More than 2.7 billion people live in countries where being gay is a crime: New research lays bare discrimination faced by gay people – in not a single country do they enjoy equal rights as heterosexuals; Guardian, 5/16/14

James Ball, Guardian; More than 2.7 billion people live in countries where being gay is a crime: New research lays bare discrimination faced by gay people – in not a single country do they enjoy equal rights as heterosexuals:

"More than 2.7 billion people live in countries where being gay is punishable by imprisonment, lashes or even death, new research obtained by the Guardian shows.

The stark figure from the International Lesbian and Gay Association (Ilga) highlights the discrimination faced by gay people around the world; the full report shows there is not a single country where LGBT people enjoy equal legal rights with their heterosexual counterparts.

Five countries – Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen – still have a statutory death penalty for homosexuality, while a further 71 countries punish same-sex couples with lesser sentences of imprisonment or corporal punishment...

All Out, a global campaign for equal rights, welcomed the research but said it highlighted the difficulties faced by gay people across the world.

Executive director Andre Banks said: "As a lesbian, gay or trans person, there is nowhere you can go on the planet to be treated equally under the law. It is unfair and it is untenable. But, the laws don't tell the whole story. Everywhere you go, there are millions of people who reject the notion that your ability to live openly and free from torture and discrimination should be an accident of your birth."