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SPARTACUS GAY TRAVEL INDEX 2023 | Belgium 17th most gay travel friendly country; Malta on 1, Canada and Switzerland share 2nd

The Spartacus International Gay Guide ranks Belgium on a shared 17th place in its Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2023 . This year ‘s most gay travel friendly countries are Malta , Canada and Switzerland .

The updated Spartacus Gay Travel Index provides an overview of the situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex ( LGBTQIA+ ) people in 203 different independent countries and notable or notorious regions.

For 2023 , Malta was the solo first place finisher for the first time, followed by runners-up Canada and Switzerland who were awarded equal points. The top spot in the ranking of the United States of America this year is shared by California , New York , the state of Washington and Colorado .

Malta was able to qualify for the top spot on its own for the first time. This Mediterranean island state improved once again in its recognition of gender identity and is this year’s host of EuroPride .

Germany improved its overall ranking by one point thanks to legal improvements for intersex* persons and now ranks ninth in the index along with Iceland , Spain and the United Kingdom .

spartacus international gay travel index

Switzerland is the big winner

Switzerland made the biggest leap this year, from seven to twelve points and thus to second place, thanks in part to legislation providing for same-sex marriage and a progressive self-determination law.

The global liberalization process of LGBTQIA+ rights has gained traction again. So-called conversion procedures in particular are legally banned in more and more countries, including Australia , Israel and Vietnam .

Predictable bottom-end

Indonesia , Saudi Arabia , Iran , the Russian republic of Chechnya and Afghanistan fell to the bottom of the list.

Indonesia lost three points, partly due to a new criminal law influenced by fundamentalism, causing this nation to slip from 117th to 159th place. The most dangerous countries for LGBTQIA+ travelers in 2023 also include states such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Somalia, and now Afghanistan, where homosexuals are massively persecuted and killed.

Bleak outlook in the United States

The winner in the post- Trump -era US, which continues to be divided on LGBTQIA+ rights, is once again California: In addition to a fulsome queer infrastructure, the state also offers excellent legal protections for LGBTQIA+ citizens. It scored an 11 out of a possible 13 points.

However, three other states also received 11 points this year: New York, Washington, and Colorado.

Oklahoma and Tennessee brought up the rear and Florida fell from 23rd to 31st place in the US ranking, partly due to new censorship (‘Don’t Say Gay’) laws.

Gay Travel Index

Spartacus is publishing the Gay Travel Index since 2012 . There are still many places in the world where LGBTQIA+ travellers and citizens must fear for their happiness and safety. Due to the sometimes wide differences in the world, it can happen that holidaymakers endanger themselves simply by unwise behaviour.

“In order to support the safety of gay tourists worldwide, we publish the Gay Travel Index. It serves as a first guideline – you can find more detailed information about your travel destinations on our website and blog”, Spartacus says.

“The index attempts at finding a balance between measuring the rights of the local LGBT community and considering the demands of queer holidaymakers. Our aim is to monitor the safety of queer people in each country and also increase the awareness on grievances. We are convinced that there are holidaymakers who choose countries where the queer community is an accepted and beloved part of society.”

“But there are also holidaymakers who consciously want to travel to a country in order to enter into a dialogue with the oppressed local queer community. The index is intended to provide either type of holidaymaker with trustworthy and valid information.”

The index has become more and more diverse and queer in the past years. In 2020 we have added new categories to the index to match with a broader diversity of the queer community.

“Thus, the rights of intersexual* people or to a third gender option on legal documents are indexed, as is the welcome fact that conversion procedures are being banned by more and more countries. A specific new category for queer travellers is that of gay marketing, indicating how and if gay travel is promoted per country. It can also be considered an indicator of acceptance of queer people by the local society.”

Rating system

When creating the index, the focus is on political decisions affecting the queer community , legal changes or acts of violence and prohibitions. Positive developments in the respective countries count as plus points, negative ones as minus points.

Categories include among others: marriage equality and anti-discrimination laws, sodomy laws, pride parade bans and hate crimes. Political developments such as marriage equality might at first only affect the LGBT community of the respective country. But every step towards equality is a step forward towards social acceptance and has therefore a direct impact on holidaymakers.

The categories have different levels. If a category has three levels, a maximum of three points can be awarded.

The only exception is the death penalty: A country gets one minus point if the death penalty for homosexual acts is anchored in the law but not executed. If the death penalty is still executed, the country gets five minus points. This ensures these countries rank at the bottom of the list.

Gay Travel Index USA

The legal situation for queer people varies greatly in the 50 US states. “In the Gay Travel Index USA we therefore take a close look at the individual states. In doing so, we were able to adapt the categories specifically to the country and guarantee a closer look. We wanted to explicitly highlight the differences between the individual states.”

“In 2020, we removed some categories, for example marriage equality and HIV travel restrictions, because these are federal laws and all states would receive the same score. Instead, we have added new categories tailored to the USA, which emphasize the differences between the states: Hate crime laws, gay and trans panic defense, anti-discrimination legislation and queer infrastructure.”

“This way, we hope to create a detailed overview so that queer travelers know what to expect in each state.”

For 2023, Belgium is ranked a shared 17 and indeed appears on the 17th line of the spreadsheet. In 2022, Belgium was a shared 18th, on the 18th line. In 2020 the kingdom was ranked 15th on the 15th line. In 2019 Belgium ended 4th, on the 5th line. Because it shared that ranking with Austria and A comes before B.

Is Belgium becoming worse for LGBTQIA+ travellers. No. Other countries are just faring better.

There are 17 categories Spartacus takes into account. Let’s see how Belgium scores versus this year’s champion Malta.

Anti-discrimination legislation: Belgium 2, Malta 2.
Marriage / civil partnership: Belgium 2, Malta 2.
Adoption allowed: Belgium 2, Malta 2.
Transgender rights: Belgium 3, Malta 3.
Intersex / third option: Belgium -1, Malta 2.
Equal age of consent: Belgium 0, Malta 0.
Ban on conversion therapy: Belgium -1, Malta 1.
LGBT marketing: Belgium 1, Malta 2.
Religious influence: Belgium 0, Malta 0.
HIV travel restrictions: Belgium 0, Malta 0.
Anti-gay laws: Belgium 0, Malta 0.
Homosexuality illegal: Belgium 0, Malta 0.
Pride bans: Belgium 0, Malta 0.
Locals hostile: Belgium 0, Malta -1.
Prosecutions: Belgium 0, Malta 0.
Murders: Belgium 0, Malta 0.
Death sentences: Belgium 0, Malta 0.

What is the index worth?

The index is worth what you want it to be worth. It’s one of the resources you could and honestly should check as a queer person before travelling to a country (you’re not familiar with).

Other resources include ILGA-Europe , ILGA aka ILGA World and search ‘LGBT rights in …” on Wikipedia . Also check what your Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diplomatic Service have to say.

Always travel safely, always travel informed.

Queer Belgium

1 in 3 LGBTQIA+ people in Flanders and Brussels experienced physical aggression in the past two years .
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Forbidden Colours helped over 500 queer refugees to flee war in Ukraine .
Flemish LGBTQI+ press support rainbow community in Ukraine .
‘LGBTQIA+ BXL, Collecting Memories’ Exhibition in Brussels City Museum .
MSK Gent – Museum of Fine Arts Ghent introduces LGBTQ+ tour .
Rainbow zebra crossings of Antwerp .
ANTWERP | LGBTQIA+ bookshop Kartonnen Dozen stops .
BRUSSELS | Exploring gay intimacy and sexuality at ‘In The Mood For Love’ exhibition .
City chronicle ‘De kleur van de stad maakt mijn ziel amoureus’ recounts Queer Antwerp history .
‘Masculinities: Liberation through Photography’ exhibition at FOMU, Antwerp’s photography museum .
REVIEW | David Hockney double exhibition at Bozar Brussels’ arts museum .

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1 in 3 LGBTQIA+ people in Flanders and Brussels experienced physical aggression in the past two years.
ILGA-EUROPE | 2022 deadliest rise in homophobic and transphobic violence in over a decade .
Forbidden Colours helped over 500 queer refugees to flee war in Ukraine .
71 (68) countries where gay sex is illegal .
RAINBOW EUROPE MAP AND INDEX 2022 | These are the LGBTQIA-friendly and LGBTQIA-unfriendly countries in Europe .
RAINBOW EUROPE MAP AND INDEX 2021 | These are the LGBTQI-friendly and LGBTQI-unfriendly countries in Europe .
RAINBOW EUROPE MAP AND INDEX 2020 | These are the LGBT-friendly and LGBT-unfriendly countries in Europe .
Political and governmental homophobia and transphobia in Europe not necessarily backed by public opinion .
COVID-19 and Anti-LGBTQI initiatives make queer life harder in Europe .
To be or not to be out and proud LGBTQ when travelling? .
Are you travelling to a hostile destination? .
ILGA-Europe: COVID-19 affected LGBTI people’s human rights heavily .
European Union declared ‘LGBTIQ Freedom Zone’ as Belgium mourns murdered gay man .
Travel guide for people with HIV .
European Union declared ‘LGBTIQ Freedom Zone’ but reality is quite different .
A plea for LGBTQ travel in post-communist Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia .
Queer in a hostile world: more likely to be arrested for looking gay than for actual homosexual acts .

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When planning a holiday, members of the LGBT+ community are often forced to consider whether they will feel safe at their chosen destination. The Spartacus International Gay Guide has been working to make that decision a little easier, putting out a ranking every year to update travellers on the LGBT+ situation in more than 200 nations worldwide. This year, according to the Spartacus Gay Travel Index, the most LGBT+-friendly countries are Malta , Canada , New Zealand , Portugal and Spain. 2024 marks the first time that the top spot is occupied by five nations simultaneously, Spartacus Internation…

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These are the world's most queer-friendly travel destinations in 2024

When planning a holiday, members of the LGBT+ community are often forced to consider whether they will feel safe at their chosen destination.

The Spartacus International Gay Guide has been working to make that decision a little easier, putting out a ranking every year to update travellers on the LGBT+ situation in more than 200 nations worldwide.

This year, according to the Spartacus Gay Travel Index , the most LGBT+-friendly countries are Malta, Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain.

2024 marks the first time that the top spot is occupied by five nations simultaneously, Spartacus International Gay Guide, which began publishing the index 2012, said.

Switzerland and Australia are ranked in second place, followed by Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Norway and Uruguay who came in third.

The most dangerous countries for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and other members of the community are the Chechen Republic, Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is banned.

For its annual travel index, the Spartacus International Gay Guide looks at 213 countries. It also publishes a separate overview for all US states.

In 2024, New York state came in first followed by California, Colorado, Nevada and Oregon in second place, while Oklahoma was rated the country's least LGBT+-friendly state.

In the global index, Estonia managed to climb from 47th place last year to number 32 this year, thanks to a new law legalizing same-sex marriage, according to Spartacus.

Norway also managed to improve its ranking, from 17 to 8, after banning conversion therapy, it said.

For the index, Spartacus looks at assessments by the platform Equaldex, the international LGBT+ association ILGA, the Transrespect project and Human Rights Watch, among others.

The country list is then compiled on the basis of 18 categories, including anti-discrimination legislation, transgender rights, HIV travel restrictions, prosecution of members of the LGBT+ community and recorded murders.

Positive aspects such as the right to adoption or marriage are also taken into account.

"There are still many places in the world where LGBT must fear for their happiness and safety," Spartacus said. "Due to the sometimes wide differences in the world, it can happen that holidaymakers endanger themselves simply by unwise behaviour. In order to support the safety of gay tourists worldwide, we publish the Gay Travel Index."

Gay Travel Index 2024 - Top 12 countries (Several countries tied in 1st, 6th and 8th place)

1 Canada 1 Malta 1 New Zealand 1 Portugal 1 Spain 6 Australia 6 Switzerland 8 Denmark 8 Germany 8 Iceland 8 Norway 8 Uruguay

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Map Options

Gay-Friendly Countries / GLBTQ+ Friendly Countries 2024

A country is considered gay-friendly based on how accepeting they are to the gay community and whether or not the laws in their community are supportive of gay issues. While a country may legally support gay individuals, laws alone are not a sole indicator of being gay-friendly.

Some key factors that determine whether or not a country is considered gay-friendly are:

The political views toward gay issues
LGBTQ+-friendly laws
Whether or not gay marriage is legal
Available quality healthcare for the LGBTQ community
LGBTQ+-friendly recreation and social activities

Additionally, gay-friendly countries are ranked based on how members of the gay experience their lives in the nation.

The Most Gay-Friendly Countries in 2022

The most gay-friendly countries in 2022 are as follows:

Canada was one of the first countries to pass significant anti-discrimination laws to protect gay individuals. The cities of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouer are home to the largest gay and queer population in North America . Canadian citizens also have a welcoming attitude towards the gay community, with 91.8% stating that they would be comfortable with a gay neighbor according to a 2019 Gallup poll.

New Zealand

New Zealand was one of the first countries to offer gay friendly travel ceritfications for the hospitality industry in 1998. The country has also embraced gay-frienly legislation, providing the right to gay marriage, the right for gay couples to adopt, the right to serve openly in the military, and equal housing and employment protections.

In 1940, a law in Iceland criminalizing homosexual acts was repealed. Over the decades that followed, Iceland has passed several gay-friendly laws such as those that target anti-discriminiation, fair adoption, equal age of consent, and gay marriage. Iceland’s Parliament voted unanimously to redefine marriage as between two individuals rather than a man and a woman.

Greece has a long history of homosexuality, both culturally and in their mythology. That tradition has carried over into the modern world making Greece and welcome destination for the LGBTQ+ community, Mykonos in particular along with several other major cities and islands are the centers of Grecian gay nightlife.

In the last 10 years, Malta has become one of the most progressive countries in terms of LGBTQ Rights. While the island nation is traditionally Roman Catholoc, in 2014 progressive leadership ushered in pro-LGBTQ legislation including criminializing conversion therapy and several trans-rights bills. According to a 2019 Eurobarometer poll, by 2019 67% of the population agree with same-sex marriage.

France has always embraced unconventional lifestyles and when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community, they are leagues ahead of the rest of Europe . Since the 1970’s, Paris has welcomed the lifestyle as well as other major cities like Lyon and Marseille . The country has strong anti-discrimination laws, legal same-sex marriage and adoption.

Portugal is one of the most nonchalant countries when it comes to same-sex PDA and is very progressive when it comes to gay marriage and gender identity. In 2010, Portugal became the 8th country to allow same-sex marriage, making it a popular desitnation for members if the LGBTQ+ community. A 2019 Eurobarometer poll showed that 80% of Portugal’s population support equal rights for lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

In the early 2000’s Australia became one of leaders of gay and lesbian rights and acceptance. 79% of people in Australia feel society should accept homosexuality, making it the fifth mosy accepting country in the world. Sydney sports one of the biggest pride events in the world along with Melbourne and Brisbane .

