Was being gay illegal

Ghana has become the latest African country to propose legislation outlawing homosexuality. 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 Report , and comes "despite international outcry and warnings from Ghana's key development partners". Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Millions of people continue to live in places that outlaw same-sex relationships and prosecute people for being gay. In five countries and in parts of two others, homosexuality is still punishable with the death penalty, while a further 70 imprison citizens because of their sexual orientation. Even where homosexuality is legal, many countries treat those in same-sex relationships differently, such as having an unequal age of consent or a ban on marriage. In Russia, host of the Sochi Winter Olympics, a law banning the promotion of "non-traditional" sexuality to unders was introduced last year.

US Vice-President Kamala Harris who is on a tour of three African countries - Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia - has drawn criticism over her support for LGBTQ rights. In Ghana, in a speech calling for "all people be treated equally" she appeared to criticise a bill before the country's parliament which criminalises advocacy for gay rights and proposes jail terms for those that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. The country's Speaker Alban Bagbin later called her remarks "undemocratic" and urged lawmakers not to be "intimidated by any person". In Tanzania, a former minister spoke against US support for LGBTQ rights ahead of the visit and in Zambia some opposition politicians have threatened to hold protests.

A strong global movement has improved respect for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender LGBT people around the world. However, at least 67 countries have national laws criminalizing same-sex relations between consenting adults. In addition, at least nine countries have national laws criminalizing forms of gender expression that target transgender and gender nonconforming people. This series of maps provides a global overview of those laws.