Last edited: November 24, 2007


Sodomy Laws Around the World

White = Legal        Red = Illegal

Sodomy laws are any of the many laws which criminalize non-reproductive, non-commercial, consensual sex between adults in private.

Recent News

Nicaragua to Decriminalise Gay Sex - November 2007
Consensual gay sex will no longer be a criminal offence in Nicaragua under a new penal code due to come into effect on March 2008.

37 Arrested in Malaysian Gay Sex Sweep - November 2007
Thirty-seven men, including two foreigners, are facing floggings and lengthy jail terms following a raid on what is described as a gay sex club.

Saudi King Linked To Material Found In UK Mosques Advocating Killing Gays - October 2007
Agencies linked to the Saudi government have distributed extremist literature to mosques and Islamic centers in Britain, an independent think tank said.

Gay Tolerance in U.S. Reaching Record Marks - May 2007
Pro-gay rights attitudes have reached high points this year, according to a new poll, with more Americans expressing tolerance. 59 percent of Americans believe homosexual relations should be legal.

International Rallies Celebrate Gay Freedom - May 2007
Thursday, May 17, will usher in this year’s annual International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO), a date that honors the anniversary of the day in 1990 when the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its catalogue of mental illnesses.

Alabama Sex-Toy Ban Goes to Supreme Court - May 2007
An adult-store owner asks the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out Alabama's ban on selling sex toys as an unconstitutional intrusion into the bedroom.

Jerry Falwell Dies at 73 - May 2007
The implacable anti-gay and religious right kingpin dies after being found unconscious in his study; a colleague cites his "history of heart challenges."

‘Hall of Shame’ Exposes Dangers of High-Level Homophobia -  May 2007
Pope Benedict XVI, US President George W. Bush and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have undermined human rights by actively promoting prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, Human Rights Watch said today in its annual “hall of shame” to mark the International Day Against Homophobia.

U.N. Study Sees Subtle Discrimination -  May 2007
The disabled, gays and lesbians, and people living with HIV/AIDS are suffering from new and more subtle forms of workplace discrimination, the U.N. labor agency in Geneva said Thursday.

87 Gay Men Arrested in Iran - May 2007
Eighty seven gay men were arrested at a private house party in Iran on May 10th, according to the Toronto-based Iranian Queer Organisation, IRQO.

A Gay Iranian Activist Fled back to Turkey Your Help - April/May 2007
An urgent appeal on behalf of a courageous Iranian gay activist and writer who was deported back to Iran from Turkey two weeks ago.

Iraq: New Murders of Gays - April 2007
Iraqi LGBT -- the London-based group with a network of members and supporters inside Iraq that documents anti-gay violence -- last week released details on the latest series of murders of Iraqi gays by fanatical Islamist death squads.

Nigeria to Criminalize Gay Sex and Marriage - April 2007
Nigerian continues to pursue a draconian anti-gay law despite international condemnation.

Singapore's 'George Washington' Calls for End to Gay Sex Ban - April 2007
Lee Kuan Yew, the man regarded as the father of Singapore says it is time to decriminalize gay sex.


Lawrence v. Texas

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled 6-3 that sodomy laws are unconstitutional. Hundreds of news articles about Lawrence will be added as time permits. 

World News Archive

| Algeria | Armenia | Australia | Azerbaijan | Bahamas | Bahrain | Bangladesh | Barbados | Belarus | Belize | BermudaBotswana | Bosnia- Herzegovina | Burma/Myanmar | Burundi | Cameroon | Canada | Cayman Islands | Chile | China | Cuba | Cyprus | Egypt | Eritrea | Estonia | Ethiopia | Fiji | France | Gambia | Georgia | Germany | Greece | Honduras | India | Indonesia | Iran | Iraq | Israel | Jamaica | Japan | Jordan | Kazakhstan | KenyaKuwait | Kyrgyzstan | Lebanon | Liberia | Lithuania | Macedonia | Malaysia | Maldives | Mexico | Morocco | Namibia | Nepal | Nicaragua | Nigeria | Pakistan | Palestine | Peru | Philippines | Poland | Qatar | Romania | Russia | Saudi Arabia | Senegal | Singapore | Slovakia | Solomon Islands | Somalia | South Africa | South Korea | Sri Lanka | St. Kitts and Nevis | St. Lucia | Sudan | Sweden | Taiwan | Tajikistan | Tanzania | Thailand | Trinidad and Tobago | Turkey | Uganda | Ukraine | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom | Uzbekistan | Zambia | Zimbabwe |

U.S. News Archive

| Alabama | Alaska | American Samoa | Arkansas | Arizona | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | District of Columbia | Florida | Georgia | Guam | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Massachusetts | Maryland | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | Nevada | North Carolina | North Dakota | Northern Mariana Islands | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Puerto Rico | Rhode Island | South Dakota | South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virgin Islands | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming | US Military | United States


A state-by-state legal history of sodomy laws: The Sensibilities of Our Forefathers by George Painter.

Fun, First, and Unique Facts by George Painter.

Survey of Key Developments Worldwide by Alan Freeman

Calendar of important dates in history assembled by George Painter.

Research on criminal sex laws

Why this site was created and credits


Please email Gay & Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest with questions or comments about this site.

1