HOMOSEXUAL RIGHTS AROUND THE WOR

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, the punishment is execution, the methods are throwing homosexuals down from a high roof or hill or by burying them beside a wall which is then toppled onto them.

ALBANIA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for gay men, and 14 for lesbians and heterosexuals.

ALGERIA

LAWS:

1. Homosexual activity is illegal, punishable with up to 3 years imprisonment and a fine between 1,000 & 10,000 Algerian dinars.

NOTE: Jesus Cariglino, mayor of Malvinas, is anti-gay.

ANDORRA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16 for all.

ANGOLA

LAWS:

1. Homosexual acts are illegal, described as offenses against public morality.

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for gay men, and 16 for lesbians and heterosexuals.

ARGENTINA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16 for all.

2. The city of Buenos Aires, and the town of Rosario have gay rights laws that bans some anti-gay discrimination. Extends widow/widower pensions to surviving partners of same-sex couples.

NOTE: Four Argentine labor unions have now extended National Security System medical benefits to employees¡¯ same-sex partners. The unions and the system operate jointly in the health-care arena. The benefits are available to members of the unions for teachers, commerce employees, executives and air-transport personnel.

ARMENIA

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with up to 5 years in prison for anal sex. Oral sex is legal. Lesbian sex is not mentioned in the law.

ARUBA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16 for all. Homosexual contacts with minors under the age of 16 is punishable with a penalty of up to 4 years imprisonment. Heterosexual contacts with minors under the age of 16 are only criminal under certain conditions.

AUSTRIA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for gay men and 14 for lesbians and heterosexuals. "Same Sex Lewdness" with persons under 18 Years: a man over 19 years of age who engages in same-sex lewdness with a person who has attained the age of 14 but not yet the age of 18 years can be punished with imprisonment from six months to five years.

2. Allows homosexuals in its military, however while gay conscripts are welcome for the compulsory service, openly gay people have no chance of embarking on a professional career in the army.

3. The 1992 Reproductive Medicine Act explicitly excludes lesbians and all single women from the benefit of artificial insemination or in-vitro fertilisation methods, those are restricted to married women or women in long-term heterosexual partnerships only.

4. The city of Bludenz, has a non-discrimination "declaration" which includes "sexual orientation".

5. The 1993 Police Security Act, requires the police to refrain from any actions that could create the impression of bias or could be perceived as discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

AUSTRALIA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

2. In Northern Territory group sex is prohibited, sex involving more than two people is considered public sex. Western Australia prohibits the provision of information on homosexual matters to people who are or think they may be, homosexual, and who are under the age of 21. The heterosexual age of sexual consent is 16 in all but 2 states, in Tasmania and South Australia it is 17. Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia ban donor insemination services to lesbians. Queensland bans gays and lesbians from foster parenting.

3. Allows foreign partners of its homosexual citizenry to receive residency permits.

4. The Crimes Act outlaws consensual sex with minors for citizens of Australia who engage in the trade overseas, imposing sentences of up to 17 years' imprisonment

State/Territory Age of Sexual Consent:

New South Wales..............*16****** South Australia............17 Tasmania.............*17

Northern Territory...........*16****** Queensland....................16 for oral sex & 18 for anal sex

Australian Capital Territory..16****** Victoria...................16 Western Australia...............16

*Indicates there are no laws regarding lesbian sex.

AZERBAIJAN

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with 5 to 7 years in prison for anal sex. Oral sex is legal. Lesbian sex is not mentioned in the law. The law has been repealed (effective in September 2000). Private non-commercial acts of intercourse between consenting adult males will no longer be criminal. Forcible sodomy will remain a crime under the new Article 150.

BAHAMAS

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws for sex in private, the age of sexual consent is 18 for homosexuals and 16 for heterosexuals. There is a law against sex in public, punishable with up to 20 years in prison. Another source says Sections 390 and 530 Penal Code criminalize homosexual acts between men, with a penalty of up to 10 years' imprisonment. Section 529 criminalizes homosexual contacts between women, with a penalty of up to 2 years' imprisonment, and that the laws are still enforced to a certain degree.

