Latest news with #ILGA-Europe
Euronews
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Polish parliament votes to extend asylum suspension at Belarus border
The Polish parliament has voted to extend the suspension of the right to asylum at the country's eastern border with Belarus. In total, 366 politicians backed the move, while 17 voted against the extension. The measure, which has been widely criticised by human rights groups, allows Polish authorities to suspend asylum rights for 60 days at a time. It was first adopted in March, before being renewed this week. Speaking on Tuesday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk framed the bill as necessary to combat the flow of migrants entering Poland via Belarus. The prime minister and others in his government argue that Russia and Belarus are deliberately encouraging foreign citizens to cross the border in an attempt to destabilise Europe. The asylum suspension is necessary because of the "serious and real threat" this poses to Poland's national security, Tusk said. Tusk added that only Poland's "tough" stance has effectively mitigated this influx. The regulation allows exemptions for certain categories of people, including children, pregnant women, individuals with special healthcare needs, and people deemed at "real risk of harm" if returned over the border. A last minute amendment to the bill also allows families accompanying minors to claim asylum under the new restrictions. In February, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned Poland that the proposed law would not be compatible with either international or European asylum law. Human Rights Watch said last month that the EU should take legal action against Poland should the bill be implemented, adding that the legislation 'flies in the face of Poland's international and EU obligations". It encouraged the Polish parliament to vote it down. However, a spokesperson for the European Commission recently conceded that it would assess the law in the "context" of the security threat facing Poland. Malta, Belgium, Iceland, Denmark and Spain are the top five countries in this year's LGBTQ+ rights ranking, according to this year's ILGA-Europe's Rainbow Map. Malta has been at the top of the ranking for the last decade, with a score of 88,83%. With 85 points, Belgium jumped to second place after adopting policies tackling hatred based on sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. Despite Belgium jumping to second place in the index over Iceland, the latest figures from Belgium's Centre for Equal Opportunities Unia and the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men reported "worrying" cases of violence and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. Unia reported 136 cases related to sexual orientation. More than a third of these cases involved assaults with assault and battery, and a similar proportion of serious cases of harassment. These attacks are often committed by young men, sometimes in groups, and especially against other men. ILGA-Europe's Rainbow Map scores countries in seven categories: equality and non-discrimination, family, hate crime and hate speech, legal gender recognition, intersex bodily integrity, civil society space and asylum. Austria, Latvia, Germany, Czechia and Poland also recorded the biggest jumps in their rankings. Austria and Latvia rose four places, while Germany, Czechia, and Poland climbed three. The EU's average score is 51.13%, while Europe's is 41.85%. In 2025, some countries across Europe saw a rollback in LGBTQ+ rights. Romania has been at the end of the EU ranking with a score of just 19%, followed by Poland and Bulgaria, both with 21%. "Centre and far-right actors in the EU are targeting NGO funding to weaken organisations that defend rights, while at the national level, we are seeing laws introduced that do not address any genuine societal need but are designed purely to marginalise," said ILGA-Europe's Advocacy Director, Katrin Hugendubel. The United Kingdom also dropped six places to 22nd. That drop was partially blamed on a Supreme Court decision to redefine the legal understanding of "woman" strictly as "biological sex," impacting the recognition and rights of transgender individuals. Hungary dropped seven places after the first Pride march ban in the EU, criminalising participation and organisation of such events. Attending a banned event would carry fines up to 200,000 Hungarian forints (€503), which the state must forward to "child protection," according to the text of the law. "Similar 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 reality designed to entrench discrimination and suppress dissent," said Hugendubel.
