Rainbow Map

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2024 rainbow map

These are the main findings for the 2024 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%.

While authoritarian leaders across Europe continue to use the scapegoating of LGBTI people to divide and mobilise their electorates, others are conversely showing robust political will to honour commitments to advancing and protecting the human rights of LGBTI people. Read more in our press release.

“THE EFFORTS AT DIVISION AND DISTRACTION FROM CONSOLIDATED AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES ARE FURTHER LEAKING INTO OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AT A TIME WHERE ELECTIONS COULD PUSH EUROPE INTO THE HANDS OF LEADERS WHO WISH TO SHAPE A RADICAL RIGHT, ANTI-DEMOCRATIC EUROPEAN UNION.”

  • Chaber, Executive Director, ILGA-Europe

Malta has sat on top of the ranking for the last 9 years.

With 83 points, Iceland jumped to second place with a rise of three places as a result of the new legislation banning conversion practices and ensuring the trans-specific healthcare is based on depathologisation.

Belgium also banned conversion practices and now comes third place on the ranking with a score of 78.

The three countries at the other end of the Rainbow Map scale are Russia (2%), Azerbaijan (2%), and Turkey (5%). Russia lost 7 points and dropped 3 places because of the federal legislation banning legal gender recognition and trans-specific healthcare. Poland still sits at the end of the EU ranking with 18% points, followed by Romania (19%) and Bulgaria (23%).

KEY FIGURES

  • Conversion practices are only banned in 10 countries.

  • 6 is the number of countries where LGBTI people do not have any protection from discrimination.

Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Iceland, Montenegro and Spain are the only countries that have full coverage of SOGIESC in their anti-discrimination legislations.

Hate crime and hate speech on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics are prohibited in Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Malta and some regions in Spain and the UK. 

  • Marriage equality for same-sex couples is only available in 21 countries.

  • 18 is the number of countries without any legal protection of same-sex partnerships.

  • Trans parenthood is fully recognised only in 6 countries. 

  • Only Germany, Greece, Iceland, Malta, Portugal and Spain prohibit unnecessary surgical or medical interventions on intersex children.

  • 10 countries still don’t have any legal or administrative procedure for legal gender recognition.

In addition, Bulgaria, Hungary and Russia have laws that make legal gender recognition completely impossible.

  • Only in 11 countries, trans people can have legal gender recognition based on self-determination.

  • Freedom of assembly and association for LGBTI communities are restricted or under attack in at least 13 countries. 

  • Sexual orientation and gender identity are qualification criteria for seeking asylum in 27 countries. Intersex asylum seekers are protected in the law only in 6 countries.

Categories Global Scores

Please, click on each category for further details

ASYLUM

Policies across Europe and on EU level are increasingly hostile, exacerbating the challenges faced by LGBTI asylum seekers.

Despite some progress in countries like Czechia, where the law now includes SOGI grounds, challenges persist, underscoring the urgent need for more comprehensive asylum law and policies across Europe, which fully respect the international right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution in other countries.

more on this category

Civil Society Space

The landscape for civil society advocating for the human rights of LGBTI people varies across Europe, with some countries facing severe restrictions on freedom of assembly, association and expression.

This year specifically, public authorities in Bulgaria and Greece failed to sufficiently protect LGBTI public events while Belarus added LGBTI content under the list of “pornography”, restricting freedom of expression of LGBTI people.

more on this category

Intersex Bodily Integrity

Ensuring bodily integrity for intersex people remains a critical issue across Europe. Governments in Austria, Belgium, Finland, and Ireland have so far failed to follow through on commitments to prohibit unnecessary medical interventions on intersex children, leaving intersex people vulnerable to harmful practices.

There is a continued need for comprehensive measures to protect the bodily autonomy and rights of intersex people across Europe.

more on this category

Legal Gender Recognition

Denmark issued a new administrative order allowing trans minors to access LGR. Russia banned LGR procedures and trans-specific healthcare, joining Bulgaria and Hungary in making LGR completely impossible.

In many countries across Europe, the legislative processes for new LGR procedures have been stalled. Germany and Sweden adopted new laws for LGR but both have not come into effect yet.

more on this category

Hate Crime & Hate Speech

Germany amended its criminal law to include SOGISC as an aggravating factor for hate crime. Bulgaria and Slovenia also amended their legislation, but only included sexual orientation in their criminal laws. Lithuania published new policies tackling LGBTI-phobic hatred while their laws are still only recognising sexual orientation as bias-motivation.

more on this category

Equality & Non Discrimination

Belgium, Cyprus, Iceland, Norway, and Portugal banned conversion practices this year. Greece amended its anti-discrimination legislation to fill the gaps to fully protect the grounds of SOGIESC in all areas of life.

Governments in France, Malta, Scotland, and Wales launched new action plans committing to LGBTI equality. Estonia, Finland, Germany, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, Slovenia and Switzerland revoked blood donation restrictions for LGBTI people.

more on this category

Family

While progress in partnership recognition has been observed in several European countries, challenges persist for LGBTI families.

Estonia and Greece passed laws allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt children. Liechtenstein also passed a law on adoption. Latvia adopted a law on civil unions for same-sex couples but it hasn’t yet come into effect.

more on this category

Score Evolution

see 2024 archive