2. Allows homosexuals in its military.

BAHRAIN

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, with or without corporal punishment.

BANGLADESH

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with deportation, fines, and/or up to 10 years to life imprisonment.

BARBADOS

LAWS:

1. Homosexual activity is illegal.

BELARUS

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for males, and between 14 and 18 for females, depending on their sexual maturity. Sexual activity with a person under 18 is punished with prison term of up to 8 years.

2. In the Army, untraditional relationship between men are considered contrary to military requirements and laws, and are severely prosecuted.

BELGIUM

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16 for all.

2. Allows homosexuals in its military.

3. Has a Statutory Cohabitation Contract. The contract is available to any two adults who are not otherwise married or contracted, regardless of their gender or blood relationship; it is signed before a notary public and entered into the register of the town where they live. The contract's main advantage appears to be access to the courts in event of a property dispute upon dissolution; its main responsibility is joint liability for living expenses, proportionate to the means of the partners. Absent proof of individual title, all assets acquired during the term of the contract are considered to be jointly owned. However, it specifically notes that the couples are treated as separate individuals with respect to submitting income tax returns, rate of taxation, inheritance, parental status with respect to children, adoption, fertility services, social security and pension rights, and immigration.

BELIZE

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

BENIN

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law.

BHUTAN

LAWS:

1. Male homosexual sex is forbidden by law, punishable with a maximum sentence of life in prison.

BOLIVIA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 17. Sexual activity with someone under 17 is punishable with up to five years imprisonment.

NOTE:

1. Bolivian police officers are extremely anti-homosexual.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

LAWS:

1. Republika Srpska is the only remaining Federation with a sodomy law, punishing male homosexual activity with a penalty of up to 1 year imprisonment. The remainder of the nation has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16 for all.

BOTSWANA

LAWS:

1. Male homosexual conduct is illegal punishable with up to 7 years imprisonment.

BRAZIL

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws for non-military citizens, the age of sexual consent is 14 for all, military personnel who engage in gay sex can be sentenced to from six months to one year in prison.

2. As of 1994 the Brasilia federal capital district, 3 states: Bahia, Sergipe, Mato Grosso and 77 cities and towns: Salvador, Sao Paolo etc., also the state of Rio de Janeiro has a law imposing stiff fines against persons or institutions found guilty of anti-gay discrimination. Officials have been given the power to close hotels, restaurants and nightclubs that repeatedly deny their services to gays.

3. Allows homosexual couples the right to inherit each other's pension and social security benefits. Homosexual Brazilians who can prove that theirs is a "stable union" will be treated by the National Social Security Institute no differently than a married couple in cases of retirement or death. The policy also allows people in same-sex relationships to declare their partners as dependents on income tax returns. The National Social Security Institute's policy change is the result of a recent court ruling.

NOTE:

1. D. Jose Antonio Aparecido Tosi, Archbishop of Fortaleza, is extremely ant-gay.

COURT:

1. A court in Brazil has called for public social security benefits to be paid to gays and lesbians whose same-gender partners die or are imprisoned, according to the AgIncia Estado news service. Prosecutors of the Federal Public Ministry for the state of Rio Grande do Sul filed a public petition to a Federal Court to order the National Social Security Institute to recognize gay and lesbian couples, citing Article 5 of the national constitution, which prohibits all forms of discrimination. The court's federal jurisdiction means that the order will extend to the entire country, not just the state.

BRUNEI

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, with a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 30.000 Brunei dollars.

BULGARIA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for homosexuals and 14 for heterosexuals. The Bulgarian Penal Code prohibits "scandalous homosexuality", homosexuality in public, and activities which may "lead to perversion" (whatever that is supposed to mean), violation of these laws can be punished with 1-5 years imprisonment and/or "social disgrace".

COURT:

1. The Supreme Court (Superior Tribunal of Justice) ruled unanimously to allow a gay man to inherit half the estate of his deceased long-time partner.

BURKINA FASO

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 21 for homosexuals, and 13 for heterosexuals. Homosexual activity with someone under 21 is punishable with up to 3 years imprisonment.

BURMA (MYANMAR)

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law.