Euronews
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
LGBTQ+ rights: These are the most and least progressive EU countries
Malta, Belgium, Iceland, Denmark and Spain are the top five countries in this year's LGBTQ+ rights ranking, according to this year's ILGA-Europe's Rainbow Map. Malta has been at the top of the ranking for the last decade, with a score of 88,83%. With 85 points, Belgium jumped to second place after adopting policies tackling hatred based on sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. Despite Belgium jumping to second place in the index over Iceland, the latest figures from Belgium's Centre for Equal Opportunities Unia and the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men reported "worrying" cases of violence and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. Unia reported 136 cases related to sexual orientation. More than a third of these cases involved assaults with assault and battery, and a similar proportion of serious cases of harassment. These attacks are often committed by young men, sometimes in groups, and especially against other men. ILGA-Europe's Rainbow Map scores countries in seven categories: equality and non-discrimination, family, hate crime and hate speech, legal gender recognition, intersex bodily integrity, civil society space and asylum. Austria, Latvia, Germany, Czechia and Poland also recorded the biggest jumps in their rankings. Austria and Latvia rose four places, while Germany, Czechia, and Poland climbed three. The EU's average score is 51.13%, while Europe's is 41.85%. In 2025, some countries across Europe saw a rollback in LGBTQ+ rights. Romania has been at the end of the EU ranking with a score of just 19%, followed by Poland and Bulgaria, both with 21%. "Centre and far-right actors in the EU are targeting NGO funding to weaken organisations that defend rights, while at the national level, we are seeing laws introduced that do not address any genuine societal need but are designed purely to marginalise," said ILGA-Europe's Advocacy Director, Katrin Hugendubel. The United Kingdom also dropped six places to 22nd. That drop was partially blamed on a Supreme Court decision to redefine the legal understanding of "woman" strictly as "biological sex," impacting the recognition and rights of transgender individuals. Hungary dropped seven places after the first Pride march ban in the EU, criminalising participation and organisation of such events. Attending a banned event would carry fines up to 200,000 Hungarian forints (€503), which the state must forward to "child protection," according to the text of the law. "Similar 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 reality designed to entrench discrimination and suppress dissent," said Hugendubel.
Euronews
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Romania overtakes Poland as worst country in the EU for LGBTQ+ people
Romania has overtaken Poland as the worst country in the EU for LGBTQ+ people, according to a ranking published by the Brussels-based non-governmental organisation ILGA-Europe. Poland had occupied the top spot in the rankings since 2019, which are based on a score that takes into account factors such as the number of hate crimes in a given year and the rights afforded by authorities to the LGBTQ+ community. Based on new data from 2024, Romania has now overtaken Poland, while Malta, Belgium and Iceland find themselves on the opposite side of the spectrum. In the past, several Polish political leaders, including the chairman of the Law and Justice (PiS) party Jaroslaw Kaczyński, have campaigned against what they call "LGBTQ+ ideology." Asked about the "threat of the imposition of gender and LGBTQ+ ideology on Poland" during a virtual meeting with the editors of the Gazeta Polska newspaper in 2021, Kaczyński said that "all this madness- because it really is madness - is happening in a world in which there are tough and strong civilisations, both economically and militarily, which are weakening. This weakening of the West will be taken advantage of." Poland's lowly ranking changed after the country's 2023 parliamentary elections, indicating that conditions for LGBTQ+ people have improved. However, the new government has not introduced any new reforms to improve LGBTQ+ rights, despite having promised to do so during the pre-election campaign. Nevertheless, ILGA-Europe reports that in the "civil society space" category, Poland has seen an improvement, referring to the fact that there were fewer obstacles to "LGBT+ events" such as pride marches. "Last year, more than 35 marches were organised across Poland and almost all of them took place peacefully," reads the latest ILGA-Europe report. "However, the protection of these events is insufficient." Poland recently abolished its last "LGBT-free zone", six years after the first one was introduced. These zones, although mainly symbolic, were an attempt to exclude the LGBTQ+community from public life, according to activists. "LGBT-free zones" have also faced criticism from the European Union. In 2019, the European Parliament voted with a majority of 463 to 107 to condemn the zones, of which there were more than 80 at the time. According to an Ipsos+ poll, 67% of Poles support same-sex marriage or legal recognition of unions for LGBTQ+ couples. Although there were two motions in place for the ruling coalition to introduce bills on civil partnerships into parliament, both failed due to a lack of support by more conservative members.