The laws governing the rights of LGBT people vary significantly across the globe. Five countries have legalised equality in marriage for same-sex couples – The Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Spain and South Africa.

A number of other mainly European countries have partnership laws in place which give Lesbian and Gay couples some of the rights enjoyed by Heterosexual married couples.

In many other parts of the World however, same-sex love is prohibited and some countries even proscribe the death penalty such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. Below is a worldwide map of laws governing LGBT rights:

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