Thailand exudes a welcoming philosophy when it comes to tourism and hospitality and helps LGBTQ+ travelers to feel welcome. Bangkok is one of the most welcoming to gay travelers cities in Asia . While Thailand is a fantastic destination for same-sex weddings, locals are not able to get married or have the legal rights of partnership. In spite of that, there are a number of anti-discrimination laws regarding employment and housing.

In 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage and in 2012, the Gender Identity Law passed granting rights to transgender individuals. Argentina opened Latin America ’s first trans community center, making it the LGBTQ+ center of South America .

The Williams Institute's Global Acceptance Index (GAI) measures the extent to which LGBTI people are seen in ways that are positive and inclusive, both with respect to an individual�s opinions about LGBTI people and with regard to an individual�s position on LGBTI policies.
The Spartacus International Gay Guide publishes the Gay Travel Index (GTI), a ranking of gay-friendly countries. Higher scores are preferable. Points are added to countries for anti-discrimination legislation, equal marriage, partnership and adoption laws, and LGBT marketing. Meanwhile, points are subtracted for anti-LGBT laws, HIV travel restrictions, religious influence, and prosecution, murders, and death sentences. Not all categories are displayed.
The GIA score for United Kingdom pertains only to Great Britain. The Spartacus score for China includes Hong Kong .

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Which countries are the most friendly to gay people?

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Gay-friendly - Wiki
Global Acceptance Index - Williams Institute, UCLA

Providing content for Lesbians and Queer Women worldwide since 1989

Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2020

The latest Spartacus Gay Travel Index, more comprehensive due to additional categories, gives an overview of the situation of LGBT in a total 202 countries and regions.

Sweden, Canada and Malta ranking highest while Germany has improved its overall ranking by one point and now ranks 10th in the index together with last year’s winner Portugal and also Denmark, New Zealand and Iceland.

Among the most dangerous countries for LGBT travellers in 2020 are again countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Somalia and the Russian republic of Chechnya, where homosexuals are massively persecuted and threatened with death.

USA: a divided country

The legal situation for queer people varies widely within the 50 federal US states. We were able to adapt the categories specific to the whole country and thus guarantee a more precise look in the U A-index. The winner is California: This state has an exuberant queer infrastructure and excellent LGBT laws. We have out of 13 possible points for this. Ohio is at the bottom due to its very retrograde legislation.

Apart from Tennessee, Ohio is the only state in which transgender people are not allowed to have their birth certificates modified, even after relevant operations have been carried out.

ABOUT THE INDEX

The index attempts at finding a balance between measuring the rights of the local LGBTIQ community and considering the demands of queer holidaymakers. Our aim is to monitor the safety of queer people in each country and also increase the awareness on grievances.

We are convinced that there are holidaymakers who choose countries where the queer community is an accepted and beloved part of society. But there are also holidaymakers who consciously want to travel to a country in order to enter into a dialogue with the oppressed local queer community.

The index is intended to provide either type of holidaymaker with trustworthy and valid information.

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The 203 Worst (& Safest) Countries for LGBTQ+ Travel in 2023

Instead of relying on hearsay and anecdotes from other travelers, we took a deep look at LGBTQ+ rights, country by country. After 400+ hours of research, we’ve reviewed all countries’ individual laws and gathered data from a variety of trusted international sources to create the definitive “LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index” that will help you find the safest (and least safe) countries for your next trip abroad.

Best & Worst Countries for LGBTQ+ Travelers

Our methodology

We ranked 203 countries with available data, and then carefully examined LGBTQ+ rights for each country. We created our LGBTQ+ travel safety index based on a total of ten ranking factors, each pertaining to the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ individuals. We worked with academic researcher, Eliot Assoudeh PhD. , to design the methodology and cross-reference all data. We utilized a mixed-methods research design to create the index.

Note on Russia/Ukraine: Russia and Ukraine were included in this study. However, keep in mind that (as in all instances of political unrest), the most marginalized people in society are often targets . Please note that the situation for LGBTQ+ people is constantly evolving in the region.

Positive factors

Legalized Same-Sex Marriage (0 to +50 Points) — Is same-sex marriage legal and equal under the law in this country? If marriage is not equal, are civil unions legal? If not, does the country legally recognize foreign LGBTQ+ marriages? We ranked the scores for this metric based on how many years same-sex marriage has been legal in this country with the highest possible score being 50 points. Civil unions and other types of partnerships received 25 points or less and were also ranked by the number of years they have been legal. Additionally, if a country only legally recognizes foreign LGBTQ+ marriages then they earned 10 points. Source: Recognition of same-sex relationships – Human Rights Watch , we also cross-referenced with Equaldex: Collaborative LGBTQ Knowledge Base
LGBTQ+ Worker Protections (0 to +50 Points) — For the people living in that country, are there legal protections against discrimination in the workplace? 50 points were awarded for both sexual orientation and gender protection; 25 points were awarded for sexual orientation protection only. Additionally, if a country only recognizes limited rights for LGBTQ+ worker protections, then they earned 10 points. Source: LGBTQ+ Worker Protections – ILGA
Legal Protections Against Anti-LGBTQ+ Discrimination (0 to +50 Points) — Are there either constitutional or broad legal protections of LGBTQ+ people in this country? Constitutional protections were awarded 50 points; broad protections were awarded 25 points. Additionally, if a country only recognizes limited protections against discrimination, then they earned 10 points. Source: Anti Discrimination Laws – ILGA
Criminalization of Hate-Based Violence (0 to +50 Points) — Is anti-LGBTQ+, hate-based, or homophobia-inspired violence considered a hate crime in this country? Is hate-based, anti-LGBTQ+ speech considered hate speech? The existence of hate crime penalties received 50 points; incitement-only punishments received 25 points. Additionally, if a country only has limited criminalization of hate-based violence, then they earned 10 points. Source: Criminalization of Hate-Based Violence – ILGA
Adoption Recognition (0 to +50 Points) — Is joint adoption and/or second-parent adoption legal in this country for same-sex parents? The recognition of both joint and second-parent adoption received 50 points, while only second-parent adoption recognition received 25 points. Source: Adoption Recognition – ILGA
Gallup World Poll (0 to +100 points) — In the Gallup poll, individuals were asked, “Is the city or area where you live a good place or not a good place to live for gay and lesbian people?” The percentages represented and used in our metrics include those who said “good place” for that country. We gave this factor a double weighting (maximum 100 points) because it gives a very clear pulse on the general attitude towards LGBTQ+ people by locals in each country. If, for example, a country answered 92% positively to the Gallup question, then they were awarded 92 points. We use the most recently available data available for that country. Source: Gallup World Poll
Transgender Legal Identity Laws (0 to +50 points) — The degree of legal recognition provided to transgender people varies widely throughout the world. We individually reviewed the laws for each country and asked the following questions. Does the country allow individuals to change their legal gender identity without requiring sex reassignment surgery (SRS) or hormone replacement therapy (HRT)? If so, these countries were awarded 50 points or less depending on the details of the law. Does the country require SRS for people to qualify for legal gender change? If so, these countries received 25 points or less depending on the details of the law. Does the country have no rights for or against people legally changing their gender? If so, these countries received 0 points. Source: We reviewed individual laws of each country and Transgender Rights – Wikipedia

Negative factors

Illegal LGBTQ+ Relationships and Acts (0 to -100 Points) — Can “sodomy,” “indecent acts,” or “buggery” result in punishments under the law such as physical violence, a fine, or prison time? Any possible death sentences or life-in-prison sentences under the law receive the maximum -100 point penalty. All other punishments were ranked by severity. We gave this factor a negative double weighting because the fact that homosexuality is illegal and can receive the death sentence means that the laws of these countries are extremely unfavorable for LGBTQ+ people. Source: Global Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws – Human Rights Watch
Propaganda/Morality Laws (0 to -50 Points) — Are there laws sanctioned by the state to prevent the dissemination or publication of information about queer culture? Are there laws affecting the creation of LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)? This metric was graded based on the severity of the punishments with -50 points being the worst score. Source: Global Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws – Human Rights Watch
Transgender Legal Identity Laws (0 to -50 points) — We individually reviewed the laws for each country and asked the following question. Does the country make it illegal for people to change their gender? If so, these countries were given up to negative fifty points depending on the severity of punishment. For example, in Oman, simply imitating the opposite sex gets up to 1 year in prison and this country received the full -50 points. Source: Global Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws – Human Rights Watch
Transgender murder rates (0 to -100 points) — Countries were awarded zero points if they did not have any recorded transgender murders, but were deducted up to 100 points if transgender murders were reported through the Transgender Murder Monitoring website. Rates are per million citizens and occurred between 2008 and September 2022. Source: Transgender Murder Monitoring – TvT

To measure LGBTQ+ safety abroad, one cannot look only at data on whether or not same-sex marriage is legal and if anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination laws are in place. It also depends on the general attitude of the culture, minutiae of the legal system, and oppression of LGBTQ+ rights. These issues can affect everything, from your ability to show public displays of affection to being able to share a hotel room bed to the capacity at which you can use dating apps without being caught by the local police. A few items on our list, such as adoption recognition and worker protections, may not affect LGBTQ+ travelers directly, but these factors are a good indication of overall attitudes within the culture.

Study Limitations: Due to budget constraints, the methodology used in our index does not sample the actual experiences of LGBTQ tourists who have visited each country. One way we attempted to overcome this weakness was by utilizing the Gallup World Poll as well as looking at each country’s laws and any progress the country’s had in comparison with our previous years’ studies.

What’s changed for LGBTQ+ individuals over the past year?

Some of the positive highlights include:

Cuba legalized same-sex marriage in September 2022.
While gay marriage is still banned, Japan is making progress toward the acceptance of same-sex marriage, and gay couples can now register a domestic partnership as of November 2022.
Switzerland legalized same-sex marriage on July 1, 2022.
Singapore, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis decriminalized homosexuality in 2022.
As of January 31, 2023, same-sex marriage and adoption are fully legal in Slovenia.
Croatia passed laws expanding the rights of same-sex couples to joint adoption in August 2022.
In December 2022, the U.S. Virgin Islands increased its discrimination protections for people based on their sexual identity and gender expression.
New Zealand plans to implement gender self-identification on June 15, 2023.

Unfortunately, not all news was good for LGBTQ+ rights in the past year. Russia passed stricter laws that prohibit LGBTQ+ “ propaganda .” In 2022, Indonesia banned sexual activity outside of marriage to come into effect in three years, but this will target LGBTQ+ people who are not permitted to marry in the country. According to the ACLU , the 2023 legislative session has already seen over 120 bills aimed at restricting the rights of LGBTQ+ people in the United States.

Where are same-sex relationships illegal?

Unfortunately, some countries where it’s illegal to be gay or trans also happen to be popular vacation spots. For instance, it’s illegal to be gay in Jamaica; the “buggery law,” which is leftover from the colonial era, allows for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, including hard labor. Jamaica was called “ the most homophobic place on Earth ” by Time magazine in 2006. That label has clung to Jamaica ever since, and with good reason. In a 2013 survey of 71 LGBTQ+ people conducted by Human Rights Watch, more than half said they had been victims of homophobic violence. Non-violent discrimination is even more pervasive, with bullying and exclusion faced in education, healthcare, and within local communities. Although there is some light at the end of the tunnel for Jamaica since there are signs that it’s moving toward reform.

Those looking for trans- and gay-travel-safe countries should reconsider popular vacation destinations like Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Myanmar, and Egypt as well as some of the more popular beaches in the Caribbean, like Saint Lucia and Barbados.

Please note: All countries marked with an asterisk* in the below list were former British colonies and their anti-LGBTQ+ laws mostly came into effect under British rule.

(CLICK the country names for more details on their anti-LGBTQ+ laws) Jamaica* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -132

Section 76. Whosoever shall be convicted of the abominable crime of buggery, committed either with’ mankind or with any animal, shall be liable to be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for a term not exceeding ten years.

LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -75

Sections 132, 133.

GROSS INDECENCY

(1) A person who commits an act of gross indecency with another person commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 10 years or on summary

conviction to 5 years.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to an act of gross indecency committed in private between an adult male person and an adult female person, both of whom consent.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2)

(a) an act shall be deemed not to have been committed in private if it is committed in a public place; and

(b) a person shall be deemed not to consent to the commission of such an act if

(i) the consent is extorted by force, threats or fear of bodily harm or is obtained by false and fraudulent representations as to the nature of the act;

(ii) the consent is induced by the application or administration of any drug, matter or thing with intent to intoxicate or stupefy the person; or

(iii) that person is, and the other party to the act knows or has good reason to believe that the person is suffering from a mental disorder.

(4) In this section “gross indecency” is an act other than sexual intercourse (whether natural or unnatural) by a person involving the use of the genital organs for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire.

Laws of Saint Lucia Criminal Code Cap.3.01 95 Revision Date: 31 Dec. 2005

(1) A person who commits buggery commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment

(a) life, if committed with force and without the consent of the other person;

(b) ten years, in any other case.

(2) Any person who attempts to commit buggery, or commits an assault with intent to commit buggery, commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for 5 years.

(3) In this section “buggery” means sexual intercourse per anus by a male person with another male person.

Source: Criminal Code, No. 9 of 2004, sections 132, 133.

Article 16. Buggery “(1) A person who commits buggery is guilty of an ofence and liable on conviction to imprisonment for— (a) twenty-fve years, if committed by an adult on a minor; (b) ten years, if committed by an adult on another adult; or (c) fve years, if committed by a minor; and, if the Court thinks it ft, the Court may order that the convicted person be admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment. (2) Any person who attempts to commit the ofence of buggery, or is guilty of an assault with the intent to commit the same is guilty of an ofence and liable to imprisonment for four years and, if the Court thinks it ft, the Court may order that the convicted person be admitted to the psychiatric hospital for treatment. (3) In this section “buggery” means sexual intercourse per anum by a male person with a male person or by a male person with a female person.

Source: Sexual Offences Act 1998, article 16. Grenada* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: 33

Article 431. If any two persons are guilty of unnatural connexion, or if any person is guilty of unnatural connexion with any animal, every such person shall be liable to imprisonment for ten years.

Source: Criminal Code of 1987, article 431. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -70

Sections 146, 148.

148. Any person, who in public or private, commits an act of gross indecency with another person of the same sex, or procures or attempts to procure another person of the same sex to commit an act of gross indecency with him or her, is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for five years.

146. Any person who commits buggery with any other person; commits buggery with an animal; or permits any person to commit buggery with him or her; is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for ten years.

(Click the country names for more details on their anti-LGBTQ+ laws)

Sections 214, 215, 217. 214. Any person who- (1) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (2) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (3) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature; is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years.

215. Any person who attempts to commit any of the offences defined in the last preceding section is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for seven years. The offender cannot be arrested without warrant.

217. Any male person who, whether in public or private, commits any act of gross indecency with another male person, or procures another male person to commit any act of gross indecency with him, or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any male person with himself or with another male person, whether in public or private, is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for three years. The offender cannot be arrested without warrant.

