Topic Guide
Global Decriminalisation and Marriage Wins
Short answer
Recent global LGBTQ+ legal wins show courts, legislatures and civil-society campaigns removing colonial-era criminal laws and expanding relationship recognition.
- Status
- reviewed
- Reviewed
- 4 June 2026
- Sources
- 9
- High trust
- 7
Curated Routes
Appears in these journeys
Use a journey when you want to keep reading through a connected route.
Overview
The 2010s and 2020s brought important legal victories across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, though progress remained uneven. The longer history of decriminalisation includes the Soviet Union briefly removing criminal penalties after the 1917 Revolution. Mozambique and Angola removed colonial-era criminal provisions through penal-code reform. Belize, India and Botswana won court judgments against criminalisation, showing the continuing importance of constitutional litigation and human-rights arguments. Singapore repealed Section 377A through legislation while protecting a restrictive marriage definition, illustrating that decriminalisation is not the same as full equality. Thailand's Marriage Equality Act then marked a major Asian marriage-recognition milestone, moving from legislative passage in 2024 to couples registering marriages in 2025.
Penal-code reform
Mozambique and Angola show how legislatures can remove colonial-era provisions and modernise criminal law without waiting for a constitutional court case.
Court-led decriminalisation
Belize, India and Botswana show the role of courts, activists and human-rights litigation in striking down criminalisation.
Repeal and relationship recognition
Singapore's Section 377A repeal and Thailand's marriage-equality law show different legal endpoints: decriminalisation on one hand, and equal marriage recognition on the other.
Key Timeline Events
Mozambique Decriminalises Homosexuality
Mozambique's revised Penal Code came into force, removing colonial-era provisions that had criminalised homosexual acts. The previous code, inherited from Portuguese colonial rule, had penalised 'acts against nature.' Mozambique became one of a growing number of African countries to decriminalise homosexuality, though it did not add explicit anti-discrimination protections.
Belize Decriminalises Homosexuality
The Supreme Court of Belize struck down Section 53 of the Criminal Code, which had criminalised 'carnal intercourse against the order of nature,' a law inherited from British colonial rule. The case was brought by activist Caleb Orozco, who challenged the law as a violation of constitutional rights to dignity, privacy, and non-discrimination. The ruling was upheld on appeal in 2019.
India Decriminalises Homosexuality — Section 377 Struck Down
The Supreme Court of India unanimously struck down the colonial-era Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which had criminalised 'carnal intercourse against the order of nature' since 1861. In Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India, the five-judge bench declared the law unconstitutional, ruling that it violated the fundamental rights to equality, privacy, and dignity. The original law had been imposed during British colonial rule.
Botswana High Court Decriminalises Homosexuality
The High Court of Botswana unanimously struck down colonial-era laws criminalising same-sex relations, ruling that sections of the Penal Code violated constitutional rights to privacy, liberty, and dignity. Justice Michael Leburu declared that 'sexual orientation is not a fashion statement. It is an important attribute of one's personality.' The ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal in 2021.
Angola Decriminalises Homosexuality and Bans Discrimination
Angola's revised Penal Code came into force, removing colonial-era 'vices against nature' provisions that had criminalised homosexual acts since Portuguese rule. Crucially, the new code went further than simple decriminalisation: it explicitly banned discrimination based on sexual orientation, making Angola one of the few African nations with such protections enshrined in criminal law.
Singapore Repeals Section 377A — Decriminalises Gay Sex
Singapore's Parliament voted to repeal Section 377A of the Penal Code, which had criminalised sex between men since British colonial rule in 1938. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had announced the repeal in his National Day Rally, acknowledging that the law was 'long outdated.' However, Parliament simultaneously amended the Constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman, preventing future legal challenges for same-sex marriage.
Thailand Passes Marriage Equality Act
Thailand's Marriage Equality Act received royal assent on 24 September 2024 after passing both chambers of parliament, making Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. The law, which took effect on 22 January 2025, grants same-sex couples equal rights in marriage including adoption, inheritance, and tax benefits.
Thailand's Marriage Equality Act Takes Effect
Thailand's Marriage Equality Act officially came into force, with same-sex couples across the country registering their marriages from the first day. Thailand became the third territory in Asia to implement marriage equality, following Taiwan and Nepal. Celebrations were held nationwide, and the first registrations drew significant media attention.
First Soviet Decriminalisation
After the Russian Revolution, the new Soviet regime briefly removed criminal penalties for homosexuality by abolishing the Tsarist penal code. This progressive policy was short-lived, however, as Stalin recriminalised homosexuality in 1933, ushering in decades of persecution that would endure throughout the Soviet era.
