10 Countries Around the World Where Celebrating Pride Month Could Get You Arrested

Pride Month in June is a routine part of public life in many U.S. cities, from New York to San Francisco. In at least 10 countries, though, celebrating Pride publicly can still bring police detention, prosecution, or jail time under laws documented by Human Rights Watch, ILGA World, Reuters, the BBC, and local court records.

Uganda

Uganda enacted one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ laws in May 2023, when President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act, according to Uganda’s government gazette and Reuters. The law includes penalties up to life imprisonment for same-sex conduct, and rights groups have said public LGBTQ organizing carries added legal risk.

In August 2022, before that law took effect, Ugandan police already raided an LGBTQ rights workshop in Kampala and detained more than 20 people, according to Human Rights Watch. For travelers or dual nationals, that record shows public Pride-themed gatherings can draw police attention even when authorities describe the event differently.

Russia

Russia’s restrictions widened sharply after the country’s Supreme Court ruled in November 2023 that the “international LGBT movement” should be treated as extremist, according to Russian state media and Reuters. That designation opened the door to arrests tied to symbols, organizing, and public events associated with LGBTQ advocacy.

Russia had already banned what it calls “LGBT propaganda” among minors in 2013, then expanded that law to all ages in December 2022, according to the BBC. In practice, a Pride march, rainbow signage, or a public celebration in Moscow or St. Petersburg can carry serious legal exposure.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia does not recognize LGBTQ rights, and same-sex sexual conduct is criminalized under interpretations of Sharia law, according to the U.S. State Department’s human rights reporting. Public displays connected to Pride can also be treated as violations of public morality rules enforced by Saudi authorities.

In 2022, Saudi officials seized rainbow-colored items from shops in Riyadh, saying the products promoted homosexuality, according to Reuters and Saudi state-linked media. That action did not involve a Pride parade, but it showed that even visible Pride symbols can lead to official enforcement in the kingdom.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates has marketed cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi as global tourism hubs, but LGBTQ expression still faces legal limits, according to the U.S. State Department and Human Dignity Trust. Federal penal rules and public morality laws can be used against same-sex intimacy or related public conduct.

In 2023 and 2024, rights groups continued warning that public Pride events in the UAE could trigger arrest, deportation, or detention, even though enforcement details are not always made public. The government does not publish a comprehensive list of Pride-related arrests, which makes the full scale hard to verify.

Qatar

Qatar drew global attention during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, when questions about rainbow symbols and LGBTQ safety became an international issue, according to FIFA statements and Reuters reporting. Same-sex relations remain criminalized under Qatari law, and public morality rules also shape what police can stop or punish.

Human Rights Watch reported in October 2022 that Qatari security forces had detained LGBTQ people in the years before the World Cup. That reporting did not focus only on Pride events, but it showed that visible LGBTQ expression in Doha can carry legal risks during public gatherings.

Egypt

Egypt does not explicitly ban homosexuality in one single statute, but prosecutors have repeatedly used debauchery and morality laws to arrest LGBTQ people, according to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. That legal setup means Pride-style public events can be targeted even without a law that names Pride directly.

One of the clearest examples came after a September 2017 concert in Cairo, where rainbow flags were raised at a Mashrou’ Leila show. Egyptian authorities then arrested dozens of people, according to Reuters and rights groups, making it one of the region’s best-documented anti-LGBTQ crackdowns.

Tunisia

Tunisia is often described as more socially open than some neighboring states, but Article 230 of the penal code still criminalizes same-sex conduct with up to three years in prison, according to Human Dignity Trust and local legal records. That law creates clear risk around public LGBTQ gatherings.

Rights groups including Amnesty International have said police in Tunisia have used morality and public order powers against LGBTQ people in recent years. A Pride celebration in Tunis would not automatically mean arrest in every case, but the legal tools for detention and prosecution remain in place.

Ghana

Ghana’s current criminal code already punishes what the law describes as “unnatural carnal knowledge,” according to Ghanaian legal texts and rights groups tracking enforcement. That has made public LGBTQ organizing sensitive for years, especially in Accra, where police have faced pressure around community events.

In February 2024, Ghana’s parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, according to Reuters and parliamentary records, though its final legal status has faced further review. Even before that bill, police scrutiny and the existing criminal law meant a Pride event could bring arrests.

Nigeria

Nigeria criminalizes same-sex relationships nationwide, and in the north, several states apply Sharia-based penalties that can be even harsher, according to the U.S. State Department and Human Rights Watch. The federal Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act was signed in January 2014.

That 2014 law goes beyond marriage and also penalizes participation in gay clubs, societies, and organizations, with prison terms of up to 10 years, according to the statute. A public Pride gathering in Lagos or Abuja could therefore expose attendees to arrest under federal law.

Indonesia

Indonesia does not criminalize same-sex conduct nationwide, but local laws make the picture very different in places like Aceh, where Sharia bylaws are enforced, according to Human Rights Watch and local court reporting. That means the risk tied to Pride-related gatherings varies sharply by region.

In recent years, Indonesian police have broken up private gatherings and public events linked to LGBTQ communities in Jakarta and other cities, according to Reuters and Amnesty International. For Americans used to June Pride festivals, the practical takeaway is simple: in these 10 countries, public celebration can carry real legal danger.