Source: Criminal Code Act (Chapter 77), 1990, sections 214, 215, 217; Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2013. Malawi* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -163

Sections 153, 137A. 153. Unnatural offences Any person who— (a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (b) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature, shall be guilty of a felony and shall be liable to imprisonment for fourteen years, with or without corporal punishment.

Source: Penal Code of 1930 (amended 2010), sections 153, 137A. Oman LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -145

Articles 33, 233, 266(d).

266. The penalty shall be imprisonment for a period not less than one month, and not more than one year, and a fine of not less than (100) one hundred Omani riyals, and not more than (300) three hundred Omani riyals, or one of these two penalties for each mention: D – appeared publicly in the appearance of women in his clothing or body.

Source: Omani Penal Code No. 7/1974, articles 33, 223 and Oman Penal Code, Article 266(d) Zambia* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -104

Sections 155, 156. 155. Any person who- (a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (b) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature; commits a felony and liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for a term not less than fifteen years and may be liable to imprisonment for life: Provided that where a person- (i) has carnal knowledge of a child against the order of nature; (ii) causes a child to have carnal knowledge of an animal; or (iii) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of a male or female child against the order of nature; that person commits an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to imprisonment for not less than twenty-five years and may be liable to imprisonment for life. (As amended by No. 26 of 1933 and repealed and replaced by Act No. 15 of 2005) Unnatural offences

156. Any person who attempts to commit any of the offences specified in section one hundred and fifty-five commits a felony and is liable, upon conviction of not less than seven years but not exceeding fourteen years. (As amended by No. 26 of 1933 and repealed and replaced by Act No. 15 of 2005)

Source: Penal Code Act (as amended by Act No. 15 of 2005), sections 155, 156. Tanzania* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -120

Sections 138(a), 154. 138 A. Acts of gross indecency between persons and person who, in public or private commits, or is a party to the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any person of, any act of gross indecency with another person, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not less than one year and not exceeding five years or to a fine not less than one hundred thousand and not exceeding three hundred thousand shillings; save that where the offence is committed by a person of eighteen years of age or more in respect of any person under eighteen years of age, a pupil of primary school or a student of secondary school the offender shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not less than ten years, with corporal punishment, and shall also be ordered to pay compensation of an amount determined by the court to the person in respect of whom the offence was committed for any injuries caused to that person.”

154. Unnatural of offences (1)Any person who- (a)has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (b)has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (c)permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature.commits an offence, and is liable to imprisonment for life and in any case to imprisonment for a term of not less than thirty years. (2)where the offence under subsection (1) of this section is committed to a child under the age of ten years the offender shall be sentenced to life imprisonment.”

Source: Penal Code of 1945 (as amended by the Sexual Offences Special Provisions Act, 1998), section 138(a), 154. Sudan* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -109

In July 2020, Sudan’s Sovereign Council amended the penal code, removing some crimes from the books and reducing sentences for others, including sodomy. Previously, the death penalty was punishment for individuals accused by committing “homosexual sex” defined by the act of penetration, for the third time. For people found guilty of this offense for the first time, sentences were lashing 100 times or prison up to 5 years. For the second time, the sentence was both punishments combined. Learn more here . Uganda* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -92

Sections 145, 148. 145. Unnatural offences. Any person who— (a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; (b) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature, commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for life.

148. Indecent practices. Any person who, whether in public or in private, commits any act of gross indecency with another person or procures another person to commit any act of gross indecency with him or her or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any person with himself or herself or with another person, whether in public or in private, commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for seven years.

Source: Penal Code Act of 1950 (Chapter 120), (as amended), section 145, 148. Egypt* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -96

Article 9(c), Article 1. Article 9: Punishment by imprisonment for a period not less than three months and not exceeding three years and a fine not less than 25 LE and not exceeding 300 LE in the Egyptian administration and not less than 250 Lira and not exceeding 3000 Lira in the Syrian administration or one of these two punishments applies in the following cases: (c) Whoever habitually engages in debauchery or prostitution.

Upon the apprehension of a person in the last category, it is permitted to send him for a medical examination. If it is discovered that he is carrying an infectious venereal disease, it is permitted to detain him in a therapeutic institute until his cure is completed.

It is permitted to determine that the convicted person be placed, upon completion of his sentence, in a special reformatory until the administrative agency orders his release. This judgment is obligatory in cases of recidivism, and the period spent in the reformatory is not allowed to be more than three years. …

Article 1: (a) Whoever incites a person, be they male or female, to engage in debauchery or in prostitution, or assists in this or facilitates it, and similarly whoever employs a person or tempts him or induces him with the intention of engaging in debauchery or prostitution, is to be sentenced to imprisonment for a period not less than one year and not more than three years and a fine between 100 and 300 LE in the Egyptian administration and between 1000 and 3000 Lira in the Syrian administration.

(b) If the person upon whom the crime is perpetrated has not reached the age of twenty-one years, the punishment is imprisonment for a period not less than one year and not more than five years and a fine between 100 and 500 LE in the Egyptian administration and between 1000 and 5000 Lira in the Syrian administration.

Source: Law 10/1961 on the Combating of Prostitution, article 9(c), article 1. Algeria LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -75

Art. 338. – All guilty of an act of homosexuality is punished with imprisonment of two (2) months to two (2) years and a fine of five hundred (500) to two thousand (2,000) DA .

If a sponsor is a minor of eighteen years, the penalty in respect of the major can be elevated up to three (3) years’ imprisonment and ten thousand (10,000) DA fine.

Source: 1966 Penal Code, article 338. Morocco LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -89

Article 489. Is punished by imprisonment from six months to three years and a fine of 200 to 1,000 dirhams, unless the fact constitutes a more serious offense, whoever commits an immodest or unnatural act with an individual of his sex.

(This has been Google translated from French).

Source: Penal Code of 1962, article 489. Tunisia LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -91

Article 230. Sodomy, if it does not enter any of the cases provided for in the preceding articles, is punishable by imprisonment for three years.

Source: Penal Code of 1913 (as modified), article 230. Ethiopia LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -93

Articles 629, 630.

Article 629.- Homosexual and other Indecent Acts. Whoever performs with another person of the same sex a homosexual act, or any other indecent act, is punishable with simple imprisonment.

Article 630.- General Aggravation to the Crime. (1) The punishment shall be simple imprisonment for not less than one year, or, in grave cases, rigorous imprisonment not exceeding ten years, where the criminal: a) takes unfair advantage of the material or mental distress of another or of the authority he exercises over another by virtue of his position, office or capacity as guardian, tutor, protector, teacher, master or employer, or by virtue of any other like relationship, to cause such other person to perform or to submit to such an act; or b) makes a profession of such activities within the meaning of the law (Art. 92). (2) The punishment shall be rigorous imprisonment from three years to fifteen years, where: a) the criminal uses violence, intimidation or coercion, trickery or fraud, or takes unfair advantage of the victim’s inability to offer resistance or to defend himself or of his feeble-mindedness or unconsciousness; or b) the criminal subjects his victim to acts of cruelty or sadism, or transmits to him a venereal disease with which he knows himself to be infected; or c) the victim is driven to suicide by distress, shame or despair.

Source: Criminal Code of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Proclamation No. 414/2004, articles 629 and 630. Kenya* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -87

Sections 162, 165.

162. Unnatural offences Any person who— (a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (b) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years: Provided that, in the case of an offence under paragraph (a), the offender shall be liable to imprisonment for twenty-one years if— (i) the offence was committed without the consent of the person who was carnally known; or (ii) the offence was committed with that person’s consent but the consent was obtained by force or by means of threats or intimidation of some kind, or by fear of bodily harm, or by means of false representations as to the nature of the act. [Act No. 42 of 1951, s. 6, Act No. 5 of 2003, s. 30.]

165. Indecent practices between males Any male person who, whether in public or private, commits any act of gross indecency with another male person, or procures another male person to commit any act of gross indecency with him, or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any male person with himself or with another male person, whether in public or private, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for five years.

Source: Penal Code of Kenya, Revised Edition 2012 [2010], section 162, 165. Senegal LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -67

Article 319 (para. 3). Any indecent assault or attempted without violence on the person of a child of one or the other sex under the age of thirteen, shall be punished by imprisonment for two to five years. Will be punished the maximum penalty, the indecent assault committed everywhere ascendant or any person having authority over the minor victim, even over the age of thirteen.(Law No. 66-16 of February 1, 1966)

Notwithstanding the heavier penalties provided for by the previous paragraphs or Articles 320 and 321 of this Code shall be punished by imprisonment for one to five years and a fine of 100,000 to 1,500,000 francs, anyone who commits an indecent act or act against nature with an individual of his sex. If the act was committed with a minor of 21 years, the maximum penalty will always be.

Source: Penal Code of 1965, article 319 (para. 3). Cameroon* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -54

Article 347 bis. – Homosexuality. Is punished with imprisonment of six months to five years and a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 francs anyone who has sex with someone of their sex. (This has been Google translated from French).

Source: Cameroon Penal Code of 1967, article 347 bis. Zimbabwe* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -52

Section 73. (1) Any male person who, with the consent of another male person, knowingly performs with that other person anal sexual intercourse, or any act involving physical contact other than anal sexual intercourse that would be regarded by a reasonable person to be an indecent act, shall be guilty of sodomy and liable to a fine up to or exceeding level fourteen or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both. (2) Subject to subsection (3), both parties to the performance of an act referred to in subsection (1) may be charged with and convicted of sodomy. (3) For the avoidance of doubt it is declared that the competent charge against a male person who performs anal sexual intercourse with or commits an indecent act upon a young male person— (a) who is below the age of twelve years, shall be aggravated indecent assault or indecent assault, as the case may be; or (b) who is of or above the age of twelve years but below the age of sixteen years and without the consent of such young male person, shall be aggravated indecent assault or indecent assault, as the case may be; or (c) who is of or above the age of twelve years but below the age of sixteen years and with the consent of such young male person, shall be performing an indecent act with a young person.

Source: Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, (Effective 2006), section 73. Ghana* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -49

Section 104. Unnatural Carnal Knowledge. (1) Whoever has unnatural carnal knowledge— (a) of any person of the age of sixteen years or over without his consent shall be guilty of a first degree felony and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than five years and not more than twenty-five years; or (b) of any person of sixteen years or over with his consent is guilty of a misdemeanour; or (c) of any animal is guilty of a misdemeanour. (2) Unnatural carnal knowledge is sexual intercourse with a person in an unnatural manner or with an animal.

Source: Criminal Code 1960 (amended 2003), section 104. Eswatini* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -46

Common Law Offense

Same-sex relations are outlawed in Eswatini. Sodomy is criminalized though the sentence is not specified and is regarded as a common law offense.

Source: Common law offense. Togo LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -45

Article 88. Will be punished by imprisonment of one to three years and a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 francs anyone who has committed a shameless act or against nature with an individual of his sex. (This has been Google translated from French).

Source: Penal Code of 13 August 1980 (amended 2000), article 88. Namibia LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: 48

Common Law Offense. Sodomy and “unnatural sexual offences between men,” are illegal in Namibia, though the sentence is not specified and is considered to be a common law offense.

Source: Common Law Offense. Mauritius* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: 15

Section 250. Sodomy and Bestiality (1) Any person who is guilty of the crime of sodomy or bestiality shall be liable to penal servitude for a term not exceeding 5 years.

(2) (a) Notwithstanding sections 151 and 152 of the Criminal Procedure Act, where it is averred that the sodomy is committed on a minor or a physically or mentally handicapped person, the person charged shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than 2 years.

(b) Part X of the Criminal Procedure Act and the Probation of Offenders Act shall not apply to a person liable to be sentenced under paragraph (a).

Source: Mauritius Criminal Code of 1838, section 250. Burundi LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -45

Subsection 3: Homosexuality

Article 567: Whoever makes sex with the same sex is punished with imprisonment of three months to two years and a fine of fifty thousand to hundred thousand francs or one of these penalties.

Source: Law No. 1/05 of April 22, 2009, on the Revision of the Criminal Code, article 567. Comoros LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -56

Article 318: Any indecent assault consummated or attempted on the person of a child of one or the other sex under the age of fifteen will be punished by imprisonment for two to five years. Will be punished with the maximum of the sentence, the indecent assault committed by any ascendant or any person having authority over the minor victim over the age of fifteen. Without prejudice to the more serious penalties provided for in the preceding paragraphs or Articles 320 and 321 of this Code shall be punishable by imprisonment for one to five years and fine of 50,000 to 1,000,000 francs, anyone who has committed a shameless act or against nature with an individual of his sex. If the act was committed with a minor, the maximum of penalty will always be pronounced. (This has been Google translated from French).

Source: Penal Code of the Federal Islamic Republic of Comoros, 1995, article 318. Chad LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -58

Article 354: Is punished by imprisonment from three months to two years and a fine of 50,000 to 500,000 FCFA, whoever has sex with the people of his sex. (This has been Google translated from French).

Source: Chad Penal Code 2017 Eritrea LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -75

Articles 310, 311. Art. 310. – Homosexual Conduct. (1) A person who performs with a person of the same sex an act corresponding to the sexual act, or any other indecent sexual act, is guilty of homosexual conduct, a Class 7 serious offence, punishable with a definite term of imprisonment of not less than 5 years and not more than 7 years.

Art. 311. – Consent to Sexual Conduct. (3) Consent is no defense to an offence under Article 309 (Incest) or Article 310 (Homosexual Conduct).

Source: Penal Code of 2015, article 310, 311. Gambia* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -139

A “person who has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature … or permits any person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature” commits a felony known as an unnatural offense and, on conviction, is punishable by a 14-year prison term. (Criminal Code of 1934, § 144, 3 LAWS OF GAMBIA, Cap. 8:01 (rev. ed. 2009).) Acts that constitute “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” include:

(a) carnal knowledge of the person through the anus or the mouth of the person; (b) inserting any object or thing into the vulva or anus of the person for the purpose of simulating sex; and (c) committing any other homosexual act with the person. (Id. § 144.)

Attempt to commit an unnatural offense, which is also a felony, is subject to a seven-year prison term. (Id. § 145.).

The legislation introduces a new offense involving homosexuality known as “aggravated homosexuality,” which is punishable on conviction by life in prison. (Id.) A person commits this offense if he or she engages in a homosexual act and the:

(a) person against whom the offence is committed is below the age of eighteen; (b) offender is a person living with HIV Aids; (c) offender is a parent or guardian of the person against whom the offence is committed; (d) offender is a person in authority over the person against whom the offence is committed; (e) victim of the offence is a person with disability; (f) offender is a serial offender; or (g) offender applies, administers or causes to be administered by any man or woman, any drug, matter or substance with intent to stupefy or overpower him or her, so as to enable any person to have un-lawful carnal connection with any person of the same sex. (Criminal Code (Amendment) Act No. 11 of 2014, § 4, SUPPLEMENT C TO THE GAMBIA GAZETTE No. 15 (Oct. 16, 2014), HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH.)

