Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in Mali face severe legal and societal challenges not experienced by non-LGBTQ residents.

According to the 2007 Pew Global Attitudes Project, 98 percent[a] of Malian adults believed that homosexuality is considered something society should not accept, which was the highest rate of non-acceptance in the 45 countries surveyed.

The military junta ruling over Mali since 2021 attempted to justify the law as a means of defending “traditional and moral values.” The immediate result was a significant increase in arbitrary arrests and detentions, as well as physical abuse directed at individuals based solely on their appearance or gender expression.

[9] Article 522 of the "Code des Personnes et de la Famille", which was passed by the National Assembly on 2 December 2011 and subsequently signed into the law by the president of Mali, forbids same-sex couples from adopting children.

"[14] The U.S. Department of State's 2011 human rights report found that,[9] There were no publicly visible lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) organizations in the country.