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
These are the top 10 European countries for LGBTQ+ rights and travel
Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock Revelers unfurl a giant Pride flag during a Pride parade in Brussels, Belgium, in 2024 ILGA-Europe has released its annual Rainbow Map for 2025, providing an analysis of LGBTQ+ rights and the climate for family in 49 European states. The group was created out of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World), the international advocacy group for the LGBTQ+ community. ILGA-Europe researchers examined 49 countries using 76 criteria, which were then broken down into seven thematic categories: Equality and non-discrimination Family Hate crime and hate speech; Legal gender recognition; Intersex bodily integrity; Civil society space; and Asylum. Each country was then given a percentage score and ranked. The results were compiled in the interactive Rainbow Map, with links to a breakdown of every country's performance plus a more comprehensive report providing detailed analyses and examples of the good and the bad for that nation's LGBTQ+ community. While there were some positive signs in many countries, others ranked among the very worst climates for the LGBTQ+ community. 'The Rainbow Map 2025 offers a stark snapshot of where Europe stands on LGBTI human rights, and highlights the pressing need to defend and advance these rights in the context of acute democratic erosion,' ILGA-Europe concluded. "If left unchallenged, these tactics risk spreading further across Europe, undermining a human rights framework that has taken decades to build. The time to push back is now, before the targeted attacks we're seeing in countries like Hungary, the U.K., and Georgia become the norm rather than the exception. Political leaders must lead by example and turn their words into action. It's time for people to stand up, make their voices heard, and hold our governments to account before it's too late.' Keep scrolling to see ILGA-Europe's top 10 countries for LGBTQ+ rights, cultural climate, and travel. You can view the ILGA Europe Rainbow Map at You can reach the entire ILGA Europe Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex People in Europe and Central Asia at Kateryna Mostova/Shutterstock Luxembourg Pride Equality March 2023 Overall score 2024: 68.41 percent (10th) Overall score 2023: 70.04 (8th) Strengths: Perfect score for Civil Society Space Weaknesses: Intersex Bodily Integrity Quote of note: 'The Ministry of Family, Integration, and the Greater Region, in cooperation with the Centre LGBTIQ+ Cigale, the Centre for Equal Treatment, the Rosa Lëtzebuerg association, developed a guide to help bridge the gap between trans people and their employers. This guide equips employers with key information to better understand trans identities and implement inclusive policies, while also offering trans people support in communicating their needs within the workplace.' RELATED: The world's top 10 queer and trans-friendly cities You can learn more about Luxembourg's performance at the ILGA Europe Rainbow Map. You can reach the entire ILGA Europe Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex People in Europe and Central Asia at Mateusz Boinski/Shutterstock Norway 2018 Tromsø Arctic Pride festival Overall score: 68.6 percent (9th) Overall score 2023: 69.53 (9th) Strengths: Perfect score for Civil Society Space Weaknesses: Intersex Bodily Integrity Quote of note: 'Zaniar Matapour was found guilty of aggravated terrorism by the Oslo District Court for his role in the mass shooting during Oslo Pride on June 25, 2022. Matapour was sentenced to 30 years in prison, the strictest penalty under Norwegian law. State prosecutor Aud Kinsarvik Gravås expressed satisfaction with the court's decision in the case.' RELATED: Seeking escape, this lesbian sailed to the Arctic Circle You can learn more about Norway's performance at the ILGA Europe Rainbow Map. You can reach the entire ILGA Europe Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex People in Europe and Central Asia at ewelina