Source: Gambia Criminal Code (Act No. 25 of 1933), amended 1965; Gambia Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 2005; Gambia Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 2014. Guinea LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -80

Article 274: Any shameless or unnatural act committed with an individual of his sex or with an animal is punishable by imprisonment from 6 months to 3 years and a fine of 500,000 to 1,000,000 Guinean francs or one of these only two sentences. When the act was committed with a minor under 18, the maximum penalty is always pronounced. When this act has been consummated or attempted with violence, the culprit is sentenced to 5 to 10 years’ imprisonment. (This has been Google translated from French).

Source: Penal Code of the Republic of Guinea, 2016, article 274. Kuwait* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -180

Article 193 and Article 198.

Article 193 If another man becomes a man who has reached the age of twenty-one and that is with his consent, both of them shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding seven years.

Article 198 Any person who brings a signal or acts of indecent assault in a public place or who is seen or heard by anyone in a public place or resembles the opposite sex in any way shall be punished. Imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year and a fine not exceeding one thousand dinars or one of these two penalties.

(This has been Google translated from Arabic).

Source: Kuwait Penal Code (1960), Law No. 16, article 193. And Kuwait Penal Code, No. 16 of 1960, art. 198. Liberia LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -40

Article 14.74 – Voluntary Sodomy. A person who engages in deviate sexual intercourse under circumstance not stated in Section 14.72 or 14.73 has committed a first degree misdemeanor.

Source: Penal Law – Title 26 – Liberian Code of Laws Revised, 1978, article 14.74. Libya* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -150

Articles 407-408.

Article 407 (4) Whoever has intercourse with a person with his consent will be punished with his partner by imprisonment of not more than five years.

Article 408 (4) Whoever commits an indecent act with a person with his consent will be punished with his partner with imprisonment. (ibid., 38)

Source: Libyan Penal Code of 1953, as amended by Law No. 70 (1973), articles 407-408. Mauritania LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -96

Articles 306, 308.

ART. 308. Every major Muslim who commits an immodest act or an unnatural act with an individual of his sex shall be punished with death by public stoning. In the case of two women, they will be punished by the penalty provided for in Article 306 (1).

ART. 306. – Anyone who commits public outrage against Islamic modesty and morals or who has violated sacred places or helped to violate them, if this action is not included in crimes carrying Ghissass or Diya, shall be punishable by a correctional sentence of three months to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of 5,000 to 60,000 UM. Every Muslim guilty of the crime of apostasy, either by word or by action in an apparent or obvious manner, will be invited to repent within three days. If he does not repent within this time, he is condemned to death as an apostat, and his property will be confiscated for the benefit of the Treasury. If he repents before the execution of this sentence, the public prosecutor will seize the Supreme Court, for the purpose of his rehabilitation in all his rights, without prejudice to a correctional penalty envisaged with the 1st paragraph of this article. Anyone guilty of the crime of apostasy (Zendagha) will, unless he repents beforehand, be punished with the death penalty. Will be punished with imprisonment from one month to two years, anyone who will be guilty of the crime of indecent assault. Any major Muslim who refuses to pray while recognizing the obligation of the prayer will be asked to fulfill it until the time limit for the completion of the obligatory prayer concerned. If he persists in his refusal until the end of this period, he will be punished with the death penalty. If he does not recognize the obligation of prayer, he will be punished with the penalty for apostasy and his property confiscated for the benefit of the Treasury. He will not benefit from the service consecrated by the Muslim rite.

Source: Penal Code of 1983, articles 306, 308. Sierra Leone* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -63

Section 61. Whosoever shall be convicted of the abominable Crime of Sodomy and Buggery, committed either with Mankind or with any Animal, shall Bestiality. be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be kept in Penal Servitude for Life or for any Term not less than Ten Years.

Source: Offences against the Person Act 1861, section 61. Somalia* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -150

Articles 409, 410.

Art. 409. (Homosexuality). – Whoever has carnal intercourse with a person of the same sex shall be punished, where the act does not constitute a more serious crime, with imprisonment [96. P.C.] from three months to three years. Where the act committed is an act of lust different from carnal intercourse, the punishment imposed shall be reduced by one third [119 P.C.].

Art. 410. (Security Measures). – A security measure [161 s. P.C.] may be added to a sentence for the crimes referred to in articles 407, 408, and 409.

Source: Penal Code, Legislative Decree No. 5/1962, articles 409, 410. South Sudan* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -126

Section 248, Section 379.

248. Unnatural Offences. (1) Whoever, has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any person and whoever allows any person to have such intercourse with him or her commits an offence, and upon conviction, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years and may also be liable to a fine. (2) If the intercourse referred to in subsection (1), above, is committed without consent, the offender shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years and may also be liable to a fine; provided that, a consent given by a person below the age of eighteen years to such intercourse shall not be deemed to be a consent within the meaning of this section. Explanation— Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the offence described in this section.

379. Vagabond. (1) The term “vagabond” means— (a) any person who after being convicted as an idle person, commits any of the offences which would render him or her liable to be convicted as such again; (b) any person who is found to be in possession of breaking implements with the intent to commit house trespass; 187 Act 9 Penal Code Act 2008 (c) any suspected person or reputed thief who by night frequents or loiters about any shop, warehouse, dwelling house, dock or wharf with the intent to commit any offence under Chapter XXI of this Act; (d) any person who knowingly lives wholly or in part on the earnings of a prostitute or in any public place solicits or importunes for immoral purposes; and (e) any male person who dresses or is attired in the fashion of a woman in a public place. (2) Whoever is convicted as a vagabond shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or with a fine or with both.

Middle East

LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -143

There is no codified penal Law in Saudi Arabia. Sentences are derived from interpretations of Sharia law.

Source: There is no codified penal Law in Saudi Arabia. Sentences are derived from interpretations of Sharia law. Qatar* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -137

Articles 296, 298.

Article (296) One is convicted to no less than a year and no more than three years in prison in case of: 1- Leading a female to commit adultery. 2- Instigating, inducing, seducing a female anyhow to commit adultery or frequenting a brothel in order to commit debauchery whether inside or outside the country. 3- Leading, instigating or seducing a male anyhow for sodomy or dissipation. 4- Inducing or seducing a male or a female anyhow to commit illegal or immoral actions. 5- Bringing, exposing or accepting a male or a female in the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Article (298) Anyone who takes adultery or sodomy as a profession or a living is convicted to no more than ten years in prison. The same penalty is imposed on anyone who exploits a person’s debauchery and dissipation.

Source: Penal Code, Law No. (II) of 2004, articles 296, 298. Sharia law also applies to Muslims. United Arab Emirates (UAE)* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -134

Article 359. Any person who denies the dress of a woman and enters a special place for women shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year and by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dirhams or by one of these penalties. It is forbidden for non-women to enter at that time.

Source: Federal Law No. 7 of 2016, art. 359. Yemen* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -128

Articles 264, 268.

Article (264): Homosexuality is the contact of one man to another through his posterior; both sodomites whether males or females are punished with whipping of one hundred strokes if not married. It is admissible to reprimand it by imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year punishment by stoning to death if married.

Article (268): Lesbianism is intercourse between one female and another. Anyone engaged in this act with another shall be punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years. If the act happens under coercion imprisonment may be expanded to seven years.

Source: Penal Code 1994, articles 264, 268. Iran LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -104

Articles 233-41.

Article 233- Livat is defined as penetration of a man’s sex organ (penis), up to the point of circumcision, into another male person’s anus.

Article 234- The hadd punishment for livat shall be the death penalty for the insertive/active party if he has committed livat by using force, coercion, or in cases where he meets the conditions for ihsan; otherwise, he shall be sentenced to one hundred lashes. The hadd punishment for the receptive/passive party, in any case (whether or not he meets the conditions for ihsan) shall be the death penalty.

Note 1- If the insertive/active party is a non-Muslim and the receptive/passive party is a Muslim, the hadd punishment for the insertive/active party shall be the death penalty.

Note 2- Ihsan is defined as a status that a man is married to a permanent and pubescent wife and whilst he has been sane and pubescent has had a vaginal intercourse with the same wife while she was pubescent, and he can have an intercourse with her in the same way [vaginal] whenever he so wishes.

Article 235- Tafkhiz is defined as putting a man’s sex organ (penis) between the thighs or buttocks of another male person.

Note- A penetration [of a penis into another male person’s anus] that does not reach the point of circumcision shall be regarded as tafkhiz.

Article 236- In the case of tafkhiz, the hadd punishment for the active and passive party shall be one hundred lashes and it shall make no difference whether or not the offender meets the conditions of ihsan [mentioned in note 2 of article 234], or whether or not [the offender] has resorted to coercion.

Note- If the active party is a non-Muslim and the passive party is a Muslim, the hadd punishment for the active party shall be the death penalty.

Article 237- Homosexual acts of a male person in cases other than livat and tafkhiz, such as kissing or touching as a result of lust, shall be punishable by thirty-one to seventy-four lashes of ta’zir punishment of the sixth grade.

Note 1- This article shall be equally applicable in the case of a female person.

Note 2- This article shall not be applicable in the cases punishable by a hadd punishment under Shari’a rules.

Article 238- Musaheqeh is defined as where a female person puts her sex organ on the sex organ of another person of the same sex.

Article 239- The hadd punishment for musaheqeh shall be one hundred lashes.

Article 240- Regarding the hadd punishment for musaheqeh, there is no difference between the active or passive parties or between Muslims and non-Muslims, or between a person that meets the conditions for ihsan and a person who does not, and also whether or not [the offender] has resorted to coercion.

Article 241- In the cases of indecent offenses, in the absence of admissible legal evidence and with denial of the accused, any type of investigation and interrogation in order to discover hidden affairs and things concealed from the public eye shall be prohibited. In cases with the possibility of commission of an offense with force, coercion, assault, abduction, or deception, or cases which are considered as commission [of an offense] with resorting to force, this rule shall not be applicable.

Source: Islamic Penal Code of Iran, 2013, articles 233-41. Pakistan* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -89

Section 377 Unnatural offences: Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than two years nor more than ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation: Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the offence described in this section.

Source: Pakistan Penal Code (XLV of 1860), section 377 Lebanon LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -70

Article 534.

Penal Code 1943, Article 534 Sexual Intercourse Against Nature Article 534 prohibits “sexual intercourse against nature” with a penalty of up to one year imprisonment. This provision has been applied to intercourse between men and between women.

Penal Code 1943, Article 521 Disguising as a Woman Article 521 criminalises gender expression by making it an offence for a man to “disguise himself as a woman”. The penalty for this offence is up to six years imprisonment.

Source: Criminal Code of 1943, article 534. Uzbekistan LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -70

Article 120 Besoqolbozlik* (Homosexual Intercourse): Besoqolbozlik, that is, voluntary sexual intercourse of two male individuals – shall be punished with imprisonment up to three years.

The following country does not have sufficient data on the LGBTQ+ community, so it has not been included in our LGBTQ+ Danger Index graphic above. However, same-sex relationships are illegal:

Article 520 Three years imprisonment shall be punished by nature violates the mjamah. (This has been Google translated from Arabic).

The following country lacks adequate information on LGBTQ+ issues, so they have not been included in our LGBTQ+ Danger Index graphic above. However, same-sex relationships are illegal:

Section 152(2).

152.— (2) Any person who:— ( a ) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or (6) has carnal knowledge of an animal; or (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature, is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for ten years.

Asia/Pacific

Sections 377A, 377B, 377D.

Carnal intercourse against the order of nature 377A. Any person who has sexual connection with another person by the introduction of the penis into the anus or mouth of the other person is said to commit carnal intercourse against the order of nature. Explanation—Penetration is sufficient to constitute the sexual connection necessary to the offence described in this section.

Punishment for committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature 377B. Whoever voluntarily commits carnal intercourse against the order of nature shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty years, and shall also be punished with whipping.

Outrages on decency 377D. Any person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any person of, any act of gross indecency with another person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years.

Source: Malaysia Penal Code, 2006, section 377A, 377B, 377D. State Sharia (Islamic) laws also apply. Myanmar* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -118

Sections 377. Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with transportation for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Source: Penal Code of 1860, section 377. Maldives* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -100

Sections 410, 411, 412.

Section 410 – Unlawful Marriage (a) Unlawful Marriage. A person commits an offense if: (8) two persons of the same sex enter into a marriage;

Section 411 – Unlawful Sexual Intercourse (a) Unlawful Intercourse. A person commits an offense if: (1) he engages in sexual intercourse (2) he engages in sexual intercourse with a person of the same sex. (b) Grading. [(d) Additional Punishment Authorized. In addition to the punishment authorized under Chapter 90, to impose the penalty imposed under Islamic Sharia, an additional punishment of 100 lashes is authorized for the offense.]* (f) Definitions. (2) “Same- sex intercourse means”; (A) Insertion by a man his sexual organ or any object into the anus of another man for sexual gratification. Or the insertion into another mans mouth the penis of a man or (B) Insertion of a woman’s organ or any object into the vagina or anus of another woman for sexual gratification. (3) “Lashes” means the symbolic punishment of striking an offender’s back with a short length of rope in a manner not designed to cause bodily injury. A single person must inflict all of the lashes prescribed as punishment, and he may only drive the rope using his wrists; he may not use any other part of his arm or movement in his shoulders, hips, back, legs or torso for that purpose.]9

Section 412 – Unlawful Sexual Contact (a) Unlawful Intercourse. A person commits an offense if: (b) Offense Defined. A person engaging in sexual contact with a person of the same is committing an offense. (c) Prohibition. “prohibited sexual contact” means indecent acts other than the offenses prescribed under Section 411 (a) of this Code, with a person of same sex, or with a person of the opposite sex other than with a person to whom he is married, or with an animal, for obtaining sexual gratification.

Source: Maldives Penal Code, Section 410, 411, 412. Sri Lanka* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -91

Sections 365, 365A.

Article 365. Unnatural ofences [AGAINST THE ORDER OF NATURE] “Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years […] Explanation – penetration is sufcient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the ofence described in this section.”

Article 365A. Acts of gross indecency between persons [GROSS INDECENCY] “Any person who, in public or private, commits, or is a party to the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any person of any act of gross indecency with another person, shall be guilty of an ofence and shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years or with a fne, or with both and where the ofence is committed by a person over eighteen (18) years of age in respect of any person under sixteen (16) years of age shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term not less than 10 years and not exceeding 20 years and with a fne and shall also be ordered to pay compensation of amount determined by court to the person in respect of whom the ofence was committed for the injuries caused to such a person.”

Source: Penal Code (as amended by the Penal Code (Amendment) Act, No. 22 of 1995), articles 365, 365A. Bangladesh* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -9

Section 377: Unnatural offenses. Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation: Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the offense described in this section.

Source: Penal Code 1860, section 377. Bhutan LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: 16

Section 213, 214

Unnatural sex 213. A defendant shall be guilty of the offence of unnatural sex, if the defendant engages in sodomy or any other sexual conduct that is against the order of nature.

Grading of unnatural sex 214. The offence of unnatural sex shall be a petty misdemeanour.

Source: Penal Code of Bhutan, 2004, Chapter 14: Sexual Offences, Section 213. Brunei* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -200

Article 377

Unnatural offences. 377. Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman, or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine. [S 12/97] Explanation — Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the offence described in this section.

