While a part of the Soviet Union, Belarus used the laws common for all Soviet republics. Homosexuality was considered illegal. Sexual relationship between females have never been illegal in Belarus, while those between males were always prosecuted. Words such as homosexuality or gay were not present in any old Soviet code as the Soviet juridical system used the term sodomy. On 1 March 1994 the Parliament of Independent Belarus changed Article 119-1 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, and homosexuality became legal.