BURUNDI

LAWS: 1. Homosexuality is punishable as an "immoral act".

CAMBODIA (KAMPUCHEA)

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16 for all.

CAMEROON

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with a penalty of 6 months to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of up to CFA 200.000. If one of the persons involved is under the age of 21 the penalty is doubled.

CAPE VERDE

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishment is a bail, surety for good behavior or freedom under supervision together with a 100% augmented bail for a second offence. Repeat offenders can be imprisoned.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

CHAD

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

CHILE

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for homosexuals, but the age is lower for heterosexuals.

CHINA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

COLOMBIA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 14 for all.

NOTE:

1. Carlos Corsi, Senator, is extremely anti-homosexual.

COURT:

1. The Constitutional Court ordered the military and police to lift the ban on homosexuals.

2. The Constitutional Court ruled that school teachers cannot be fired for revealing their homosexuality, this overturned a 1979 law which made a teacher's homosexuality grounds for dismissal.

3. The Constitutional Court ruled that private religious schools cannot ban homosexual students.

COMOROS

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

CONGO

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

COOK ISLANDS

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with 7 years in prison for sodomy, and 5 years in prison for indecent acts with males.

COSTA RICA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 15 for all.

NOTE:

1. Minor de Jesus Calvo, a Roman Catholic priest, is very outspokenly anti-gay.

CROATIA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for homosexuals and 14 for heterosexuals.

CUBA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws for private sex, but Article 303a of the Penal Code punishes "publicly manifested" homosexuality with between three months and one year in prison, or a fine of 100 to 300 cuotas for people "persistently bothering others with homosexual amorous advances".

CYPRUS

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for homosexuals and 16 for lesbians and heterosexuals. Homosexual activity in public or with someone under 18 can be punished with up to 5 years imprisonment.

2. Homosexuals are banned from the military on (health) grounds.

CZECH REPUBLIC

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 15 for all.

2. The Civic Code recognises the legal status of "persons living in the common household". This can be applied to gay and lesbian couples, but it is sometimes necessary to prove that they really live together. Even if one dies, the surviving partner has a right to inherit and to continue to use the apartment.

NOTE:

1. Marek Benda (Civic Democratic Party) (Northern Moravia), Chamber of Deputies, is anti-gay.

DENMARK

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 15 for all, but it is an offence to "induce" a person under 18 to sexual acts "by gravely abusing superior age or experience".

2. Allows homosexuals to register their partnership and gives them (with some exceptions) the same rights and responsibilities as a heterosexual married couple.

3. Allows foreign partners of its homosexual citizenry to receive residency permits.

4. Has a national gay rights law that bans some anti-gay discrimination.

5. Allows homosexuals in its military.

6. Bans assisted insemination for lesbians.

7. Allows homosexuals in registered partnerships to adopt their partners' children, but not other children.

DJIBOUTI

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for all. Public morality laws, however, are especially used against gay men. Article 330 Penal Code penalizes "every violation of decorum and good behavior on public streets" with up to 2 years imprisonment.

DUTCH ANTILLES

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16.

ECUADOR

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

2. Ecuador's constitution Chapter 2, Article 23, Number 3 states: "Equality before the law: All persons will be considered equal and will possess the same rights, freedoms and opportunities without discrimination by reason of birth, age, sex, ethnicity, social origin, language, religion, political affiliation, economic position, sexual orientation, health status, disability, or difference of any other type."

EGYPT

LAWS:

1. Homosexuality is legal, the age of sexual consent is 18 for all. Egypt does have some regulations concerning "offences against public morals and sensitivities" which could be used against homosexuals.

EL SALVADORE

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

NOTE:

1. San Salvador`s mayor, Mario Valiente, says he will rid the city of homosexuals and prostitutes.

ERITREA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

ESTONIA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16 for homosexual males, and 14 for lesbians and heterosexuals.