Sections 153, 155.

153. Any person who- (a) commits buggery with another person or with an animal; or (b) permits a male person to commit buggery with him or her, shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment for 14 years.

Indecent practices between males: 155. Any male person who, whether in public or private, commits any act of gross indecency with another male person, or procures another male person to commit any act of gross indecency with him, or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any male person with himself or with another male person, whether in public or private, shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment for 5 years.

Source: Kiribati Penal Code, Revised Edition 1977, section 153, 155. Papua New Guinea* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -80

Sections 210, 212.

210. 1. UNNATURAL OFFENCES. (1)A person who– (a) sexually penetrates any person against the order of nature; or (b) sexually penetrates an animal; or (c) permits a male person to sexually penetrates him or her against the order of nature, is guilty of a crime. Penalty: Imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years. (2) A person who attempts to commit an offence against Subsection (1) is guilty of a crime. Penalty: imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.

212. INDECENT PRACTICES BETWEEN MALES. (1) A male person who, whether in public or private– (a) commits an act of gross indecency with another male person; or (b) procures another male person to commit an act of gross indecency with him; or (c) attempts to procure the commission of any such act by a male person with himself or with another male person, is guilty of a misdemeanour. Penalty: Imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years.

Source: Criminal Code Act 1974, section 210, 212. Samoa* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: 48

Section 67: Sodomy. (1) A person who commits sodomy is liable: (a) where the act of sodomy is committed on a female, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years; or (b) where the act of sodomy is committed on a male, and at the time of the act that male is under the age of 16 years and the offender is of or over the age of 21 years, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years; or (c) in any other case, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years. (2) Sodomy is complete upon penetration. (3) It is no defence to a charge under this section that the other party consented

Source: Crimes Act 2013, No. 10, section 67. Solomon Islands* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -85

Sections 160, 162.

160. Any person who- (a) commits buggery with another person or with an animal; or (b) permits a male person to commit buggery with him or her, shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment for fourteen years.

162. Any person who, whether in public or private – (a) commits any act of gross indecency with another of the same sex; (b) procures another of the same sex to commit any act of gross indecency; or (c) attempts to procure the commission of any act of gross indecency by persons of the same sex, shall be guilty of a felony and be liable to imprisonment for five years.

Source: Penal Code (Revised Edition 1996), sections 160-162. Tonga* LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -155

Sections 136, 139, 142.

136 Sodomy and bestiality. Whoever shall be convicted of the crime of sodomy with another person or bestiality with any animal shall be liable at the discretion of the Court to be imprisoned for any period not exceeding ten years and such animal shall be killed by a public officer. (Substituted by Act 9 of 1987.)

139 Attempted sodomy, indecent assault upon a male. Whoever shall attempt to commit the said abominable crime of sodomy or shall be guilty of an assault with intent to commit the same or of any indecent assault upon any male person shall be liable at the direction of the Court to imprisonment for any term not exceeding 10 years.

142 Whipping for certain offences. Whenever any male person shall be convicted of any offence against sections 106, 107, 115, 118, 121, 122, 125, 132, 136 and 139 of this Act the Court may, in its discretion in lieu of or in addition to any sentence of imprisonment authorised under this Act order the person so convicted to be whipped in accordance with the provisions of section 31 of this Act. (Substituted by Act 9 of 1987.)

LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index Score: -65

Article 135

(1) Sodomy, that is, sexual intercourse between a man and a man, shall be punishable by imprisonment for up to two years, with or without the obligation to reside in a certain locality for a period of two to five years.

Source: Criminal Code of Turkmenistan

Sections 153, 154, 155

153 Unnatural offences Any person who — (a) commits buggery with another person or with an animal; or (b) permits a male person to commit buggery with him or her, shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment for14 years.

154 Attempts to commit unnatural offences and indecent assault Any person who attempts to commit any of the offences specified in the last preceeding section, or who is guilty of any assault with intent to commit the same, or any indecent assault upon any male person shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment for 7 years.

155 Indecent practices between males Any male person who, whether in public or private, commits any act of gross indecency with another male person, or procures another male person to commit any act of gross indecency with him, or attempts to procure the commission of any such act by any male person with himself or with another male person, whether in public or private, shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be liable to imprisonment for 5 years.

Source: Tuvalu Penal Code

Sections 154, 155.

154. Indecency between males – (1) Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years who, bring a male,- (a) Indecently assaults any other male; or (b) Does any indecent act with or upon any other male; or (c) Induces or permits any other male to do any indecent act with or upon him. (2) No boy under the age of fifteen years shall be charged with committing or being a party to an offence against paragraph (b) or paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of this section, unless the other male was under the age of twenty-one years. (3) It is not defence to a charge under this section that the other party consented.

155. Sodomy – (1) Every one who commits sodomy is liable- (a) Where the act of sodomy is committed on a female, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years; (b) Where the act of sodomy is committed on a male, and at the time of the act that male is under the age of fifteen years and the offender is of over the age of twenty-one years, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years; (c) In any other case, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years. (2) This offence is complete upon penetration. (3) Where sodomy is committed on any person under the age of fifteen years he shall not be charged with being a party to that offence, but he may be charged with being a party to an offence against section 154 of this Act in say case to which that section is applicable. (4) It is no defence to a charge under this section that the other party consented.

South America

(Click the country name for more details on their anti-LGBTQ+ laws)

Articles 352, 354.

352. Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or is a party to the commission, or procures or attempts to procure the commission, by any male person, of any act of gross indecency with any other male person shall be guilty of a misdemeanour and liable to imprisonment for two years.

354. Everyone who commits buggery, either with a human being or with any other living creature, shall be guilty of felony and liable to imprisonment for life.

The homophobic legacy of the British Empire

As noted, an asterisk next to the country names in the above list means that it was a former British colony. A whopping 44 of the 66 countries that have illegal same-sex relationships were once part of the British Empire. That is over 66%! This isn’t a coincidence. In almost all cases, the laws outlawing consensual gay sex were put into place under British rule and were left in place following independence.

India is an example country that has only in 2018 managed to annul Section 377, a British colonial-era law prohibiting “unnatural acts,” in order to legalize consensual gay sex. Ancient Indian literature such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana have many references to LGBTQ+ heroes including transgender warriors and two queens who made love in order for one queen to get pregnant with an heir for their kingdom. Long story short, this points to the fact that it was likely the British influence that largely led to Indian homophobia in the first place.

With this being said, all these countries have the choice and ability to update their laws. And in most cases, these former British colonies have been fully independent for half a century or more and have chosen not to change these antiquated laws. Long story short, the British influence may have brought the “sodomy” laws in the first place but the local attitudes and customs have decided to keep them .

Which are the top 50 LGBTQ+ safe countries for travelers?

Netherlands
United Kingdom
Switzerland
South Africa
New Zealand
United States
Virgin Islands
Puerto Rico
Czech Republic

One country might surprise you for not ranking higher on our list: the United States. One reason for that is, of course, that there is a great deal of variation in gay rights depending on the state you’re in . There are also no constitutional or broad protections for LGBTQ+ rights under federal law in the U.S. Also, in some states, LGBTQ+ youth do not have access to helpful information, with these so-called “no-promo homo” laws counting in the “propaganda/morality” category. The U.S. might have come far, but it has a long way to go in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, especially for young transgender people .

How many countries have legalized gay marriage?

As of now, 30 countries (plus Guam, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico) have marriage equality, with Switzerland joining in July 2022. 15 countries recognize civil unions or partnerships. 9 countries do not allow marriage equality for their citizens but formally recognize foreign marriages.

Countries with marriage equality laws are often great spots for LGBT+ vacations, but be aware that gay travel to rural or fundamentalist communities can be problematic in almost any country — definitely don’t make assumptions when visiting smaller towns and communities.

Global transgender murder rates

TvT (Transrespect versus Transphobia) Worldwide tracks the instances of transgender people who have been murdered around the world. As of this publishing, over 4,000 trans murders have been tracked during the past 13 years with 1,645 of those crimes taking place in Brazil alone.

Countries with the highest rates of transgender murders (per million residents):

Honduras – 11.80
El Salvador – 9.30
Brazil – 8.25
Puerto Rico – 5.64
Belize – 5.12
Guyana – 5.11
Mexico – 5.09
Colombia – 4.63
Venezuela – 4.59
Dominican Republic – 4.38
Uruguay – 4.04
Guatemala – 3.92
Ecuador – 3.28
Argentina – 2.52
Fiji – 2.25

Why are 14 of these 15 countries with the highest trans murder rates located in Central and South America?

The majority of reported trans murders are currently happening within Central and South America. But why is transgender murder such a frequent occurrence in Latin America? One article from Equal Times posits that a heavily patriarchal society combined with high transgender rates of sex work may be contributing factors. As many transgender individuals are shunned by their families, they turn to sex work to survive, which carries an additional risk to their safety. It is estimated that an extremely high number of transgender individuals are living in poverty , and only an estimated 25% of trans women will complete secondary school in Latin America.

The ostracization of individuals from their families and communities is considered another major factor in the high rates of violence and murder against LGBTQ+ people within Latin America. Additionally, police are often not a source of safety, and governmental protections are not in place to support those most vulnerable.

Learn more about the plight of trans people in Latin America:

Fighting transfemicide in the Americas
Brazil continues to be the country with the largest number of trans people killed
Transgender immigrants who fled Latin America still face uncertainty in the US
Three lives, one message: Stop killing Mexico’s transgender women

What other countries might be a problem for LGBTQ+ international travelers?

114 of the 203 countries offer at least some form of legal protection for LGBTQ+ people, but 82 of the 202 countries penalize either sexual acts, being trans, or the dissemination of information about LGBTQ+ rights. Many countries have confusing or inconsistent legislation, allowing for protections among some of the LGBTQ+ community while penalizing or harming others. This creates a grey area where it’s not quite safe to be out but not immediately threatening.

One of those countries is Japan . While LGBTQ+ representation in Japanese media has mostly been positive, and the Japanese public has consistently polled in favor of same-sex marriage, there’s a long way to go as far as legislation outside of the major cities.

But the conversation about danger is a little bit different than the question of which countries do not allow gay marriage. Japan is rarely dangerous, with 35% of locals saying Japan is a “good place” for gay people to live, while Russia frequently polls at only 9%. Countries like Armenia (at 4%), Kyrgyzstan (7%), and Mongolia (17%) all may be bad places to go as well, despite not having any formal anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that could harm travelers.

Beyond gay-marriage-illegal countries, here are some real problem places among the list of most-visited countries in the world:

China — China’s relationship to LGBTQ+ culture is dubious to say the least. Homosexuality is no longer considered a mental disorder as of 2001, and the consensus is that homosexuality is legal and that most locals won’t care so long as you find the right bar to hang out in. At the same time, groups and events have frequently been banned, and censorship laws have frequently been used to ban LGBTQ+ content online in China. LGBTQ+ travel is possible, but only with caution and thorough research into the specific cities you’ll be visiting.
Russia — Russia has gained increasing international infamy for the way the government treats its LGBTQ+ citizens. Activists have died or gone missing, and individuals who followed Russian gay marriage laws to the letter have been forced to flee the country . That’s ignoring the purges and torture happening in Chechnya . Rights have regressed in recent years, and travel isn’t advised, despite homosexuality being legal on paper.
Indonesia — LGBTQ+ rights are increasingly considered to be a “moral threat” in Indonesia, with a law against pornography being used for any non-pornographic, pro-LGBTQ+ content. Meanwhile, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has only gotten worse as a result of this persecution. While it’s not illegal in the country, homosexuality could result in public humiliation and arrests nevertheless . This has become more perilous with the 2022 legislation passed that will outlaw all sex outside of marriage.

Iraq , Mozambique , and Bahrain are also examples of countries where same-sex relations are not illegal in the traditional sense but expression of LGBTQ+ sexuality has been suppressed and may still be considered “indecency” with legal consequences, depending on the circumstance.

If the country you want to visit is in one of those grey areas, consider reading more about it, talking to fellow travelers, or doing a bit more research before booking a flight.

If you don’t know whether or not the country you’re visiting will be safe, check the U.S. State Department’s write-ups for LGBTQ+ travelers . The Human Rights Watch’s country profiles are a good place to find information, too.

37 safety tips shared by four LGBTQ+ travel experts

As one can plainly see, LGBTQ+ travel safety varies a great deal, from relative comfort to the real possibility of danger. We looked at the specific legal status of rights abroad as well as polling information to create our LGBTQ+ travel index, but the on-the-street experience can be much more nuanced. Because anti-LGBTQ+ crime and harassment is rarely reported, especially not on an international scale, it’s hard to find data to inform travelers of what walking the streets might be like. Beyond our list, ask other queer people and allies there before you go. Make an online friend, do your research, and take your time.

Want to get tips from our four LGBTQ+ travel experts?

Keep reading!

8 tips from a trans travel expert

Aaron Edwards, an FTM trans travel blogger, shares the following helpful tips on staying safe while traveling.

1. Remember to bring all your documents

2. Research your destination thoroughly

Read up on local laws regarding LGBTQ+ people. Some places are much more restrictive than others and it is better to know your rights and not need them than to be stuck in a jail cell somewhere.

3. Knowing your next bathroom stop is must

Always know where your next bathroom stop will be or have a backup bathroom plan in case you are not comfortable with the situation.

4. Some destinations are best to avoid and travel insurance is worth it

Do your research and know which locations are best to avoid. I also recommend getting a good travel insurance plan no matter what your destination is because you never know when you might need it.

5. Have a letter from your doctor handy at the airport

If you are on HRT (hormone replacement therapy), always try to bring a doctor’s note to keep with your medication in your bag in case you have issues with airport security.

6. You will probably be questioned

Brace yourself to be questioned. A lot of cultures are known for their bluntness. Even people who pass extremely well can get stopped and asked questions based on documents, appearance, etc.

7. If possible, travel with a friend or a group

When in doubt, be with people. There is safety in numbers, especially if they are your friends and people who will stand up for you if it is needed. This applies whether you’re on a camping trip , staying at Airbnbs or at regular hotels.

8. Network via LGBTQ+ Facebook groups

Join transgender or LGBTQ+ related Facebook groups. It is an easy way to find other trans people who LIVE where you are traveling. They can give you their personal experiences, ideas of places to go, or even offer to hang out with you and give you a local tour.

12 travel safety tips from a gay couple

Derek and Mike are an American couple living in Europe and are the authors of Robe Trotting . They have written the following useful tips.

1. Check out Misterbnb

2. Bring copies of your important documents

All travelers should carry backup copies of their passport and other personal information, but there are some extra considerations that LGBTQ+ travelers should consider. It isn’t fun to think about, but Healthcare Power of Attorney and Hospital Visitation Authorization documents are essential. This is because domestic partnership and same-sex marriage laws differ widely around the world. We carry these documents on a flash drive and our attorney has prepared laminated wallet-sized Hospital Visitation Authorizations. This is something we hope to never use, but we feel better having when we travel. A neck wallet can be a great way to carry your most important documents including your passport etc.

