Sodomy law

A sodomy law is a law that defines certain sexual acts as sex crimes. The precise sexual acts meant by the term sodomy are rarely spelled out in the law, but are typically understood by courts to include any sexual act which does not lead to procreation. It also has a range of similar euphemisms.^[1] These acts typically include oral sex, anal sex and bestiality; in practice such laws have rarely been enforced against heterosexual couples.^[2]
Such laws have roots in antiquity, and are linked to religious
proscriptions against certain sex acts. Contemporary supporters of
sodomy laws argue that there are additional reasons for retaining them.
Sodomy laws can be found around the world. Today, consensual
homosexual acts between adults are illegal in about 70 out of the 195
countries of the world;^[3] in 40 of these, only male-male sex is outlawed.^[4] This number has been declining since the second half of the 20th century.

• 2 Sodomy laws by country
  
  • 2.1 Australia
  • 2.2 Brazil
  • 2.3 Canada
  • 2.4 China, People's Republic of
    
    • 2.4.1 Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
    • 2.4.2 Macau Special Administrative Region
    
    
  • 2.5 Taiwan
  • 2.6 Denmark
  • 2.7 France
  • 2.8 Germany
  • 2.9 Gibraltar
  • 2.10 Hungary
  • 2.11 Iceland
  • 2.12 India
  • 2.13 Israel
  • 2.14 Japan
  • 2.15 Korea, North
  • 2.16 Korea, South
  • 2.17 New Zealand
  • 2.18 Poland
  • 2.19 Russia
  • 2.20 Singapore
  • 2.21 Sweden
  • 2.22 Thailand
  • 2.23 United Kingdom
  • 2.24 United States
    
    • 2.24.1 State laws at time of 2003 Supreme Court decision
    
    
  • 2.25 Zimbabwe