ETHIOPIA

LAWS:

1. Homosexual activity is illegal, punishable with a penalty of 10 days to 3 years' "simple imprisonment". This penalty may be increased by 5 or more years when the offender "makes a profession of such activities", or exploits a dependency relation in order to excercise influence over the other person. The maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment can be applied when the offender uses violence, intimidation or coercion, trickery or fraud, or takes unfair advantage of the victim's inability to offer resistance. The maximum sentence can also be applied when the victim is subjected to acts of cruelty or sadism; when the offender transmits a venereal disease although fully aware of being infected with it; when an adult is charged with committing homosexual acts with persons under 15 years of age; or when distress, shame or despair drives the victim to committing suicide.

FALKLAND ISLANDS/MALVINAS

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for homosexual males, and 16 for lesbians and heterosexuals.

FAROE ISLANDS

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for homosexuals and 15 for heterosexuals.

FIJI

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with up to 14 years in prison, with or without corporal punishment.

2. Grants explicit constitutional protections to homosexual citizens.

NOTE:

1. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka is anti-gay.

FINLAND

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16 for all, age of consent violations are punished more harshly for homosexual offenders.

2. Has a law prohibiting the dissemination of positive information about homosexuality.

3. Has a national gay rights law that bans some anti-gay discrimination including employment.

4. Allows homosexuals in its military.

FRANCE

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 15 for all.

2. Has a national gay rights law that bans some anti-gay discrimination including employment, service, public or private.

3. Allows homosexuals in its military, but homosexuals may be excused from compulsory service if they make a case for being (adversely psychologically affected).

4. Has a partnership law that grants registered couples, gay or straight, romantic or not, many of the rights of marriage. The law applies in areas such as income tax, inheritance, housing, immigration, health benefits, job transfers, synchronized vacation time, responsibility for debts, and social welfare. It does not grant equality in the areas of parental rights, adoption or medically assisted procreation. Unlike heterosexual couples who get married, registered partners will tie the knot before a court rather than at the town hall. They also will not be allowed to file a joint tax return until they've been together three years. Married people can do so immediately.

5. On the Left Bank of Paris, there are laws targeting cross-dressers. Just appearing in disguise on a public thoroughfare is a violation except for designated carnival days (Advent not included), and there's an even bigger fine for taking photographs without permission on a public road in the company of a transvestite. Actually the word is "transvesti", which usually refers to a cross-dresser but can also be taken as simply a person in fancy dress.

6. Bans artificial insemination for lesbians.

NOTE:

1. President Jacques Chirac is very anti-gay.

2. Bishop Louis-Marie Bille, president of the Bishops` Conference, is very anti-gay.

3. Mayor of Pau and Deputy for the Pyrenees-Atlantic region, Andre Labarrere is openly gay.

4. Christine Boutin (FD-Yvelines), member of the French National Assembly, is very anti-gay.

5. Senator Bertrand Delanoe (Socialist) Paris, is openly gay.

COURT:

1. An appeals court ruled in March 1990 that Catholic officials had the right to fire a sexton because he is gay. The court said the man's homosexuality was an infringement of his contract with the Paris parish where he had been employed.

FRENCH GUYANA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 15 for all.

FRENCH POLYNESIA (TAHITI)

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 15 for all.

GABON

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

GEORGIA

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law for anal sex only, oral sex is legal, has no laws against lesbian sex.

GERMANY

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 14 for all. Sexual activity with a person over 14 and under 16 by a person over 18 exploiting a vulnerably placed minor or for payment can be punished with up to five years imprisonment, and sexual activity with a minor in the same age group by a person of over 21 if he or she takes advantage of the victims incapability of sexual self-determination can be punished with up to two years imprisonment.

2. Allows homosexuals in its military, but not as officers.

3. The states (lands) of Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia have anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation.

4. Bans artificial insemination for lesbians.

5. Hamburg offers a domestic partner registry for same-sex couples, it allows hospital visitation rights, and federally subsidized low-rent housing to registered partners.

NOTE:

1. Christina Schenk and Volker Beck both are openly homosexual members of the Lower House of Parliament.

2. Rudolf Scharping, Defense Minister, is very anti-gay.

GHANA

LAWS:

1. Homosexual acts between men can be punished under provisions concerning assault and rape. This will only happen when one of those involved makes a formal complaint or when it concerns an act with a minor.

