Algeria	Illegal since 1966 Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment with fines up to 10,000 dinars.[1] Torture,[2] beatings,[3] or vigilante executions are also common.
Canary Islands (Autonomous community of Spain)	Legal since 1979 + UN decl. sign.[4]	De facto unions legal since 2003[5]	Legal since 2005[6]	Legal since 2005[7][8]	Spain responsible for defence	Bans all anti-gay discrimination[9]	Since 2007, all documents can be amended to the recognised gender[10]
Ceuta (Autonomous city of Spain)	Legal since 1979 + UN decl. sign.[4]	De facto union since 1998[11]	Legal since 2005[6]	Legal since 2005[7]	Spain responsible for defence	Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Since 2007, all documents can be amended to the recognised gender[10]
Egypt	/ Ambiguous. Male de jure legal, but de facto illegal since 2000 Penalty: Up to 17 years imprisonment with or without hard labour and with or without fines under broadly-written morality laws.[4][12]
Libya	Illegal since 1953 Penalty: Up to 5 years in jail or vigilante execution.[13][14]
Madeira (Autonomous region of Portugal)	Legal since 1983 + UN decl. sign.[4]	De facto union since 2001[15][16]	Legal since 2010[17]	Legal since 2016[18][19][20]	Portugal responsible for defence	Bans all anti-gay discrimination.[9]	Since 2011, all documents can be amended to the recognised gender[21]
Melilla (Autonomous city of Spain)	Legal since 1979 + UN decl. sign.[4]	De facto union since 2008[22]	Legal since 2005[6]	Legal since 2005[7]	Spain responsible for defence	Bans all anti-gay discrimination[23]	Since 2007, all documents can be amended to the recognised gender[10]
Morocco (including Southern Provinces)	Illegal since 1962 Penalty: Up to 3 to 6 years imprisonment with hard labour.[4][24]
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Disputed territory; excluding Southern Provinces)	Illegal Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment.[4][25][26]
Sudan	Illegal since 1899 (as Anglo-Egyptian Sudan) Penalty: Life imprisonment for a third offense of anal sex.[27]
Tunisia	Illegal since 1913 (as the French protectorate of Tunisia) Penalty: 3 years imprisonment.[4][28] [29]

Western Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB people allowed to serve openly in military	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression	Lack of a Presence of Anti-LGBT laws
Benin	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country);[4][30] Age of consent discrepancy[4]
Burkina Faso	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country)[4]		Constitutional ban since 1991
Cape Verde	Legal since 2004 + UN decl. sign.[4]					Bans some anti-gay discrimination[4]
Gambia	Illegal since 1888 (as the Gambia Colony and Protectorate) Penalty: Up to Iife imprisonment.[4][31][32]						Forms of gender expression criminalized since 2013[33]
Ghana	Male illegal since 1892 (as the Gold Coast) Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment. (repeal disputed)[34] [35] Female illegal since 2024 [36]
Guinea	Illegal since 1988 Penalty: 6 months to 10 years imprisonment.[37]
Guinea-Bissau	Legal since 1993[4] + UN decl. sign.
Ivory Coast	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country); Age of consent discrepancy[4]
Liberia	Illegal since 1976 Penalty: 1 year imprisonment. [4][38] (repeal disputed)
Mali	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country)[4]		Constitutional ban since 2023[39]				[40]
Mauritania	Illegal since 1983 Penalty: Capital punishment for men, (not enforced); prison and a fine for women.[4][41]
Niger	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country); Age of consent discrepancy[4]						[42]
Nigeria	Illegal since 1904 (Northern Region only) Illegal since 1916 (Region-wide) Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment. Death in the states of Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara. (not enforced)[4][43][32]		Statutory ban since 2013				Forms of gender expression criminalized in Sharia provinces.
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom)	Legal since 2001 + UN decl. sign.[4]	Legal since 2017	Legal since 2017[44][45]	Legal since 2017	UK responsible for defence	Bans all anti-gay discrimination
Senegal	Illegal since 1966 Penalty: 1 to 5 years imprisonment.[4][46]
Sierra Leone	Male illegal since 1861 (as the Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate) Penalty: Up to life imprisonment (Not enforced, repeal disputed). Female always legal + UN decl. sign.[4]
Togo	Illegal since 1980 Penalty: Fine and 3 years imprisonment [4] (repeal proposed)[47]

Central Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB people allowed to serve openly in military	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression	Lack of a Presence of Anti-LGBT laws
Cameroon	Illegal since 1972 Penalty: Fines to 5 years imprisonment.[4][32] or vigilante execution and torture,[48] (repeal disputed)
Central African Republic	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country)[4] + UN decl. sign.		Constitutional ban since 2016[49]				[50]
Chad	Illegal since 2017 Penalty: Between 3 months and 2 years in prison, with fines of 50,000 to 500,000 FCFA. (Penal Code, Chapter 2, Article 354) [51]						[52]
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country)[4]		Constitutional ban since 2005
Republic of the Congo	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country); Age of consent discrepancy[4]						[53]
Equatorial Guinea	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country)[4]						[54]
Gabon	Legal since 2020[55]; Age of consent discrepancy, + UN decl. sign.
São Tomé and Príncipe	Legal since 2012 + UN decl. sign.[4]

