Did you know about ILGA’s Rainbow Map? I didn’t know about it until the map came across my social feed when folks were upset that England got a lower rating this year than in years past. Let’s explore what this LGBTQ map is and how it’s helpful for travel planning right now, plus a second mapping tool exclusively focused on European trans rights!
ILGA Europe Rainbow Map
The ILGA Europe Rainbow Map annually ranks 49 different European countries between 0 and 100 based on their laws and policies regarding LGBTQ human rights.
Zero is bad, 100 is star pupil.
There are a couple of bright spots—Nordic countries generally have higher ratings, as do countries in Western Europe.
England went from green to yellow – but loyal readers shouldn’t be surprised by that.
Overall, the picture is not great. The numbers on the map are trending down this year, with countries having worse rankings than they have in the past.
The Rainbow Map ranks every country under seven different categories:categories: equality and non-discrimination, hate crime, hate speech, intersex bodily integrity, and legal gender recognition for trans and nonbinary people.
What I love about this map is that you can compare a country’s standing over time to tell if it’s more free now than in the past—or vice versa.
You can also see how one country compares to another, which is super helpful if you’re thinking about where to go in Europe this summer or planning a digital nomad visa and want to make sure you’ll be accepted as you are if you decide to stick around for a while.
The green-yellow-red framework is simple but effective.
It helps you figure out where is safe, where is medium safe, and where is not really safe to go as an LGBTQ traveler.
But if you want to figure out why a country got the rating it did—or if it’s risky to take a one-week trip there, there’s an annual review section that lets you dive deeper.
It goes into everything that happened in that country in the last year regarding LGBTQ rights using those ranking criteria – trans and intersex bodily autonomy and freedom, hate speech, hate crimes, etc.
TGEU’s Trans Rights Map
A separate map tracks trans rights in Europe and Central Asia. It’s developed by Transgender Europe in collaboration with ILGA-Europe, and the latest edition was released May 14.
On this map, the light blue color means less equality and wellbeing and the dark blue color means greater equality and wellbeing.
In a press release announcing the new trans rights map, Transgender Europe (TGEU) said
“For the first time in its 13-year history, setbacks in human rights of trans people across Europe and Central Asia now clearly outweigh progress.”
To give just a few examples of the rollback of trans rights in Europe and Central Asia, TGEU points to:
- The recent Supreme Court ruling in the UK
- Attempts in Georgia and Hungary to ban various rights and freedoms for transgender people (or even just banning Pride gatherings outright)
It’s not all bad – EU courts are standing by trans people and cementing important legal protections.
But with authoritarianism and far right political parties no longer fringe in many countries, things are probably going to get worse before it gets better.
If you’re traveling to Europe this summer and you’re trans or nonbinary, brush up on these travel safety tips before you go.
TGEU calls out the links between anti-trans groups, anti-EU sentiment, and nativist sentiment declaring it the new trans tipping point.
OGs may remember when that phrase was coined to refer to trans actress Laverne Cox.
It’s a sad and pointed commentary on the swift backlash to trans rights and confirmation of what many trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people are feeling – the world is less safe than it used to be.
Got a similar story you want to share with our community? Reach out and let me know how it’s going where you’ve been. You can also write to me with questions – I do my best to answer every email that comes in 😉
Bottom line: Two new travel maps color code Europe and Central Asia, for at-a-glance travel planning for LGBTQ folks. Unfortunately, rights and freedoms are eroding in many parts of the region.