GREECE

LAWS:

1. Homosexual activity is legal, the age of sexual consent is 15 for all. Acts of lewdness against nature between males which involve the abuse of a relationship of dependence created by employment, or which are committed by an adult seducing a person below the age of 17, or which are committed with the intention of profiteering, are punished with up to 3 months imprisonment.

2. Bans homosexuals from its military.

3. Under a law passed in 1981, on the pretext of protecting public health, the police are empowered to forcibly require gay men to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

GREENLAND

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

2. Allows homosexuals to register their partnership and gives them (with some exceptions) the same rights and responsibilities as a heterosexual married couple, it does not allow them the right to adopt children.

GRENADA

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law.

GUADELOUPE

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 15 for all.

GUATEMALA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18.

GUINEA-BISSAU

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

GUYANA

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with up to life in prison.

HAITI

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18.

HONDURAS

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

2. The new Constitution enacted in 1982 by the new National Congress "guarantees" equality under the law and prohibits discrimination based on sex, race, class or "in any form that harms human dignity" (Article 60). This wording seems open-ended enough to encompass discrimination against sexual minorities and people living with HIV/AIDS, although such an interpretation has yet to be considered by the courts.

HONG KONG

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 21 for homosexual males, and 16 for heterosexuals and lesbians.

NOTE:

1. Hong Kong passed from British to Chinese control in 1997, changes may come.

HUNGARY

LAWS:

1. Homosexual activity is legal, the age of sexual consent is 18 for homosexuals and 14 for heterosexuals.

2. Allows homosexuals to enter into Common-Law Relationships. This allows gays to share Common-Law Partner Benefits as heterosexuals do, including the right to inherit property and a deceased partners pension, but also bans adoption by homosexual couples.

3. Bans artificial insemination for lesbians.

ICELAND

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 14 for all. There is a ban on "seduction" of 14 to 16 year-olds by "misleading, gifts, or other means", which applies equally to heterosexuals and homosexuals.

2. Has a national gay rights law that bans some anti-gay discrimination.

3. Allows homosexuals in its military.

4. Allows homosexual couples to register as Domestic Partners and obtain joint custody of each others biological children.

INDIA

LAWS:

1. Male homosexual sex is forbidden by law, punishable with a maximum sentence of life in prison.

NOTE:

1. Maharashtra Pramod, State Culture Minister, is very anti-gay.

INDONESIA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of consent is 17 for heterosexuals, there are no laws regarding the age of homosexual consent.

IRAN

LAWS:

1. Homosexuality is illegal, those charged with love-making are given a choice of four deathstyles: being hanged, stoned, halved by a sword, or dropped from the highest perch. According to Article 152, if two men not related by blood are discovered naked under one cover without good reason, both will be punished at a judge's discretion. Gay teens (Article 144) are also punished at a judge's discretion. Rubbing one's penis between the thighs without penetration (tafheed) shall be punished by 100 lashes for each offender. This act, known to the English-speaking world as "frottage" is punishable by death if the "offender" is a non-Moslem. If frottage is thrice repeated and penalty-lashes have failed to stop such repetitions, upon the fourth "offense" both men will be put to death. According to Article 156, a person who repents and confesses his gay behavior prior to his identification by four witnesses, may be pardoned. Even kissing "with lust" (Article 155) is forbidden. This bizarre law works to eliminate old Persian male-bonding customs, including common kissing and holding hands in public.

IRAQ

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18. If a minor is between 15 and 18 years old and does not resist the sexual act, the adult may be punished with imprisonment of up to 7 years. If a minor is 14 years or below, the punishment is a maximum of 10 years imprisonment.

IRELAND

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 17 for homosexual males regarding anal and oral sex, 15 for lesbians, and for heterosexuals oral sex is legal at age 15.

2. Incitement of Hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation is illegal.

3. Has a national gay rights law that bans some anti-gay discrimination, including employment. Religious institutions are exempted in instances where it conflicts with their teachings.

4. The Censorship of Publications Board banned the book, Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin, a children's book about a girl living with her father and his male lover. The book was on sale for 7 years before being banned.

