🇺🇿 Criminalised · Art. 120
Uzbekistan is one of two post-Soviet states where male homosexuality remains criminal. Formally — up to 3 years. In practice the main vector is not prison, but blackmail from police using Art. 120 as leverage. That means: safety rules matter more than legal nuances.
The law
Article 120 — "Besoqolbozlik"
"Voluntary sexual intercourse of a man with a man" — up to 3 years' imprisonment. The article is inherited from the Soviet code (former Art. 121 of the Uzbek SSR, 1959). After independence in 1994 it remained, while Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan decriminalised in 1998, and Turkmenistan kept a similar Art. 135.
2021 reform — Art. 120 stayed
During the general Criminal Code reform the article was kept. International pressure (UN, EU) was there, but no internal change. HRW and ILGA record use of Art. 120 every year.
Real risks
Police blackmail — the main scenario
The most common scheme: you get caught on Grindr / in a park / at a flat, money is extorted ($500–$5000), you don't pay — a case is opened under Art. 120. You pay — you're let go, but your profile goes into a database, and blackmail can repeat. What to do under blackmail →
Grindr traps
Police and private extortionists create fake profiles, arrange a meeting, detain. Grindr safely → — always VPN, fake profile, no face, meet only in a public place by day.
Forced medical exam
HRW documents the use of anal examination as "evidence" under Art. 120. The method is recognised by the UN as a form of torture but continues in practice. You have the right to refuse — formally. Pressure is immense.
Family
Uzbek family structure is collectivist. "Shame" is felt across the whole extended family. Typical reaction to a coming out: forced marriage, isolation, in worst cases — physical violence. Parents found out →
If you're detained
First hour
□Stay silent. You have the right to silence. Do not admit, do not explain, do not justify.
□Do not unlock your phone. You are not obliged to give the password. All chats, Grindr, photos — will stay locked.
□Do not sign anything. Especially a "confession" in Uzbek that you cannot read.
□Ask for a lawyer. An appointed lawyer is your right. Do not agree to speak before they arrive.
□Refuse the medical exam. Formally it requires consent. The UN has recognised forced anal examination as torture.
□Call one person. Someone you trust. Tell them where you are. This call is your right.
Health
HIV test
By law the Republican AIDS Centre tests anonymously. In practice — data is sometimes recorded. Clearly ask for "anonymous", bring cash. Alternative: home kits at the pharmacy (20,000–40,000 som, no documents). Full testing guide →
Therapist
No public LGBT-friendly therapists inside Uzbekistan. Only online in Russian — international platforms, Pink Therapy (UK), Alter, Meta. Pay via a relative's card or Wise.
Community
Publicly — nothing
There are no registered LGBT organisations in Uzbekistan. Any public activity is risk under Art. 120 or under "non-traditional relationships propaganda" clauses. Closed invite-only Telegram chats exist, but safety depends on who moderates.
Online — safer
Reddit (r/gaysian, r/lgbt), anonymous Twitter accounts, international Discord servers. Doesn't replace offline, but keeps you out of full isolation. You're not alone →
If you want to claim asylum in the UK
Skybow does not give immigration advice. Only speak to lawyers registered with the IAA / SRA.
Historical perspective
Before the Russian conquest of 1865–1885, same-sex relationships in Turkestan are described by ethnographers Eugene Schuyler and Nikolai Ostroumov as ordinary. The first criminal article appeared in 1832 — the Russian imperial "Code of Laws". The Soviet Art. 121 of the Uzbek SSR, in force from 1934, is its direct descendant. So Art. 120 is not from Uzbek or Islamic tradition — it is a colonial import. History — in full →
Last updated: April 2026. Sources: Human Rights Watch (2021, 2024), ILGA World Map, UN Special Rapporteur reports.