Safest countries for transgender people
International Travel
Travelers can face unusual 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 involve in consensual same-sex relations may face severe punishment. Many countries do not notice same-sex marriage.
Research your destination before you travel
Review the move advisory and destination facts page of the place you plan to call on. 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 perform 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, verify 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 look at LGBTQ+ rights, country by country. We’ve gathered numbers from a variety of trusted international sources to create a“LGBTQ+ Danger Index” that will help you find the worst (and safest) countries for Homosexual travel.
Being born this way can be rough, but one thing should not give you anxiety when you’re trans, bi, womxn loving womxn, queer, or gay: tour. 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+ travel enthusiasts to go, where queer and trans individuals have essential basic rights and protections like marriage equality, constitutional protections, and hate-crime punishments for targeted violence. By looking at the legal rights of each land, we found these superior 25 LGBTQ-friendly countries, which often serve as the top gay vacation destinations for travelers the earth over:
- Sweden
- Canada
- Norway
- Portugal
- Belgium
- United Kingdom
- Finland
- France
- Iceland
- Spain
- M
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 Guide, as Hungary and Georgia also register steep falls tracking 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 urge 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 existence designed to entrench discrimination and suppress dissent.”
- Katrin Hugendubel, Activism Director, ILGA-Europe
Malta has sat on highest 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 being the most equal) to support visualize the legal rights and universal attitudes towards Homosexual (lesbian, gay, double attraction, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex...) people in each region. The Equality Index is an average of two indexes: the legal index and the public belief Index.
Equality Index
Average of Legal Index and Public Opinion IndexLegal Index
The LGBT legal index measures the current legal status of 13 unlike issues ranging from the legal status of homosexuality, queer 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 have a much bigger impact on the score than not allowing LGBT people to serve in the military). Each topic is assigned a "total possible score" and a "score" is assigned based the status of the law using a rating scale that ranges from 0% to 100% (for example, if homosexuality is legal, it would would receive 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 Trans Rights Index
This week, Asher & Lyric released their 2023 Global Trans Rights Index, ranking every country with a score.
Studying abroad suggestions a unique opportunity for personal growth, 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 nature have made remarkable strides in advancing transgender rights. Here we will examine five study abroad destinations that have demonstrated a commitment to fostering a welcoming atmosphere for gender nonconforming individuals:
Canada
Known for its linear stance on LGBTQ+ rights, Canada has been at the forefront of transsexual rights. The Canadian government has implemented legislation protecting transgender people from discrimination and ensuring access to healthcare services. Institutions fancy the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia have robust support systems in place for transgender students.
Explore Canada Programs