5. Citizens can only adopt a child if they are legally married, widowed or judicially separated people.

ISRAEL

LAWS:

1. Homosexual activity is legal, the age of consent is 16 for all.

2. Allows homosexuals in its military.

3. Has a national gay rights law that bans some anti-gay discrimination, including employment.

4. The Civil Service Commission extends spousal benefits and pensions to the partners of homosexual employees.

NOTE:

1. Nahum Rakover, Deputy Attorney General is very outspokenly anti-gay.

2. Yigal Bibi (National Religious Party) is a very outspokenly anti-gay member of Parliament (Knesset).

3. Rabbi Israel Maya is an extremely anti-gay member of Parliament. He says homosexuals should be executed.

4. Uri Lifshitz, a well known painter, is extremely anti-gay.

5. Michal Eden (Meretz Party), elected to the Tel Aviv City Council in 1998, is openly lesbian.

6. Prof. Ozer Schild, Chairman of the Education Ministry`s Pedagogic Secretariat, in Tel Aviv, is very anti-gay.

7. Avraham Steinberg, head of the medical ethics department of the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of

Medicine, in Jerusalem, is anti-gay.

8. Shlomo Benizri, Minister of Health, is extremely anti-gay.

9. Rabbi Haim Druckman, Rabbi Avraham Ravitz, Michael Eitan, and Zevulun Orlev are anti-gay members of

Parliament (Knesset).

COURT:

1. The High Court ruled that the partner of a gay employee at EL AL, Israel's national airline, is entitled to free

airline tickets just as the spouse of any heterosexual employee is.

2. The High Court recognized a lesbian as the adoptive mother of the four-year-old son of her same-sex partner, and ordered the Interior Ministry to register the adoption.

ITALY

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 14 for all.

2. The Italian Parliament voted to recognize (a group of cohabiting persons tied by bonds of affection) as being included in the countries official definition of a family. The new definition also applies to inheritance laws and wills.

3. Bologna allocates public housing units to homosexual couples.

4. Allows homosexuals in its military, but homosexuals may be expelled for (overt gay sexual behavior).

5. Allows only married couples to adopt children.

NOTE:

1. Doctors attending a national Medical Association meeting voted to ban the use of Alternative Insemination for single heterosexual women and lesbians.

2. Irene Pivetti, the speaker of the Lower House of the Italian Parliament is very anti-gay.

3. Gianfranco Fini, National Alliance Leader (Italy's far-right party) is very anti-gay.

4. Fernando Masone, Police Commander (Commanding Officer of the Italian Police), is anti-gay.

5. Giuliano Amato, Prime Minister, is anti-gay.

6. Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio (Green Party), Agriculture Minister, is openly bisexual.

7. Gustavo Selva (National Alliance), Member of Parliament (Lower House), is anti-gay.

COURT:

1. The Italian supreme court ruled on 4-11-00 that homosexuality is a ¡°psychiatric illness or disorder.¡± The ruling came in the case of a woman seeking a divorce from her husband of 25 years because he admitted he is gay. The court was upholding the divorce granted by an ecclesiastical court, which ruled that the woman was not entitled to alimony because the church believes marriages in which one partner turns out to be gay are void ¡°as if they had never taken place.¡± The supreme court agreed that the ecclesiastical court was correct in stating that gays are ¡°psychologically incapable of assuming their conjugal obligations¡± and have ¡°a grave inability to carry out the duties of matrimony.¡±

IVORY COAST

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

JAMAICA

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with up to 10 years imprisonment and hard labor. A penalty of up to 7 years imprisonment, with or without hard labour, is provided for anyone attempting to commit homosexual acts or an "indecent assault" on another male person.

NOTE:

1. K.D. Knight, Justice Minister, is anti-gay.

JAPAN

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent for males ranges by local from age 13 to 17.

2. Bans open homosexuals from its military.

JORDAN

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16 for all. Punishes sexual intercourse with persons under the age of 16 (male or female) with forced labour for three to five years, while the punishment for sex with a male or female under the age of 13 can receive no less than five years imprisonment.

