The United States is now one of 43 countries worldwide that welcome gays and lesbians in the military, according to various sources, including The Palm Center.
All laws are not created equal. The Palm Center notes that some of the countries listed are "questionable cases" -- Czech Republic, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Slovenia, Switzerland and Germany. In Italy, for example, a gay soldier could still be discharged if their sexual orientation becomes a disruption to their unit.
In the map above, countries in red allow gays and lesbians to serve openly. Here's a complete list of countries:
Albania
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Belgium
Bermuda
Canada
Colombia
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
The Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
Taiwan
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Editor's note: Our initial map was based on a 2009 report by The Palm Center. Since that time, several countries have changed their legislation to allow gays and lesbians to serve openly. This article and accompanying map's information has been updated. We regret the error.
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