Safest countries for transgender people

Rainbow Map

2025 rainbow map

These are the main findings for the 2025 edition of the rainbow map

The Rainbow Map ranks 49 European countries on their respective legal and policy practices for LGBTI people, from 0-100%.

The UK has dropped six places in ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map, as Hungary and Georgia also register steep falls following anti-LGBTI legislation. The data highlights how rollbacks on LGBTI human rights are part of a broader erosion of democratic protections across Europe. Read more in our press release.

“Moves in the UK, Hungary, Georgia and beyond signal not just isolated regressions, but a coordinated global backlash aimed at erasing LGBTI rights, cynically framed as the defence of tradition or public stability, but in reality designed to entrench discrimination and suppress dissent.”

  • Katrin Hugendubel, Advocacy Director, ILGA-Europe


Malta has sat on top of the ranking for the last 10 years. 

With 85 points, Belgium jumped to second place after adopting policies tackling hatred based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. 

Iceland now comes third place on the ranking with a score of 84.

The three

LGBT Equality Index

Equality Index Methodology

Equaldex's Equality Index is a rating from 0 to 100 (with 100 creature the most equal) to help visualize the legal rights and public attitudes towards LGBTQ+ (lesbian, queer , bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex...) people in each region. The Equality Index is an average of two indexes: the legal index and the general opinion Index.

Equality Index

Average of Legal Index and Public Opinion Index

Legal Index

The LGBT legal index measures the current legal status of 13 different issues ranging from the legal status of homosexuality, same-sex marriage, transgender rights, LGBT discrimination protections, LGBT censorship laws, and more. Each topic is weighted differently (for example, if same-sex marriage is illegal in a region, it would hold a much bigger impact on the score than not allowing LGBT people to serve in the military). Each topic is assigned a "total feasible score" and a "score" is assigned based the status of the regulation using a rating scale that ranges from 0% to 100% (for example, if homosexuality is legal, it would would collect a score of 100, but if it's illegal, it would receve a score of 0.)

5 Study Abroad Countries with Stronger Transgender Rights than the USA

Updated 2023 Global Transsexual Rights Index

This week, Asher & Lyric released their 2023 Global Trans Rights Index, ranking every country with a score.

Studying abroad bids a unique opportunity for personal progress, cultural immersion, and academic development. For transgender students, choosing a study destination that prioritizes their rights and provides a safe and inclusive environment adds another layer of support. Fortunately, several countries around the world have made remarkable strides in advancing transgender rights. Here we will explore five explore abroad destinations that have demonstrated a commitment to fostering a welcoming atmosphere for transgender individuals:

Canada

Known for its gradual stance on Queer rights, Canada has been at the forefront of trans person rights. The Canadian government has implemented legislation protecting trans people from discrimination and ensuring access to healthcare services. Institutions like the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia have robust assist systems in place for transgender students.

Explore Canada Programs safest countries for transgender people

International Travel

Travelers can face singular challenges abroad based on their real or perceived sexual orientation. Laws and attitudes in some countries may affect safety and ease of travel. 

More than 60 countries consider consensual same-sex relations a crime. In some of these countries, people who occupy in consensual same-sex relations may face severe punishment. Many countries do not distinguish same-sex marriage.

Research your destination before you travel 

Review the explore advisory and destination facts page of the place you plan to attend. Check the Local Laws & Customs section.  This has information specific to travelers who may be targeted by discrimination or violence on the basis of sexual orientation.  

Many countries only recognize male and female sex markers in passports. They undertake not have IT systems at ports of entry that can accept other sex markers, including valid U.S. passports with an X sex marker. If traveling with a valid U.S. passport with an X sex marker, inspect the immigration regulations for your destination as acceptance can vary by country. 

Bring important documents 

Bring copies of important documents. This is es

Young Pioneer Tours

Guest article by Hannelore Oberbauer, student at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

Instead of relying on hearsay and anecdotes from other travelers, we took a deep observe at LGBTQ+ rights, country by region. We’ve gathered numbers from a variety of trusted international sources to make a“LGBTQ+ Danger Index” that will aid you find the worst (and safest) countries for Gay travel.

Being born this way can be rough, but one thing should not give you anxiety when you’re transitioned, bi, lesbian, gay, or gay: move. Europe, North America, Oceania, Africa, Asia, and South America all have LGBTQ-safe countries where it’s OK to just be you. These are some of the best places for LGBTQ+ journal enthusiasts to proceed, where queer and trans individuals own important basic rights and protections favor marriage equality, constitutional protections, and hate-crime punishments for targeted violence. By looking at the legal rights of each country, we start these top 25 LGBTQ-friendly countries, which often serve as the top same-sex attracted vacation destinations for travelers the nature over:

  1. Sweden
  2. Canada
  3. Norway
  4. Portugal
  5. Belgium
  6. United Kingdom
  7. Finland
  8. France
  9. Iceland
  10. Spain
  11. M