KAZAKHSTAN

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

KENYA

LAWS:

1. Homosexual activity is strictly forbidden, punishable with up to 4 years in prison.

NOTE:

1. Daniel arap Moi, President of Kenya, is extremely anti-homosexual.

KIRIBATI

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with up to 14 years in prison.

KOSOVO

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for homosexual males and 14 for lesbians and heterosexuals. Homosexual males who have sexual relations with another male under 18 can receive up to 1 year imprisonment.

KUWAIT

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishes sexual intercourse between men over 21 years of age with imprisonment of up of to seven years, it punishes sexual intercourse with a male under 21 with imprisonment of up to 10 years.

KYRGYZSTAN

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws

LATVIA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 14 for all.

2. Only married couples can adopt and foster children.

3. Lesbians have no access to donor insemination.

4. Under paragraph 35.2 of the Latvian Civil Law same-sex marriages are prohibited.

LEBANON

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with imprisonment not exceeding one year.

LESOTHO

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

LIBERIA

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law.

LIBYA

LAWS:

1. Homosexual activity is illegal, punished with 3 to 5 years imprisonment.

LIECHTENSTEIN

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for homosexuals and 14 for lesbians and heterosexuals.

2. Formation of lesbian and gay organizations is prohibited.

3. Promotion of homosexuality is prohibited.

LITHUANIA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18 for homosexual males and 16 for lesbians and heterosexuals. Homosexual males who have sexual relations with another male under 18 can receive up to 3 to 8 years imprisonment.

2. Access to donor insemination services is limited to married couples.

LUXEMBOURG

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16 for all.

2. Allows homosexuals in its military.

3. Has a hate crimes law that gives prison sentences from one month to two years and/or fines from 10.001 to 1 million Francs for incitement to hatred, discrimination and violence or acts of discrimination against physical persons, a community or corporate body based on their sexual orientation. The sentences provided will be higher by one third (3 months to three years, fine up to 1,500,000 Francs) if the offence is committed by a civil servant.

4. Has a national gay rights law that bans some anti-gay discrimination. The law punishes, among other things, the refusal of goods or services, the advertising of such a refusal to groups based on sexual orientation, and the obstruction of normal economic activity whatsoever. The law also concerns the labour market, e.g., the non-employment or sacking of persons due to sexual orientation. According to the provisions, associations fighting against discrimination will have the right to institute proceedings even if individual(s) concerned do not sue for discrimination.

MACAU

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

MACEDONIA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws.

NOTE:

1. The Bar Association in Macedonia voted to ban homosexuals and alcoholics from becoming lawyers. Gays who already are licensed to practice law will be allowed to continue.

MADAGASCAR

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 21.

MALAWI

LAWS:

1. Section 153 Penal Code, which prohibits "unnatural offences", and Section 156 concerning "public decency", are used to punish homosexual acts. It is reported that, in the past, Europeans who committed homosexual acts with Malawis were prosecuted under Article 156 and expelled as undesirable aliens.

MALAYSIA

LAWS:

1. Homosexual(muslim) acts are strictly illegal, punishable by lashing and a prison sentence of up to 20 years. Even cruising is illegal, punishable with up to 2 years in prison.

NOTE:

1. Ibrahim Ali, chairman, and Tamrin Tun Ghafar, deputy chairman of Peoples Anti-Homosexual Volunteer

Movement (PASRAH), are both extremely anti-gay. Ibrahim Ali is a member of the supreme Council of president Mahathir Mohamad`s United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party.

MALDIVES

LAWS:

1. Male homosexual sex is forbidden by law, punishable with a maximum sentence of life in prison.

MALI

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law.

MALTA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 12 for all. Relations with adolescents up to 18 years are only criminal if they are considered to "deprave" the minor.

MARSHALL ISLANDS

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with 10 years in prison.

MARTINIQUE

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 15 for all.

MAURITANIA

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with death.

MAURITIUS

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law, punishable with up to 5 years in prison.

MEXICO

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 18. Imprisonment of 3 to 8 years applies to anyone "who facilitates or procures" the corruption of a minor under 18 years of age, education about sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases cannot be considered as corruption of minors.

