Where LGBTQ+ Visitors are Most Welcome—Or Not
While Japan is not hostile to gay visitors or residents, it comes way down the LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index of 203 countries at 73rd, mainly due to its recently upheld ban on same-sex marriage.
Travel & Family Journalism website Asher & Lyric reviewed LGBTQ+ rights worldwide to compile factors pertaining to the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ individuals. Not surprisingly, traditionally progressive Western nations make up the top end while many of the lower-ranked nations are Muslim-majority, including Brunei, which faced international backlash after introducing a 2019 law that imposes the death penalty for same-sex relations.
The world is generally seen as becoming more welcoming to LGBTQ+ visitors and “countries with marriage equality laws are often great spots for LGBT+ vacations,” the index says. “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.”
- Thirty countries (plus Guam, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) have marriage equality, with Switzerland joining in July 2022.
- Fifteen countries recognize civil unions or partnerships.
- Nine countries do not allow marriage equality for their citizens but formally recognize foreign marriages.
8 Recent Positive Developments:
- While gay marriage is still banned in Japan, gay couples can now register a domestic partnership
- Cuba legalized same-sex marriage
- Switzerland legalized same-sex marriage
- Singapore, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis decriminalized homosexuality
- Same-sex marriage and adoption are fully legal in Slovenia.
- Croatia passed laws expanding the rights of same-sex couples to joint adoption
- The US Virgin Islands increased its discrimination protections for people based on their sexual identity and gender expression.
- New Zealand implemented gender self-identification
In recent years, however, Russia passed stricter laws that prohibit LGBTQ+ “propaganda,” and Indonesia banned sexual activity outside of marriage. “Those looking for trans- and gay-travel-safe countries should reconsider Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Myanmar, Jamaica and Egypt,” the LGBTQ+ index warned. The United States is not on the list as gay rights depend on which state you’re in.
The BBC recently quoted Lyric Fergusson, who runs the travel safety site with her partner Asher: “It was important for us to cover this topic because it so greatly affects so many travellers,” she said. “Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that the majority of the world is still far from safe for LGBTQ+ people. But because laws are always being revised, it’s our mission to update this list at least once a year.”
Top 50 places for LGBTQ+ travellers:
- Canada
- Sweden
- Netherlands
- Malta
- Norway
- Portugal
- Spain
- Denmark
- Belgium
- United Kingdom
- France
- Iceland
- Switzerland
- Ireland
- Luxembourg
- South Africa
- Germany
- Chile
- Uruguay
- Austria
- Australia
- Finland
- Guam
- New Zealand
- United States
- Virgin Islands
- Croatia
- Slovenia
- Cuba
- Argentina
- Costa Rica
- Andorra
- Brazil
- Puerto Rico
- Greece
- Colombia
- San Marino
- Ecuador
- Bolivia
- Estonia
- Israel
- Mexico
- Peru
- Nepal
- Kosovo
- Cyprus
- Slovakia
- Taiwan
- Czech Republic
- Angola