Benin — Gay Travel Index 2026

Name: Benin — Gay Travel Index 2026
Creator: GayOut
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

42/100

Some caution #113 of 207

Score = Legal 35/60 + Scene 7/40 = 42/100 · thin scene coverage — legal-weighted provisional score

Updated 7 Oct 2026 · release 2026.3.

A live score, not an annual report — it recomputes as laws, rulings and the scene itself change. See what moved in 2026.

Legal composite · Legal milestones · Scene on the ground · Plan your trip · Frequently asked questions

Cotonou → gay city guide

Legal composite — 35/60 points

Criminalization	Legal
Partnership	● No not recognised
Anti-discrimination	● No
Gender recognition	—
Enforcement reality	—

Legal composite, five components

Fulfilment per component (100 = maximum). Weights: criminalisation 35% · partnership 20% · enforcement 20% · anti-discrimination 15% · gender recognition 10%.

Legal milestones

Background, not travel advice — how the current status came to be. For planning a trip, rely on the current score, tier and scene sections above; 2026 movements are tracked in the sourced change log.

1877Benin inherited the French penal code of 1877, which never criminalized consensual same-sex relations between adults. ↗
1947A colonial amendment set an unequal age of consent, penalizing same-sex acts involving anyone under 21. ↗
2017The Digital Code penalized online incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation with up to one year's imprisonment. ↗
2018A new penal code confirmed the legality of consensual same-sex relations between adults and equalized the age of consent. ↗
TodaySame-sex relations remained legal with an equal age of consent, though social stigma persisted and partnerships lacked recognition. ↗

Sources: ILGA World · Human Dignity Trust · Equaldex. Each milestone links to a reference source ↗.

Scene on the ground — 7/40 points

LGBTQ+ venues listed

Dedicated gay bars

Gay saunas

Cities with a scene

Pride parades

Queer film festivals

Detailed scene metrics (for researchers)

Gay bars per million	0
Saunas per million	0
Events per million	0
Coverage grade	A
Scene score	7/40 (raw scene index 18/100)

Frequently asked questions

Is Benin safe for gay travellers?

Benin is rated Some caution on the GayOut Gay Travel Index 2026, scoring 42/100 overall with a legal safety component of 35/60.

Is same-sex marriage legal in Benin?

No. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Benin. Overall legal status: Legal.

Does Benin have a gay scene?

Benin has a limited documented gay scene: GayOut lists 7 LGBTQ+ venues, including 0 dedicated gay bars.

Which city in Benin has the biggest gay scene?

Cotonou has the largest documented LGBTQ+ scene in Benin, with 1 venues listed in the GayOut directory.