2. Mexico City has a gay rights law that bans some anti-gay discrimination. The law prohibits provocation or incitement of hate or violence, and bans bias in employment and public accommodations and services. The penalty for violation of the law will be one to three years in prison and/or a fine equal to 50 to 200 days¡¯

salary and/or 25 to 100 days of community service.

NOTE:

1. Pedro Joaquin-Coldwell, Ambassador to Cuba, is openly bisexual.

2. Patria Jimenez (PRT), is an openly lesbian member of the Chamber of Deputies.

MOLDAVIA

LAWS:

1. Male homosexual sex is illegal.

MOLDOVA

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16 for oral sex, and 18 for anal sex for all.

MONACO

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 15, consent is considered not to be present between a minor (under 18) and a person in a position of authority.

MONTENEGRO

LAWS:

1. Homosexual activity is legal, the age of consent is 14 for all.

MOROCCO

LAWS:

1. Homosexual activity is illegal, which provides a penalty of between 6 months and 3 years imprisonment and additional fines from 120 to 1200 dirhams for "lewd or unnatural acts with an individual of the same sex".

MOZAMBIQUE

LAWS:

1. Homosexual activity is illegal, punishable with a penalty of up to 3 years imprisonment in a "re-education institution" where hard labour is used to alter the prisoners "aberrant behaviour".

NAMIBIA

LAWS:

1. Male homosexuality is illegal.

2. Namibia's Labour Code (Clause 107) explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace.

NOTE:

1. President Sam Nujoma says homosexuals must be condemned and rejected in our society.

2. Finance Minister, Helmut Angula, is very anti-gay.

3. Home Affairs Minister, Jerry Ekandjo, is extremely anti-gay.

4. Jeremiah Nambinga, Deputy Home Affairs Minister, is extremely anti-gay.

COURT:

1. The High Court in Windhoek on June 24 reaffirmed a German lesbian's right to permanent residence status based on her relationship with her Namibian partner. Judge Harold Levy found that since heterosexual couples are recognized for common-law relationships -- "universal partnerships" -- then, given the "equality provision in the Constitution and the provision against discrimination on the grounds of sex, I have no hesitation in saying that the long-term relationship between the applicants in so far as it is a universal partnership, is recognized by law."

NAURU

LAWS:

1. Has a sodomy law.

NEPAL

LAWS: 1. Male homosexual sex is forbidden by law, punishable with a maximum sentence of life in prison.

NETHERLANDS

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16 for all, sex between an adult and a young person between the ages of 12 and 16 is permitted by law, as long as the young person consents. It may only be prosecuted by complaint from the young person or the young person¡¯s parents. The question remains whether the public prosecutions department would proceed to prosecute if the young person themself had consented and their parents filed the complaint.

2. Has a national gay rights law that bans some anti-gay discrimination, including labour, housing, medical care and access to goods and services.

3. Allows homosexuals in its military. Dutch laws permit members of the armed services to engage in consensual homosexual relationships when off duty and away for military premises, be it with a civilian or a member of the armed services of the same or another rank.

4. The Royal Dutch Air Force requires everyone entering the force to undergo an innovative training program to increase sensitivity to Gays in the Air Force. The Dutch armed forces appear to be the most sensitive to

gays in the world, although the Army and Navy do not have similar training programs.

5. Allows foreign partners of its homosexual citizenry to receive residency permits.

6. Many cities have instituted Domestic Partner registrations for same-sex couples.

7. Offers many legal rights for same-sex partners, however it excludes the right to Alternative Insemination for

lesbian couples.

8. Allows homosexuals to adopt children.

COURT:

1. The courts have interpreted the constitution to prohibit anti-gay discrimination.

NOTE:

1. Elizabeth Schmidt, Justice Minister, is very anti-gay.

2. Lee van Dijke, member of the Dutch National Parliament and leader of the national religious party is very

anti-gay.

NETHERLANDS ANTILLES

LAWS:

1. Has no sodomy laws, the age of sexual consent is 16 for all. Homosexual contacts with minors under the age of 16 is punished with a penalty of up to 4 years imprisonment. Heterosexual contacts with minors under the age of 16 are only criminal under certain co

HOMOSEXUAL RIGHTS AROUND THE WORLD