Score = Legal 10/60 + Scene 0/40 = 10/100 · thin scene coverage — legal-weighted provisional score
Iran ranks #182 of 208 countries and territories in the GayOut Gay Travel Index 2026, with a composite score of 10/100 — a legal safety component of 10/60 and a scene score of 0/40. Updated 2026-08-17 · release 2026.3.
Same-sex intimacy is criminalized or actively repressed here. Consult your government travel advisories before any trip; this listing is informational, not an endorsement of travel.
| Criminalization | Death penalty |
|---|---|
| Partnership | ● No (marriage equality) |
| Anti-discrimination | ● No |
| Gender recognition | Legal route — recognition possible via medical or administrative process |
| Enforcement reality | Severe — systematic state persecution |
Research note: State-coerced surgery route; sodomy executions continue — GayOut Index 2026.3 legal research (ILGA World / Human Dignity Trust / Rainbow Europe / Equaldex).
Fulfilment per component (100 = maximum). Weights: criminalisation 35% · partnership 20% · enforcement 20% · anti-discrimination 15% · gender recognition 10%.
| LGBTQ+ venues listed | 0 |
|---|---|
| Dedicated gay bars | 0 |
| Gay saunas | 0 |
| Gay bars per million | — |
| Saunas per million | — |
| Events per million | 0 |
| Cities with a scene | 0 |
| Pride parades | 0 |
| Queer film festivals | 0 |
| Coverage grade | — |
| Scene score | 0/40 (raw scene index 0/100) |
Iran is rated Death-penalty risk on the GayOut Gay Travel Index 2026: same-sex intimacy is criminalized and can carry the death penalty. Its legal safety component is 10/60. On enforcement reality, systematic state persecution is documented.
No. Same-sex marriage is not legal in Iran. Overall legal status: Death penalty.
GayOut currently lists no LGBTQ+ venues in Iran, so any gay scene is limited, informal or not publicly documented.