In June, the UN Human Rights Council declared there should be no discrimination or violence against people based on their sexual orientation. The controversial resolution marked the first time that the Council recognized equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. In the same month, New York became the most populous U.S. state to allow gay marriage, in a high-profile victory for gay rights activists. This series of images tracks the status of LGBT rights in 42 nations based on data from the International lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex association. 42 PHOTOS