3. Know your rights

Transgender and gender non-conforming travelers face higher levels of marginalization than other “LGB” travelers. For trans and gender non-conforming travelers, it’s important to know your rights, especially in airports. There are legal protections in the EU, UK, and USA to protect trans and gender non-conforming air travelers. Do some additional research when traveling outside of America, the UK, and Europe. In this travel zone, here are a few tips and expectations.

4. Select the gender that appears on your Government ID

When booking tickets, indicate the gender that appears on your government-issued identification. Sometimes this is different than the gender you present, but the legal requirement is only for the names on your ID and travel documents to match. You should never be questioned or forced to further prove your gender based on your gender presentation.

5. Pat-downs are based on the gender you present, not your ID

If a security pat-down is required, it must be completed by security personnel of the same sex as the passenger. In a pat-down situation, it will be based on the gender that the passenger presents and not their government-issued ID.

6. Body scanners don’t actually show your body

For trans and non-binary travelers worried about body scanners, the countries mentioned do not display the actual scan of your body to security personnel. In fact, all passenger images are displayed as generic body forms on the screens visible to staff. The screen does identify areas that should be screened more closely, but it uses a generic body form. For example, there would be a highlighted box around the midsection of the form if a traveler forgets to remove their belt. It does not show any details of the body or anatomy.

7. Wearing a prosthetic device or binder can lead to further questioning

Trans and non-binary travelers should be prepared for additional questioning if wearing prosthetic devices or binders. These travelers are not required to show, remove or lift clothing to reveal these devices. Simply answer any questions in a straight-forward manner and speak to a supervisor if any of those described situations should arise.

8. Consider LGBTQ+ tours

We all find safety in numbers, so consider LGBTQ+ tours that will specialize in gay travel. Similarly, consider booking a traditional tour company where you will have a local guide who is familiar with customs, speaks the language, and can advise you on how to stay safe while exploring the world. Many tour companies display their credentials in serving the LGBTQ+ community on their websites. You can also contact their customer service staff with additional concerns or specific questions on travel to certain destinations.

9. Know the local laws in the country you plan to visit

Do some research on the laws that exist in each country you plan to visit. Specifically, look up how often they’re enforced and when the laws were written. For example in Africa, many laws are left-over colonial-era codes that were put in place by other powers and are not enforced or are selectively enforced. For example, Morocco only sporadically enforces its anti-LGBTQ+ law and does not enforce it in resort towns like Marrakech . It’s mostly a law that still exists because of Islamic morality. Morocco even has an LGBTQ+ rights group and is largely viewed as tolerant. Some nations, like Uganda, are actively creating and expanding laws that target the LGBTQ+ community with penalties of death. Make a distinction between countries like Morocco and Uganda when considering your travels.

10. Remember to enjoy the local historic sites and cuisines

Focus on what you can do, and not what you can’t. Many countries will have a less visible LGBTQ+ community and social scene. Sometimes, this can be a blessing in disguise because it frees up your trip for other meaningful activities. Travel should be more than gay bars and nightclubs. Focus on what you can do like touring historic sites, visiting museums and trying new cuisines. It can be tough for a couple to resist public displays of affection, but no laws will be able to keep you from building travel memories, and you can make it up with extra private displays of affection.

11. Be careful with the location feature of dating apps

On gay apps like Grindr and Scruff, turn off the location feature. Even in countries where your rights are protected, gay-bashing can be an issue. In the Ukraine, for example, the “how far away” location feature is disabled nation-wide because of past incidents. Still, there is a thriving gay culture and plenty of gay locals. Always exercise caution and meet strangers in public spaces.

12. Always be culturally aware

Be culturally aware when you’re traveling anywhere. In many nations, public displays of affection from any couple, same or differing sex, are a taboo. Comply with these customs without feeling singled out. It may still be upsetting, but know that different-sex couples are also conforming their behavior to local norms. Similarly, some conservative destinations will have different norms on appearance and dress. It can be triggering to change your appearance, clothing, mannerisms, and behavior if you are LGBTQ+. Previous life experiences like bullying can bring up tough emotions but know that it’s most often local customs and not bigotry that require cultural conformity. I realize that for some individuals that will be easier than for others. My advice comes from a point of privilege as a masculine cis-gendered male, but I truly feel that certain sacrifices are worth it to travel.

9 safety tips from a traveling lesbian couple

Meg Ten Eyck is the creator of EveryQueer.com which is a website dedicated to inspiring and equipping LGBTQ+ travelers to live a life of adventures. She shared the following tips.

1. Cisgender people will most likely have fewer issues

2. Respect local customs

Be aware of local gender expectations. Are women supposed to be covered, wear headscarves or avoid certain activities? Try to respect local customs and blend in as much as possible.

3. Have someone you trust know your itinerary

Be sure to leave your itinerary and contact information with someone you trust. It’s always a good idea to have someone back home who has an idea of what you’re up to and where you plan on heading. It doesn’t have to be a minute-to-minute breakdown, contact information of hotels and flight numbers will work just fine.

4. Find LGBTQ+ friendly businesses before you leave

Consider using the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association as a resource for finding LGBTQ+ owned and affirming businesses in countries where you may have more concerns. Knowing that a business is owned by LGBTQ+ people or specifically seeks out LGBTQ+ accreditation may offer some peace of mind.

5. Be careful with PDA’s in certain countries

Be mindful of public displays of affection, in some locations like Russia or Morocco, mundane actions like holding hands, requesting a double bed at a hotel, casual touching, and kissing can be considered public displays. In some countries these actions are illegal and the consequences can be anything from a fine to imprisonment to being punishable by death. Not to be overly sensationalist here, there are lots of people who have traveled in anti-LGBTQ+ countries and have been just fine. There are also people who have not. It’s a case-by-case situation.

6. Be sure that sex toys are legal

In some countries, traveling with sexually explicit material can be used as evidence of sex work which may result in you being detained while traveling. Transgender and gender-nonconforming people are often unfairly targeted, be aware that in recent years there have been a few instances where people have used sex toys to victimize LGBTQ+ travelers. One couple was the victim of an alleged hate crime by TSA agents and another couple was arrested in Malaysia for being in possession of a sex toy. Keep in mind that traveling with these items into some countries is illegal. Be very cautious and do your homework before crossing borders with anything you think could be questionable.

7. Consider who you disclose your identity to

Consider who you disclose your identity to while you are traveling in countries that are not as LGBTQ-affirming as your home country.

8. Walk with confidence

Appear confident while walking in public areas. The more afraid and buckled over you look, the more of a target you’ll appear to be.

9. Invest in your personal safety

When in doubt invest in personal safety, if taking the more expensive cab ride over the bus ride seems like the safer option for you, do it.

8 tips from a gay travel expert

Andrew Dobson runs Dobbernationloves , an LGBTQ+ travel blog based in Toronto and shares these very helpful tips on international travel safety.

1. Take precautions with dating apps

2. Use the geo search to research your destination prior to leaving home

Use the geo-search feature on dating apps like Scruff and Grindr before you depart for your trip. You can ask locals about what the most popular gay bars and businesses are before you even arrive. Many destinations have suffered from gay bar closures so weekly or monthly LGBTQ+ parties are the norm and locals are always in the know.

3. Connect with the locals before you arrive

Use gay dating apps to connect with locals before you arrive and you’ll find friendly folks keen to show a tourist around. This is particularly helpful if you’re visiting a country like Germany where bartenders may not speak English.

4. Keep spots you discover confidential in sensitive destinations

If you’re visiting places like Egypt or Jordan where the LGBTQ+ community is largely underground for safety reasons, be sure to keep the spots you discover confidential to protect the local LGBTQ+ community. Posting about a popular gay coffee shop hangout in Cairo on TripAdvisor, for example, is a no-no.

5. Negative LGBTQ+ laws may not reflect tourist areas

Remember that just because a country’s government may have negative LGBTQ+ policies, doesn’t mean it isn’t a great gay holiday destination. The Maldives, for example, has laws in place for locals but during our visit to the Four Seasons Maldives, a majority of the guests at the resort were gay couples. Research the hotel and resort brands you’re planning on staying with before you book to ensure they are LGBTQ+ friendly.

6. Certain regions may be very LGBTQ+ friendly within a conservative country

Indonesia is the largest known as a conservative Muslim country but ironically the island of Bali is considered to be one of the best LGBTQ+ destinations in Asia. There can be significant tolerance differences based on each region you visit. Many hotels host luxurious gay honeymoons in Bali

7. Do your research on festival dates

Research the annual LGBTQ+ festivals to determine when the destination is likely to offer the most fun on holiday. In North America, we’re familiar with Pride parades but in Europe, the annual festival is referred to as CSD Celebrations or Christopher Street Day. LGBTQ+ festivals vary based on the culture of a place and its people. North American and Europe are known for flashy parades and all-night parties, where some smaller towns or more reserved countries focus on political protest, poetry readings or events centered around theatre and film.

Contact your hotel ahead of time

If you’re traveling with a same-sex friend or partner we always suggest contacting your hotel in advance to confirm what sort of bedding they offer. In some countries, two men will always be booked into a room with separate beds. In other countries, they’re happy to provide one bed for two men but you’d have to specify that in advance as they’ll automatically assume you’re traveling friends.

Why we wrote this article & did this study

Lyric grew up in Hollywood surrounded by actors, producers, and what she thought was a very open and accepting community for LGBTQ+ individuals. It wasn’t until she was 13 when she overheard her Uncle explaining that he was concerned he would be fired from an acting job if they found out he was gay, that she realized even one of the most liberal US communities was still plagued with homophobia.

Since then, LGBTQ+ rights have been at the forefront of Lyric’s awareness. She wondered how safe the US was for the LGBTQ+ community vs the rest of the world after hearing stories from other travelers. We then decided to dive deep into the subject and what we found was shocking.

So many questions entered our minds. For example, “Is it safe to travel to countries where the death penalty or life imprisonment is still a sentence for being openly gay?”

As travel journalists, we wanted to help the LGBTQ+ community educate themselves on the very complex and layered world of staying safe during international travel. But also, to try to bring more awareness to the often horrific treatment of LGBTQ+ people in many parts of the world. And hopefully, this will bring about change, acceptance, and love for all people regardless of their orientation.

How can you help bring about change?

Are you an ally and upset by this information? Here are two obvious ways you can help:

1. Share this article. Bringing awareness to a problem is the first step to fixing it. Share it on social media, send it to your loved ones and anyone you think should see it.

2. Consider donating to organizations that are making a difference. For example, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association or Human Rights Watch are organizations working to help find and report these issues and to help make the whole world — not just a piece of it — safer for LGBTQ+ people.

Recognition of same-sex relationships 2020 – Human Rights Watch
LGBTQ+ Worker Protections 2020 – ILGA
Anti Discrimination Laws 2020 – ILGA
Criminalization of Hate-Based Violence 2020 – ILGA
Adoption Recognition 2020 – ILGA
Gallup World Poll (2020 Data)
Transgender Rights – Wikipedia
Transgender Murder Monitoring – TvT
Global Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws 2020 – Human Rights Watch
Equaldex: The Collaborative LGBT Rights Knowledge Base

UK ranked 9th best place for LGBT+ travel in Spartacus Gay Travel Index

The spartacus gay travel index has ranked 203 countries and regions for lgbt+ travellers..

By Markus Bidaux

If you’re of a certain age, you will remember the chunky Spartacus International Gay Guides. First published in 1970 Spartacus later modernised the guides into an app in 2011.

This authority of gay travel has released its annual Spartacus Gay Travel Index , which rates the LGBT+ situation, both for locals and visitors, in a total of 203 countries and regions.

The index currently has 17 categories ranging from gender and marriage rights to anti-LGBT+ laws and religious influence.

A screenshot of Spartacus Gay Travel Index's interactive map

In 2023 Malta was the clear winner for the first time, which proves it was the right choice for this year’s EuroPride in September.

Canada and Switzerland tied for second place, with Switzerland making the biggest leap from seven to twelve points because of the introduction of equal marriage and a progressive gender self-determination law for individuals over the age of 16.

The top of the pack on the Spartacus Gay Travel Index

Also gaining traction was Israel and Vietnam for banning ‘conversion therapy’. Currently, only 23 countries have banned the outdated and debunked practice. The UK’s Conservative government is dragging its feet on its promise to ban it throughout Britain.

The UK neither lost nor gained any points this year and tied for ninth place alongside Germany, Iceland, and Spain.

The worst ranked countries on the Spartacus Gay Travel Index

Indonesia saw the biggest slip from 117 th to 159 th place, because of a new law influenced by fundamentalism. Meanwhile, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iran, and Saudi Arabia tie for the hardest places to be part of the LGBT+ community.

The hosts of the FIFA 2022 World Cup, Qatar, is ranked 191st by Spartacus.

Similarly, the US-Index provides information about each of the 50 federal states of the United States.

You can view the full interactive colour map here.

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January 9, 2023

#makeovermonday 2023 week 2 - the spartacus gay travel index.

I found the subject of this week's data set on the Instagram account of The Map Zone . It's a simple map of what's called the "Gay Travel Index".

The annually updated SPARTACUS Gay Travel Index informs travellers about the situation of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) in a total of 202 countries and regions. The US-Index provides information about each of the 50 federal states of the US. The index attempts at finding a balance between measuring the rights of the local LGBT community and considering the demands of queer holidaymakers. Our aim is to monitor the safety of queer people in each country and also increase the awareness on grievances.

When I saw that the data was a ranking over time, I thought I'd give a curvy bump chart a try. I used this blog by Kevin Flerlage. He makes it super simple to follow along. During WatchMeViz, I showed how to use one of Kevin's visualizations from an old Makeover Monday as a template. I showed how to take the data we had for this week, transform it to the write shape needed for the template, then how to swap out the data source with the new one we created.

Honestly, when I swapped out the data sources, I was convinced that I would have messed things up along the way, but alas, I didn't and I was basically done. I spent time formatting, adding in more categories, and a bit more. Check out the viz below or here and follow along with Watch Me Viz to see how to build one yourself here .

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a person looking at their smart phone stands at the corner of a street in Harlem

New digital tools are helping travelers avoid discrimination

Black and LGBTQ+ travelers are leading the charge to build inclusive technologies that help their communities explore safely.

We plan vacations with TikTok , receive flight updates via text, book tickets through apps, and scan our faces to board a plane. Technology often makes our trips easier, but that’s not always the case for travelers from marginalized communities. Rideshare bookings are canceled more often for Black people than white people, and for LGBTQ+ riders compared to straight users. Black travelers are more likely than white ones to have their Airbnb booking denied. Research shows that the facial scanning technology becoming increasingly popular in airports is more likely to misidentify people of color , and TSA body scans can either out trans travelers or flag them as security threats.

The industry’s major players are working to address the issue. Airbnb, for example, terminated more than 1 million users for not accepting its nondiscrimination policy and launched an internal initiative that dives into users’ history in order to measure acts of racial discrimination. The findings aid the company in creating new tools and policies to virtually eliminate inequities. But affected travelers are not waiting for the mainstream services to deliver a solution. They’re taking tech into their own hands to create inclusive tools you can use to plan your next trip.

