Was being gay ever against the law
Homosexuality is a crime in 64 countries worldwide
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Ghana has turn into the latest African nation to propose legislation outlawing homosexuality.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which seeks to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities and lobbying, is returning to parliament after former president Nana Akufo-Addo failed to signal it into law before leaving office at the beginning of this year.
The bill is being sponsored by 10 lawmakers from both major parties, "an unusual bipartisan effort in Ghana's polarised political landscape", said The Africa Notify, and comes "despite international outcry and warnings from Ghana's key development partners".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & Keep
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the leading of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Wonderful News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The legislation, which has the backing of President John Dram
Here's a short history of the battle for LGBT rights in Ireland
TODAY MARKS THE 25th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the Republic of Ireland.
Earlier this week, the government apologised to men who were convicted of engaging in consensual same-sex activity prior to the decriminalisation in 1993.
While the decriminalisation came 25 years ago, the battle to end the inequality of LGBT people in Ireland dates advocate long before that.
So, where did it all begin? Here are some of the main events throughout the years.
1861 – Offences Against the Persons Act
For most of Ireland’s history, its laws against homosexuality dated back to the Victorian era and were felt for more than 140 years.
The Offences Against the Persons Proceed, 1861 made “buggery” an offence punishable by penal servitude.
Under the section “Unnatural Offences”, the Act read: “Whosoever shall be convicted of the abominable crime of buggery, committed either with mankind or with any animal shall be liable … to be kept in penal servitude for life.”
1970s – The beginning of a social movement
One of the first notable actions against the crimality of homoesxuality was led by David Norris, w
How the Laws Were Used Traditionally
The ruling in Lawrence v. Texas is one of a mere handful of cases since the American revolution involving two adults - vertical or gay - actually prosecuted for being intimate in private. For most of the 19th and 20th centuries, sodomy laws were used as secondary charges in cases of sexual assault, sex with children, public sex and sex with animals. Most of those cases involved heterosexual sex.
Originally, sodomy laws were part of a larger body of law - derived from church law - engineered to prevent nonprocreative sexuality anywhere, and any sexuality outside of marriage.
Sodomy Laws Are Aimed at Gay People in the 70's
Sodomy laws began to be used in a new way, distinctly against gay people, in the tardy 1960's. As the young gay rights movement began to make headway, and the social condemnation of being same-sex attracted began to weaken, social conservatives began to invoke sodomy laws as a justification for discrimination.
In nine states, sodomy laws were explicitly rewritten so that they only applied to gay people. Kansas was the first state to do that in 1969. Kansas was followed in the 1970's by Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Tenn
Timeline: 22 years between first and last Australian states decriminalising male homosexuality
The political manoeuvres over same-sex attracted law reform in Australia have been characterised by a series of defeats and setbacks before eventual success.
South Australia was the first state to decriminalise male homosexuality and it took the last remaining declare, Tasmania, 22 years to follow suit.
First state decriminalises homosexuality
September 17, 1975
South Australia is the first state to decriminalise male homosexuality under reformist premier Don Dunstan and attorney-general Peter Duncan.
ACT prepares bill before SA
November 4, 1976
The Operate very nearly defeat SA to the punch, having prepared a decriminalisation bill before Dunstan.
Canberra did not contain self government at the time, relying on Federal Parliament to enact laws which were not passed until after SA.
Police harassment continues into 1980s
December 23, 1980
Until 1949 the death penalty was still on the books for sodomy in Victoria.
The Hamer Liberal government decriminalised male homosexuality in December 1980.
A loosely worded "soliciting for immoral purposes" clause, inserted by dissident Liberals, saw p
Which countries impose the death penalty on gay people?
Around the world, queer people continue to face discrimination, violence, harassment and social stigma. While social movements have marked progress towards acceptance in many countries, in others homosexuality continues to be outlawed and penalised, sometimes with death.
According to Statistica Research Department, as of 2024, homosexuality is criminalised in 64 countries globally, with most of these nations situated in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In 12 of these countries, the death penalty is either enforced or remains a possibility for personal, consensual same-sex sexual activity.
In many cases, the laws only apply to sexual relations between two men, but 38 countries include amendments that include those between women in their definitions.
These penalisations represent abuses of human rights, especially the rights to freedom of expression, the right to develop one's own traits and the right to life.
Which countries enforce the death penalty for homosexuality?
Saudi Arabia
The Wahabbi interpretation of Sharia law in Saudi Arabia maintains that acts of homosexuality should be disciplined in the sa