Despite several “positive developments” in gay rights around the world, 69 United Nations (UN) member states continue to criminalise same-sex relations, campaigners said Tuesday, AFP reported. There are six nations, where being gay is punishable by death, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) said in its fresh report.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has created significant additional challenges for LGBTI and other minority communities, “positive developments have taken place,” the organisation said.

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But while the trend is towards acceptance, a full 69 UN member states continue to criminalise consensual sex between people of the same gender, the report found.

Last year, there were 70 countries on this list.

Over the past five years, 34 of the 69 countries have actively enforced their laws that criminalises homosexuality, the ILGA said in its report.

In six UN member states, the death penalty is the legally prescribed punishment for consensual homosexual sex: Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, as well as across 12 northern states of Nigeria.

And the report said sources indicated that the death penalty could potentially be used in such cases in five other countries — Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia and the United Arab Emirates — although there was less legal certainty.

Another 42 countries have erected legal barriers to freedom of expression and sexual orientation and gender identity issues, while 51 have legal barriers to setting up NGOs that work on LGBTI issues.

The organisation also voiced concern over the proliferation of so-called “LGBT-free zones” in places like Poland and Indonesia, and renewed support for “conversion therapies”.

But even as anti-gay rights forces seem to gain ground in a number of places, ILGA said its latest report showed “how our global community has collectively achieved progress in every single legal category tracked.”

It highlighted that Sudan in July repealed the death penalty for consensual same-sex sexual acts, and hailed that Germany had become one of four UN member states which ban conversion therapies at the national level.

A number of jurisdictions within Australia, Canada, Mexico and the United States have also done so.

And it celebrated that Costa Rica had joined the growing number of countries that have introduced marriage equality, bringing the total to 28.

Another 34 countries provide for some partnership recognition for same-sex couples, it pointed out.

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Tuesday’s report also showed that as of this month, same-sex sexual acts are legal in 124 countries — 64% of UN member states.

A full 81 countries meanwhile have laws offering protection against discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation, ILGA said, pointing out that 20 years ago, only 15 had such provisions.