For LGBTQIA+ travelers, safety is an important factor when deciding where to visit. With growing violence against various sexual and gender identities, it’s more important than ever to find a gay-friendly country to visit. The Spartacus Gay Travel Index is released every year listing the best and worst countries to travel to. These ratings are based on anti-discrimination laws, legalization of same-sex marriage, transgender rights, and local hostility or violence against various sexual orientations and gender expressions. In 2024, Spartacus added censorship as a new category, taking considerations such as book bans, banning pride events, and prohibiting overall outward queer expression. The list includes 210 countries and territories worldwide.
Top 10 Gay-Friendly Countries
In 2024, 5 countries tied for first place:
These progressive countries are the safest places to visit and are most friendly to LGBTQIA+ identifying travelers. In a shocking twist, the top 5 changed dramatically since 2023, likely due to the new censorship category. Last year’s top 5 countries included Canada, Sweden, The Netherlands, Malta, and Norway. These countries are still very safe for travelers overall, but have slightly dropped in their rankings for a variety of reasons.
The following 5 countries in 2024 include:
- Australia
- Switzerland
- Denmark
- Germany
- Iceland
These countries are closely followed by Norway and Uruguay. Germany lost a point due to growing hate crimes and ant-trans rhetoric in the country. As of right now, it is still considered safe but many are on the lookout for increased violence in the country. Iceland and Denmark still have legalized conversion therapy, preventing them from higher rankings on the Spartacus Gay Travel Index.
The biggest change to the top 10 countries since 2023 is the major drop of the United Kingdom from number 10 to number 21. Hate crimes against local queer people and travelers have grown by 11% in only a year as the UK government draws back its support for trans people.
5 Worst Countries to Visit for LGBTQIA+
In 2024, the most dangerous countries to visit for LGBTQ+ travelers include:
- Saudi Arabia
- Iran
- Chechnya
- Afghanistan
- Yemen
These results aren’t too surprising. All 5 of these countries continue to hand out death sentences based on gender expression and sexual orientation, among many other civil and human rights issues.
Where does the United States rank?
In 2023 the United States ranked 25th overall, which isn’t great. At the time, deductions were given because some states do not offer protections against discrimination, don’t allow for a legal change of gender, and/or prohibit advocacy of homosexuality. Unfortunately, the United States has dropped to a rank of 41 due to an increase in hostile locals, lack of protections, and religious influence in the government. I foresee the United States dropping even further and even having a travel warning placed for gay and transgender people given the current political environment. Currently, there are many in the government attempting to overturn gay marriage, criminalize gender reassignment surgery, and end events in the queer community such as drag shows and pride parades. The Gay Travel Index also rates each US state individually. New York state is considered the safest state to visit, closely followed by California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington state.
Countries to keep an eye out for
Countries within South America and Latin America are slowly crawling up the list due to campaigning for better anti-discrimination laws, legalizing same-sex marriage, and ending censorship that has plagued the area for years. I would not be surprised to see Latin America countries shoot up the list as the United States, United Kingdom, and other countries continue to drop. In addition, there are a growing number of citizens within Asian countries fighting for gay rights and many cities in Southeast Asia have stellar and safe gay scenes, such as Bangkok, Thailand.
Why does this matter?
Even if you do not identify as LGBTQIA+, or you appear to be straight or cis gendered from an outsider’s perspective, it’s important to know how to be good a good ally. If given the choice, choose to spend your tourist dollars in gay-friendly countries, states, and cities that are most supportive of trans and gay people, same-sex couples, and queer communities. Money talks, and many bigoted destinations are struggling as they are boycotted due to their homophobic and transphobic rhetoric. For example, Florida lost billions of dollars in tourist dollars over the last few years due to Ron DeSantis’ “Anti-Woke” bills attacking people of color, women, immigrants, and LGBTQ members.
Wherever you are, don’t stay silent. It’s important to voice your support for gay and transgender people, and put your money where your mouth is. Choose gay-friendly countries that support our rainbow friends and family, and vote for those who will help protect them.
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