Eastern Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB people allowed to serve openly in military	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression	Lack of a Presence of Anti-LGBT laws
Burundi	Illegal since 2009 Penalty: fine, and 3 months to 2 years imprisonment. [4][56] (repeal disputed)		Constitutional ban since 2005
Djibouti	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country) [4][57]						[58]
Eritrea	Illegal Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment.[4][59] or vigilate execution[60] Beatings and torture are also tolerated.[61]
Ethiopia	Illegal Penalty: Up to 15 years. [4] (repeal disputed) [62]		Statutory ban since 2009[63]
Kenya	Illegal since 1897 (as the East Africa Protectorate) Penalty: up to 14 years imprisonment. (repeal proposed) [4][32][64]		Constitutional ban since 2010[65]			/ Limited protection following legal process by the authorities.[66]	[67]
Rwanda	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country)[4] + UN decl. sign.		Constitutional ban since 2003
Somalia	Illegal Penalty: Up to 3 years prison. Jubaland Illegal. Penalty: Up to death in Jubaland.[citation needed]
Somaliland (Disputed territory)	Illegal Penalty: Up to 3 years prison, sometimes death sentences.[68]
South Sudan	Illegal since 1899 (as Anglo-Egyptian Sudan) Penalty: Up to 10 years imprisonment. (not enforced) [4][32]		Constitutional ban since 2011[citation needed]				Forms of gender expression are criminalized.
Tanzania	Illegal since 1864 (only Zanzibar) Illegal since 1899 Penalty: Up to life imprisonment.[4][32] Vigilante executions, beatings and torture[69][70] are also tolerated.
Uganda	Male illegal since 1902 (as Protectorate) Female illegal since 2000 Penalty: Life imprisonment, Death penalty in some cases, Beatings, torture, or vigilante execution. [71][72]		Constitutional ban since 2005

Indian Ocean states

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGB people allowed to serve openly in military	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression	Lack of a Presence of Anti-LGBT laws
Comoros	Illegal since 1982 Penalty: 5 years imprisonment and fines. (not enforced)[4][73][74]						[75]
French Southern and Antarctic Lands (Overseas territory of France)	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the territory)[4]	Civil solidarity pact since 1999[citation needed]	Legal since 2013	Legal since 2013	France responsible for defence	Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Under French law
Madagascar	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the country); Age of consent discrepancy[4]
Mauritius	Legal since 2023[76] + UN decl. sign.					Bans all anti-gay discrimination[77][78]
Mayotte (Overseas region of France)	Legal (No laws against same-sex sexual activity have ever existed in the region)[4]	Civil solidarity pact since 2007	Legal since 2013	Legal since 2013	France responsible for defence	Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Under French law
Réunion (Overseas region of France)	Legal since 1791[4]	Civil solidarity pact since 1999	Legal since 2013	Legal since 2013	France responsible for defence	Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Under French law
Seychelles	Legal since 2016[79] + UN decl. sign.					Bans some anti-gay discrimination[4]

Southern Africa

LGBT rights in:	Same-sex sexual activity	Recognition of same-sex unions	Same-sex marriage	Adoption by same-sex couples	LGBT people allowed to serve openly in military	Anti-discrimination laws concerning sexual orientation	Laws concerning gender identity/expression	Lack of a Presence of Anti-LGBT laws
Angola	Legal since 2021 [80]					Bans all anti-gay discrimination[81]	May possibly change gender under the Código do Registro Civil 2015[82]
Botswana	Legal since 2019 [83]				(Only LGB)	Bans all anti-gay discrimination	Legal gender change recognized as a constitutional right since 2017[84]
Eswatini	Male illegal since the 1880s (not enforced, repeal proposed) Penalty: Unknown Female always legal[4][32]
Lesotho	Male legal since 2012 Female always legal[4]						May possibly change gender under the National Identity Cards Act 9 of 2011[85]
Malawi	Illegal since 1891 (as British Central Africa Protectorate)[32] Penalty: Up to 14 years imprisonment, with or without corporal punishment for men up to 5 years imprisonment for women (repeal proposed)[4][86][32][87][88]
Mozambique	Legal since 2015[89][90]					Bans some anti-gay discrimination[4][77]
Namibia	Male illegal since 1920 (not enforced; repeal proposed)[32][91] Penalty: Unknown Female always legal[4][92][93]	/ Foreign same-sex marriages recognised.	/ Foreign same-sex marriages recognised.			Bans some anti-gay discrimination.[94]	Under the Births, Marriages and Deaths Registration Act 81 of 1963[95]
South Africa	Male legal since 1998 Female always legal; equal age of consent since 2007 + UN decl. sign.[4]	Limited recognition of unregistered partnerships since 1998; same-sex marriage since 2006	Legal since 2006	Legal since 2002	Since 1998	Constitution bans all anti-gay discrimination	Anti-discrimination laws are interpreted to include gender identity; legal gender may be changed after surgical or medical treatment	[96][97]
Zambia	Illegal since 1911 (as part of the British South Africa Company rule of Rhodesia) Penalty: up to 14 years imprisonment. (repeal proposed)[4][32]
Zimbabwe	Male illegal since 1891 (as part of the British South Africa Company rule of Rhodesia) Penalty: up to 14 years imprisonment. (repeal proposed) Female always legal[4][32]		Constitutional ban since 2013[98]

References