Digital directions

Victor Hugo Green’s seminal guide, The Negro Motorist Green Book , helped Black Americans find safe spaces while traveling under Jim Crow laws from the 1930s through the late ’60s. These laws are gone, but for Black travelers, the difficulty of navigating unknown spaces persists.

Stefan Grant, a Jamaican-born rapper based in South Florida, experienced this firsthand when the police showed up at his Atlanta Airbnb in 2015 after a neighbor called the cops to falsely report he and his friends were robbing the house. He shared the traumatizing experience on social media, and it went viral.

Socially defined “white” and “Black” spaces “are very common in the United States,” says Mia Bay, a professor of American history at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Traveling Black: A Story of Race and Resistance . “Travel can often disrupt those kinds of social divisions.” She adds while Jim Crow limited where Black people could go, the laws made clear where they would be welcome—modern tourists face greater uncertainty.

Just because a place is safe for me as a straight Black male doesn’t mean that my sister, who is a queer Black woman, would also have the same experience and feel safe there too. Christian Lowe , creator of The Green Book Project

Black entrepreneurs are tackling this uncertainty by adapting the spirit of Green’s guide for the digital age. Grant’s harrowing experience led him to create Noirbnb , a vacation rental platform aimed at travelers of color and allies. The site aims to educate, empower, and provide economic opportunities to create an inclusive community for travelers, says Grant. People who use Noirbnb will know “the person who provided this space respects my humanity and respects my dignity,” he says.

( Here’s how Black travel has evolved since the “Green Book .”)

Other programs such as Green Book Global offer city guides from the perspective of Black travelers. EatOkra connects users with more than 11,000 Black-owned restaurants. Blapp and SupportBlackOwned.com offer information on a host of different businesses, from yoga studios to retail stores, searchable by city. Culture onShore , a travel activity database set to launch later this year, aggregates cultural experiences run by minority owners.

“If inbound travelers visiting the destination are not aware of the small soul food restaurant or Caribbean food restaurant, or the small Black heritage tour operator or the small Black museum, then those dollars don’t trickle into those communities,” says Stephanie Jones, creator of Culture onShore and founder of National Blacks in Travel and Tourism Collaborative .

a highway as seen from the driver's side window and side mirror

The Green Book Project , an app from software engineer Christian Lowe, allows travelers to determine how inclusive a business is through a unique search system based on how users identify themselves, indicated by a hashtag they place on their reviews. For example, a queer vegan traveler could filter a restaurant’s reviews for insight into how their specific needs are addressed by the staff.

“Just because a place is safe for me as a straight Black male doesn’t mean that my sister, who is a queer Black woman, would also have the same experience and feel safe there too,” says Lowe.

Some large platforms are also working to improve their search capabilities, although these efforts are far from perfect. GoogleMaps, OpenTable, and Yelp allow users to filter businesses by LGBTQ+ ownership—and on Yelp, users can also filter for gender-neutral bathrooms. While Google’s “woman-led business” tag is searchable, tags including “LGBTQ+”, “transgender safe,” and “Latino-owned” and “veteran-owned” businesses are not. Google is working to make more of these attributes searchable, according to a company spokesperson.

( Learn how travelers of color are smashing stereotypes .)

Beyond the latest apps and tech tools, travelers can simply search for specific hashtags on Instagram, says Martinique Lewis, president of the Black Travel Alliance , who is adapting her 2021 book, The ABC Travel Green Book , into an app.

Looking up hashtags such as #BlackInParis, #BlackInAmsterdam, #BlackInNewYork, or #BlackOwnedNewYork and #BlackOwnedAmsterdam will, she says, help you “get a pulse on who’s there, what are they doing, where can you eat, where can you party, where can you take that Black history tour.”

Out on the town

Gay travelers navigate similar difficulties, says Robert Geller, founder of the LGBTQ+ vacation rental platform FabStayz .

Geller says his site and others, including Misterb & b and Ebab , provide a sense of security for travelers so that they don’t have “to look at a listing or a property and try to figure out: Is this a welcoming space?” he says. “The mystery is gone, the anxiety is gone. It’s like staying with a friend.”

The Spartacus International Gay Guide, published annually from 1970 until 2017, when it became an app , highlights LGBTQ-friendly businesses and pride events in thousands of cities around the world. The company’s Gay Travel Index grades countries annually on how friendly they are to LGBTQ+ travelers. TripIt , a travel logistics app, and GeoSure , a travel safety app, also rate neighborhoods on LGBTQ+ safety.

Resources specific to transgender travelers include Equaldex , a community-driven database on LGBTQ+ rights that addresses whether non-binary gender identities are legally recognized. The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association’s Trans Legal Mapping Report details the laws regarding trans rights in more than 140 United Nations member states. The Man About World LGBTQ+ Travel Guide , accessible through the site or app, includes tips from trans travelers, such as signing up for TSA Precheck to reduce the likelihood of getting flagged during security screenings, joining The Facebook Transgender Alliance , and searching social media for #TravelingWhileTrans.

( Visibility mixes with vulnerability for many transgender travelers .)

No matter which apps you use, Kayley Whalen, who runs the travel blog Trans Worldview , recommends connecting with trans advocacy groups in your destination via social media. Organizations like Asia Pacific Transgender Network , which operates in 15 countries, from China to Mongolia , can provide a boots-on-the-ground perspective of how trans people are treated and facilitate local connections.

Reaching out to FTM Vietnam and the local ICS Center before a trip to Vietnam, for example, gave her an instant friend: “A trans woman associated with those groups met me at the airport on her scooter, took me out to dinner, and took me to my Airbnb on my first night in Vietnam to make sure I felt welcome there as a trans person,” she says in her vlog.

Whalen adds that by creating these inclusive digital spaces, travelers from different backgrounds are able to feel connected with others while traveling, instead of feeling like an outsider.

“I think travel is a way to feel affirmed for trans people. [It shows] that gender doesn’t look the same in every country,” she says.

Alexandra Gillespie is a travel journalist based in southern California.

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Showbizz Daily (English)

The 12 best and 12 worst places to go on vacation when you're gay

Posted: March 17, 2024 | Last updated: March 17, 2024

<p>For over a decade, the Spartacus International Gay Guide has published an index of the most and least LGBTQ-friendly countries in the world. The list includes 213 countries and tests various criteria every year to ensure that LGBTQ tourists can pick a safe place to go on vacation. </p>

Spartacus Gay Travel Index

For over a decade, the Spartacus International Gay Guide has published an index of the most and least LGBTQ-friendly countries in the world. The list includes 213 countries and tests various criteria every year to ensure that LGBTQ tourists can pick a safe place to go on vacation.

<p>The Florida governor also defunded state colleges' diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. According to Reuters, many higher education experts and free speech advocates opposed this policy.</p>

Criteria for a safe travel destination

The index takes into account 18 criteria ranging from laws regarding same-sex marriage, anti-discrimination, guarantees of human rights, the death penalty for homosexual people (yes, this still happens in some countries), the influence of religion in a state, and the public and political opinions on conversion therapy and Pride celebrations.

<p>After weighing all the criteria, countries get a score from zero to twelve, with the latter being the best mark. Countries are color-coded from deep green (recommended countries) to red (not recommended to visit if you belong to the LGBTQ community).</p> <p><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/channel/source/Showbizz%20Daily%20English/sr-vid-w8hcuhvu3f8qr5wn5rk8xhsu5x8irqrgtxcypg4uxvn7tq9vkkfa?cvid=cddbc5c4fc9748a196a59c4cb5f3d12a&ei=7" rel="noopener">Follow Showbizz Daily to stay informed about travel, lifestyle and entertainment</a></p>

The rainbow goes from Red to Green

After weighing all the criteria, countries get a score from zero to twelve, with the latter being the best mark. Countries are color-coded from deep green (recommended countries) to red (not recommended to visit if you belong to the LGBTQ community).

Follow Showbizz Daily to stay informed about travel, lifestyle and entertainment

<p>Let's start by highlighting the countries where LGBTQ travelers can feel relatively safe. Of course, bigotry exists everywhere, but according to the Spartacus Travel Index, in these countries the risk of getting in trouble as a gay couple is lower than in most others.</p>

Which are the highest-scoring countries?

Let's start by highlighting the countries where LGBTQ travelers can feel relatively safe. Of course, bigotry exists everywhere, but according to the Spartacus Travel Index, in these countries the risk of getting in trouble as a gay couple is lower than in most others.

<p><span>Upward questions focused on powerful actors like governments and pharmaceutical companies while downward questions focused on powerless actors like immigrants and those in the LGBTQ+ community.</span></p>

12 points: Canada

Canada is deep green, scoring 12 points in the index. Until 1969, intimacy between people of the same sex was punishable by law. Prime Minister Trudeau formally apologized for that in 2017. "We were wrong," he said, "I am sorry. We are sorry." Now, Canada is among the five countries with the highest score in the Spartacus Travel Index.

<p>Malta also obtained 12 points. The country's indices for hate crimes, religious influence, death penalty or hostility among the population are consistently 0.</p>

Malta also obtained 12 points. The country's indices for hate crimes, religious influence, death penalty or hostility among the population are consistently 0.

New Zealand

New Zealand is another place with the most advanced LGBTQ rights. Same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples is legal there, for example. In the picture, we see former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as the first New Zealand PM to walk in the Pride Parade in February 2018.

<p>Back to the European continent, where three of the top-five countries have a perfect score. Portugal is one of them, thanks to its anti-discrimination laws and the legality of same-sex marriage and adoption. And while travelers may not be getting married there, it's also good to know that the index measuring the hostility of the Portuguese population towards the LGBTQ community has a score of 0.</p>

Back to the European continent, where three of the top-five countries have a perfect score. Portugal is one of them, thanks to its anti-discrimination laws and the legality of same-sex marriage and adoption. And while travelers may not be getting married there, it's also good to know that the index measuring the hostility of the Portuguese population towards the LGBTQ community has a score of 0.

<p>Another European country recognized for its welcoming of the LGBTQ community is Spain. It has numerous progressive laws that protect queer and transgender people against discrimination. In addition, its yearly Gay Pride in July is famous among locals and international guests. Make sure to book a hotel on time and bring your 'abanico' (handheld fan) because it will be hot!</p>

Another European country recognized for its welcoming of the LGBTQ community is Spain. It has numerous progressive laws that protect queer and transgender people against discrimination. In addition, its yearly Gay Pride in July is famous among locals and international guests. Make sure to book a hotel on time and bring your 'abanico' (handheld fan) because it will be hot!

<p>Australia scored 11 points in the ranking. It has no laws limiting the rights of same-sex couples, nor any censorship for the LGBTQ community. Yet, it doesn't score a perfect 12 because it requires people who want to become permanent residents to do an HIV test. If it's positive, the government assesses if the newcomer's health expenses will not be too high for its society to bear. However, apart from the health factor, Australia scores a good 11 in the Spartacus Travel Index.</p>

11 points: Australia

Australia scored 11 points in the ranking. It has no laws limiting the rights of same-sex couples, nor any censorship for the LGBTQ community. Yet, it doesn't score a perfect 12 because it requires people who want to become permanent residents to do an HIV test. If it's positive, the government assesses if the newcomer's health expenses will not be too high for its society to bear. However, apart from the health factor, Australia scores a good 11 in the Spartacus Travel Index.

<p>This European country also scores 11 points in the ranking. It has laws to protect gay rights and enable same-sex marriage and parenting. A little '-1' comes with its score for acknowledgement of 'intersex / 3rd gender' people. Still, with 11 points it is one of the seven best countries in the world for gay people to travel to! </p>

Switzerland

This European country also scores 11 points in the ranking. It has laws to protect gay rights and enable same-sex marriage and parenting. A little '-1' comes with its score for acknowledgement of 'intersex / 3rd gender' people. Still, with 11 points it is one of the seven best countries in the world for gay people to travel to!

<p>With World War II as a gruesome exception, German society and government have generally accepted and welcomed people from the LGBTQ community. Present-day Germany is recognized for being one of the most gay-friendly places in the world. Its score of 10 in the ranking proves it.</p>

10 points: Germany

With World War II as a gruesome exception, German society and government have generally accepted and welcomed people from the LGBTQ community. Present-day Germany is recognized for being one of the most gay-friendly places in the world. Its score of 10 in the ranking proves it.

<p>Another country with a score of 10 in the Spartacus Travel Index. Uruguay is the first Latin American country to enter the ranking. Its high score reflects its anti-discrimination laws, pro-transgender laws, the possibility of marriage and adoption, as well as the measurement of minimal hostility from the population towards the LGBTQ community.</p>

Another country with a score of 10 in the Spartacus Travel Index. Uruguay is the first Latin American country to enter the ranking. Its high score reflects its anti-discrimination laws, pro-transgender laws, the possibility of marriage and adoption, as well as the measurement of minimal hostility from the population towards the LGBTQ community.

<p>We close the list of the highest-ranking countries with a trio in the north of Europe that also got 10 points. In Iceland, we see the first rainbow street in the world in this photo. Norwegians are equally liberal when it comes to gender identity and sexuality, scoring a 10 like their neighbors. Finally, Denmark is considered a highly tolerant country, although the Spartacus Index does note that parts of its society advocate conversion therapy - aka, a therapy believed to 'cure' homosexuality.</p>

A tie for three Scandinavian countries: Iceland, Denmark and Norway

We close the list of the highest-ranking countries with a trio in the north of Europe that also got 10 points. In Iceland, we see the first rainbow street in the world in this photo. Norwegians are equally liberal when it comes to gender identity and sexuality, scoring a 10 like their neighbors. Finally, Denmark is considered a highly tolerant country, although the Spartacus Index does note that parts of its society advocate conversion therapy - aka, a therapy believed to 'cure' homosexuality.

<p><span>Not all of the seven points were as abstract as changing the way we define water, however. Concrete solutions like halting government subsidies and reforming business practices were proposed. </span></p>

Where does the USA stand?

The United States do not have the greatest score, placing 41 in the global ranking with a mere 4 points. Recent setbacks in gay rights legislation include anti-trans laws banning access to sports, restrooms or gender-affirming health care, and 'Don't Say Gay' laws prohibiting the 'promotion' of same-sex relationships.

<p>Unfortunately, these 12 top countries are far removed from the 'red' states that are much less welcoming of same-sex couples. These are the bottom 10 in the world. </p>

The bottom twelve

Unfortunately, these 12 top countries are far removed from the 'red' states that are much less welcoming of same-sex couples. These are the bottom 10 in the world.

<p>These countries score 16 points below zero. Same-sex relationships are prohibited and can lead to years of imprisonment or, in theory, the death penalty in Qatar and the Emirates. However, capital punishment has not actually been imposed on LGBTQ people in these countries. </p>

Minus 16 points: United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya

These countries score 16 points below zero. Same-sex relationships are prohibited and can lead to years of imprisonment or, in theory, the death penalty in Qatar and the Emirates. However, capital punishment has not actually been imposed on LGBTQ people in these countries.

