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Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Azerbaijan face legal and social challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Azerbaijan since 1 September 2000. Nonetheless, discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity is not banned in the country and same-sex marriage is outlawed.
In 2016, the ILGA ranked Azerbaijan as the worst place (49 out of 49) in Europe to be LGBT, citing "a near total absence of legal protection" for LGBT individuals. In 2017, ILGA-Europe again declared Azerbaijan the worst country in all of Europe for LGBT rights, with the country receiving a final score of 5%. In September 2017, reports emerged that at least 100 members of Baku's LGBT community were arrested, ostensibly as part of a crackdown on prostitution. Activists reported that these detainees were subject to beatings, interrogation, forced medical examinations and blackmail. LGBT people face high rates of violence, harassment and discrimination.