Compact chronological overview of the legal recognition of homosexual orientation in the countries of the world: providing the provisional 1791–2025 data for the author’s Global Index on Legal Recognition of Homosexual Orientation (GILRHO)

Author(s):
Waaldijk, K.
Published
2025
Publication type
Research paper

Abstract

This is an updated version of the paper presented at the author’s farewell symposium Comparative Sexual Orientation Law: Data for a Developing Discipline (Leiden, 26–27 June 2025), marking the fifteenth and final year of the sponsored chair in comparative sexual orientation law which he held from 2011 until 2025 at Leiden University

This compact chronological overview lists the countries of the world that have decriminalised homosexual acts, the countries that have started to explicitly prohibit sexual orientation discrimination, and the countries that have started to legally recognise same-sex couples. It does so in chronological order per continent – and thereby tells the story of legal recognition of homosexual orientation in more and more countries. Eight key milestones in the process of legal recognition have been selected for inclusion in this overview.

This paper provides the provisional 1791–2025 data for the author’s Global Index on Legal Recognition of Homosexual Orientation (GILRHO). The plan is that further updated versions of this paper will become available in the coming years.

Sexual orientationComparative lawDecriminalisation of homosexual sexAnti-discrimination lawSexual orientation discriminationSame-sex partnershipSame-sex marriageAdoptionAge of consentGlobal index
Date issued
2025-11-30
Language
English
Publisher (host)
Leiden : [Publisher not identified]
Is part of
hdl
1887/4296251
doi
10.2139/ssrn.5938194
URL
https://ssrn.com/abstract=5938194