<p>While in the previous four countries, laws are mostly aimed against male couples, Nigeria also targets female couples and is more actively pursuing punishments for same-sex relationships than the countries with minus 16 points. Trans people can be targeted by both civil and Sharia laws. Tourism in Nigeria is not recommended for them.</p>

Minus 17 points: Nigeria

While in the previous four countries, laws are mostly aimed against male couples, Nigeria also targets female couples and is more actively pursuing punishments for same-sex relationships than the countries with minus 16 points. Trans people can be targeted by both civil and Sharia laws. Tourism in Nigeria is not recommended for them.

A country that fell particularly hard in the ranking is Russia. Spartacus calls it "the relegated country of the year" and says that Russia "has once again significantly tightened its legislation against the LGBT+ population and compares the LGBT+ movement with extremist organizations."

<p>This country scores specifically low for the death penalty: minus 5. The combination of a large religious presence and unstable governments make Somalian society particularly hostile towards anything that does not follow hetero norms. </p>

Minus 18 points: Somalia

This country scores specifically low for the death penalty: minus 5. The combination of a large religious presence and unstable governments make Somalian society particularly hostile towards anything that does not follow hetero norms.

<p>Originally dubbed the "Kill the Gays bill" in Uganda, this legislation criminalizes homosexuality with life imprisonment. It was passed in 2014, but later stuck down for inciting hate crimes. However, the country still has some severe punishments for engaging in same-sex acts.</p>

Permissive legislation for same-sex relationships was never the norm in Uganda as a British colony nor as an independent country. In 2023 it introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Act, including up to 20 years in prison for "promotion of homosexuality," life imprisonment for "homosexual acts," and the death penalty for people who force intimacy onto others of the same sex.

<p>Generally, national governments in the West discourage their citizens from traveling to Yemen. However, for gay people it is particularly prohibitive. Yemen claims not to 'have' any gay people. What's more, the mere fact of being homosexual, in consensual relationships, can lead to the death penalty. In fact, it is said that there are no gay people in Yemen. The score of Yemen was -18.</p>

Minus 19 points: Yemen

Generally, national governments in the West discourage their citizens from traveling to Yemen. However, for gay people it is particularly prohibitive. Yemen claims not to 'have' any gay people. What's more, the mere fact of being homosexual, in consensual relationships, can lead to the death penalty. In fact, it is said that there are no gay people in Yemen. The score of Yemen was -18.

<p>In the case of Afghanistan, the overall score is -21. Here the death penalty is applicable for same-sex relationships and the LGBTQ community has to keep its identity a secret for fear of violence or death. The religious government of this country makes it impossible to even discuss these rights.</p>

Minus 21 points: Afghanistan

In the case of Afghanistan, the overall score is -21. Here the death penalty is applicable for same-sex relationships and the LGBTQ community has to keep its identity a secret for fear of violence or death. The religious government of this country makes it impossible to even discuss these rights.

<p>In Chechnya, the human rights of the LGTBQ community have raised concerns worldwide. The government of this country encourages the murder of people suspected of being homosexual. Just like Afghanistan, it is not a travel destination for gay people. To learn about the situation there, it's better to watch the 2020 documentary 'Welcome to Chechnya' by David France on HBO.</p>

In Chechnya, the human rights of the LGTBQ community have raised concerns worldwide. The government of this country encourages the murder of people suspected of being homosexual. Just like Afghanistan, it is not a travel destination for gay people. To learn about the situation there, it's better to watch the 2020 documentary 'Welcome to Chechnya' by David France on HBO.

<p>Same-sex activity is illegal in Iran and can potentially result in the death penalty. Travelers are urged to exercise extreme caution. A German tourist was detained in 2018 but released after diplomatic negotiations.</p>

Iran's score is also -21. Infamously, the Muslim government of the country killed some 7,000 gay people in 1980. Curiously, Iran is the only Islamic country in which sex reassignment surgery is allowed, The Economist reports, and it even attracts people from the West who want to undergo such surgery. However, this does not make it a safe destination for LGBTQ vacations.

Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, homosexuality can be punishable by death, torture, and imprisonment. The mere expression of homosexuality is illegal. However, the Saudi Tourism Authority states that all tourists are welcome, including those from the LGBTQ community, as long as they comply with the rules. This means: don't show you're gay in any way.

<p>The Spartacus Gay Travel Index is an important reference for people from the LGBTQ community who like to explore the world. However, the safety and welfare of people from all orientations and walks of life should not be an issue when traveling. Therefore, the UN and many international NGOs are trying to achieve that, in the future, indexes like this one will not even need to exist.</p> <p><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/channel/source/Showbizz%20Daily%20English/sr-vid-w8hcuhvu3f8qr5wn5rk8xhsu5x8irqrgtxcypg4uxvn7tq9vkkfa?cvid=cddbc5c4fc9748a196a59c4cb5f3d12a&ei=7" rel="noopener">Follow Showbizz Daily to stay informed</a></p>

An important list

The Spartacus Gay Travel Index is an important reference for people from the LGBTQ community who like to explore the world. However, the safety and welfare of people from all orientations and walks of life should not be an issue when traveling. Therefore, the UN and many international NGOs are trying to achieve that, in the future, indexes like this one will not even need to exist.

Follow Showbizz Daily to stay informed

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Travel, Tourism & Hospitality ›
Leisure Travel

Best-rated countries in the Gay Travel Index 2023

Lgbt rights in canada, acceptance around the globe, safest travel destinations for lgbtq tourism worldwide in 2023 (index score).

Additional Information

Show sources information Show publisher information Use Ask Statista Research Service

March 1, 2023

*Note from the source: "The index consists of 17 categories at present, ranging from gay marriage to death penalty for homosexuals (...) It has a negative impact on the rating of a country, if human rights are not observed nor guaranteed or even worse, violated." The best rated countries that year was Malta (13 points) while four destinations got the worst index score (-19 points). By category, the highest score obtained was 3 points while the lowest score was -5.

Statistics on " Tourism worldwide "

Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide 2019-2033
Travel and tourism: share of global GDP 2019-2033
Leading global travel markets by travel and tourism contribution to GDP 2019-2022
Global leisure travel spend 2019-2022
Global business travel spending 2001-2022
Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 1950-2023
Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2023, by region
Travel and tourism employment worldwide 2019-2033
Global hotel and resort industry market size worldwide 2013-2023
Leading hotel companies worldwide 2023, by number of properties
Hotel openings worldwide 2021-2024
Hotel room openings worldwide 2021-2024
Countries with the most hotel construction projects in the pipeline worldwide 2022
Daily ridership of bus rapid transit systems worldwide by region 2023
Number of users of car rentals worldwide 2019-2028
Number of users in selected countries in the Car Rentals market in 2023
Carbon footprint of international tourism transport worldwide 2005-2030, by type
Market size of museums, historical sites, zoos, and parks worldwide 2022-2027
Leading museums by highest attendance worldwide 2019-2022
Most visited amusement and theme parks worldwide 2019-2022
Monuments on the UNESCO world heritage list 2023, by type
Selected countries with the most Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide 2023
Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028
Estimated desktop vs. mobile revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2023
Number of aggregated downloads of leading online travel agency apps worldwide 2023
Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023
Leading online travel companies worldwide 2020-2022, by revenue CAGR
Leading online travel companies worldwide 2022-2023, by EV/EBITDA
Global travelers who believe in the importance of green travel 2022
Sustainable initiatives travelers would adopt worldwide 2022, by region
Airbnb revenue worldwide 2017-2023
Airbnb nights and experiences booked worldwide 2017-2023
Technologies global hotels plan to implement in the next three years 2022
Hotel technologies global consumers think would improve their future stay 2022
Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2019-2028, by segment
Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028
Inbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region
Outbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region

Other statistics that may interest you Tourism worldwide

Basic Statistic Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide 2019-2033
Basic Statistic Travel and tourism: share of global GDP 2019-2033
Basic Statistic Leading global travel markets by travel and tourism contribution to GDP 2019-2022
Basic Statistic Global leisure travel spend 2019-2022
Premium Statistic Global business travel spending 2001-2022
Premium Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 1950-2023
Basic Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2023, by region
Basic Statistic Travel and tourism employment worldwide 2019-2033
Premium Statistic Global hotel and resort industry market size worldwide 2013-2023
Premium Statistic Most valuable hotel brands worldwide 2023, by brand value
Basic Statistic Leading hotel companies worldwide 2023, by number of properties
Premium Statistic Hotel openings worldwide 2021-2024
Premium Statistic Hotel room openings worldwide 2021-2024
Premium Statistic Countries with the most hotel construction projects in the pipeline worldwide 2022
Premium Statistic Airports with the most international air passenger traffic worldwide 2022
Premium Statistic Market value of selected airlines worldwide 2023
Premium Statistic Global passenger rail users forecast 2017-2027
Premium Statistic Daily ridership of bus rapid transit systems worldwide by region 2023
Premium Statistic Number of users of car rentals worldwide 2019-2028
Premium Statistic Number of users in selected countries in the Car Rentals market in 2023
Premium Statistic Carbon footprint of international tourism transport worldwide 2005-2030, by type

Attractions

Premium Statistic Market size of museums, historical sites, zoos, and parks worldwide 2022-2027
Premium Statistic Leading museums by highest attendance worldwide 2019-2022
Basic Statistic Most visited amusement and theme parks worldwide 2019-2022
Basic Statistic Monuments on the UNESCO world heritage list 2023, by type
Basic Statistic Selected countries with the most Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide 2023

Online travel market

Premium Statistic Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028
Premium Statistic Estimated desktop vs. mobile revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2023
Premium Statistic Number of aggregated downloads of leading online travel agency apps worldwide 2023
Basic Statistic Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023
Premium Statistic Leading online travel companies worldwide 2020-2022, by revenue CAGR
Premium Statistic Leading online travel companies worldwide 2022-2023, by EV/EBITDA

Selected trends

Premium Statistic Global travelers who believe in the importance of green travel 2022
Premium Statistic Sustainable initiatives travelers would adopt worldwide 2022, by region
Premium Statistic Airbnb revenue worldwide 2017-2023
Premium Statistic Airbnb nights and experiences booked worldwide 2017-2023
Premium Statistic Technologies global hotels plan to implement in the next three years 2022
Premium Statistic Hotel technologies global consumers think would improve their future stay 2022
Premium Statistic Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2019-2028, by segment
Premium Statistic Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028
Premium Statistic Inbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region
Premium Statistic Outbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region

Further related statistics

Basic Statistic Main countries of origin of tourists interested in the WorldPride Madrid 2017
Basic Statistic Daily hotel occupancy rate during WorldPride Madrid 2017
Basic Statistic Average hotel price during the WorldPride Madrid 2017
Premium Statistic LGBT tourism expenditure in Europe 2012-2016, by country
Premium Statistic Chile: most visited countries by outbound travelers 2019
Premium Statistic Number of African tourists to Japan 2010-2023
Premium Statistic Share of visitor arrivals in Menorca 2022, by place of residence
Premium Statistic Main leisure travel destinations in Brazil 2019
Premium Statistic Number of tourists from Oceania to Japan 2010-2023
Premium Statistic Italy: top 10 mountain resorts in Italy in 2015, by number of beds
Premium Statistic Main business travel destinations in Brazil 2019
Premium Statistic Monthly number of Asian tourists to Japan 2018-2023
Premium Statistic Growth of tourists from Oceania to Japan 2010-2016
Premium Statistic Italy: estimated percent changes in tourist influx 2017
Premium Statistic Monthly number of South Korean tourists to Japan 2018-2023
Premium Statistic Cuba: Gay Travel Index 2020, by category
Premium Statistic Overnight stays in tourist establishments in Morocco 2020, by destination
Premium Statistic Leading concerns about providing personal data online in Finland 2015

Further Content: You might find this interesting as well

Main countries of origin of tourists interested in the WorldPride Madrid 2017
Daily hotel occupancy rate during WorldPride Madrid 2017
Average hotel price during the WorldPride Madrid 2017
LGBT tourism expenditure in Europe 2012-2016, by country
Chile: most visited countries by outbound travelers 2019
Number of African tourists to Japan 2010-2023
Share of visitor arrivals in Menorca 2022, by place of residence
Main leisure travel destinations in Brazil 2019
Number of tourists from Oceania to Japan 2010-2023
Italy: top 10 mountain resorts in Italy in 2015, by number of beds
Main business travel destinations in Brazil 2019
Monthly number of Asian tourists to Japan 2018-2023
Growth of tourists from Oceania to Japan 2010-2016
Italy: estimated percent changes in tourist influx 2017
Monthly number of South Korean tourists to Japan 2018-2023
Cuba: Gay Travel Index 2020, by category
Overnight stays in tourist establishments in Morocco 2020, by destination
Leading concerns about providing personal data online in Finland 2015

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The SPARTACUS International Gay Guide
Map : Spartacus Gay Travel Index
Der neue Spartacus Gay Travel Index
Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2019: Plan Your Gaycation with Couple of Men
Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2023: How gay-friendly is the World?
Spartacus International Gay Guide 2017 edition

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COMMENTS

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Trip By Trip

SPARTACUS GAY TRAVEL INDEX 2023 | Belgium 17th most gay travel friendly country; Malta on 1, Canada and Switzerland share 2nd

Switzerland is the big winner

Predictable bottom-end

Bleak outlook in the United States

Gay Travel Index

Rating system

Gay Travel Index USA

What is the index worth?

Queer Belgium

Queer human rights

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Gay-Friendly Countries / GLBTQ+ Friendly Countries 2024

The Most Gay-Friendly Countries in 2022

New Zealand

Download Table Data

Which countries are the most friendly to gay people?

Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2020

The latest Spartacus Gay Travel Index, more comprehensive due to additional categories, gives an overview of the situation of LGBT in a total 202 countries and regions.

USA: a divided country

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The 203 Worst (& Safest) Countries for LGBTQ+ Travel in 2023

Our methodology

Positive factors

Negative factors

What’s changed for LGBTQ+ individuals over the past year?

Where are same-sex relationships illegal?

Middle East

Asia/Pacific

South America

The homophobic legacy of the British Empire

Which are the top 50 LGBTQ+ safe countries for travelers?

How many countries have legalized gay marriage?

Global transgender murder rates

Why are 14 of these 15 countries with the highest trans murder rates located in Central and South America?

What other countries might be a problem for LGBTQ+ international travelers?

37 safety tips shared by four LGBTQ+ travel experts

8 tips from a trans travel expert

1. Remember to bring all your documents

2. Research your destination thoroughly

3. Knowing your next bathroom stop is must

4. Some destinations are best to avoid and travel insurance is worth it

5. Have a letter from your doctor handy at the airport

6. You will probably be questioned

7. If possible, travel with a friend or a group

8. Network via LGBTQ+ Facebook groups

12 travel safety tips from a gay couple

1. Check out Misterbnb

2. Bring copies of your important documents

3. Know your rights

4. Select the gender that appears on your Government ID