thepphaboot/Shutterstock 2019 Christopher Street Parade in Frankfurt, Germany Overall score 2024: 69.1 percent (8th) Overall score 2023: 66.13 (11th) Strengths: Perfect score for Civil Society Space Weaknesses: Intersex Bodily Integrity Quote of note: 'In October, Germany's Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann of the Free Democrats (FDP) announced new plans to reform adoption and family law. The proposed reforms aim to allow adults in unmarried partnerships to adopt a child together and permit just one adult in a marriage to legally adopt a child, addressing gaps in current laws. Currently, both married and unmarried heterosexual and same-sex couples can adopt, but married couples must both legally adopt the child, while only one adult in an unmarried partnership can do so.' RELATED: Germany makes it easier to change gender and name on legal documents You can learn more about Germany's performance at the ILGA Europe Rainbow Map. You can reach the entire ILGA Europe Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex People in Europe and Central Asia at Giannis Papanikos/Shutterstock A giant Rainbow Flag at tje `annual Gay Pride celebrations in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2018 Overall score 2024: 69.18 percent (7th) Overall score 2023: 70.78 percent (7th) Strengths: High scores for Equality & Non-Discrimination and Civil Society Space Weaknesses: Asylum Quote of note: 'In February, Greece became the first Orthodox-majority country to legalise same-sex marriage. The bill passed with the support of 176 out of 300 MPs, also allowing same-sex couples to adopt children and granting equal parental rights to both partners. However, the bill does not include provisions for surrogacy for same-sex couples. Furthermore, while it abolishes the requirement of being unmarried to access legal gender recognition, it does not include any provision to modify a parent's name and gender on the birth certificate of their children after legal gender recognition. RELATED: Meet the gay man elected to lead Greece's leftist party in historic first You can learn more about Greece's performance at the ILGA Europe Rainbow Map. You can reach the entire ILGA Europe Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex People in Europe and Central Asia at Finn stock via Shutterstock Finland's Helsinki Pride 2019 celebration Overall score 2024: 69.85 percent (6th) Overall score 2023: 70.78 percent (6th) Strengths: Perfect score for Civil Society Space Weaknesses: Intersex Bodily Integrity Quote of note: 'In June, the Helsinki Pride march attracted an estimated 100,000 participants. This year's event was notable for the first-time involvement of the Rainbow Police of Finland, an LGBTI police association established in 2020 by current and former police officers and civilian staff.' RELATED: Google down these 25 mouthwatering artworks from Tom of Finland Fest You can learn more about Finland's performance at the ILGA Europe Rainbow Map. You can reach the entire ILGA Europe Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex People in Europe and Central Asia at OSCAR GONZALEZ FUENTES/Shutterstock Spain Gran Via in Madrid 2025 protest to support transgender community Overall score 2024: 77.97 percent (5th) Overall score 2023: 76.41 percent (4th) Strengths: Civil Society Space and Asylum Weaknesses: Hate Crime & Hate Speech Quote of note: 'In May, several cases of bias-motivated violence were recorded across Spain. These include the violent beating of a 14-year-old trans girl by a peer, a homophobic attack against openly gay singer Miguel Garena, and an episode of harassment faced by a health worker who received a threatening letter accompanied by a photograph of him and his partner in the crosshairs of a gun.' RELATED: Emira D'Spain makes history as Bravo's first trans cast member You can learn more about Spain's performance at the ILGA Europe Rainbow Map. You can reach the entire ILGA Europe Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex People in Europe and Central Asia at oleschwander/Shutterstock Denmark Copenhagen 2018 annual Pride Parade Overall score 2024: 80.10 percent (4th) Overall score 2023: 76.35 percent (5th) Strengths: Perfect score for Civil Society Space Weaknesses: Intersex Bodily Integrity Quote of note: 'In February, the Danish government, along with most opposition parties, reached an agreement regarding surrogacy that aims to simplify the recognition of parenthood for Danish parents utilising surrogacy, whether domestically or abroad. A corresponding bill was presented in a public hearing. Under the new framework, the requirement for second-parent adoption will be eliminated, with the primary focus being the child's benefit from the recognition.' RELATED: Former Denmark ambassador responds to VP Vance's 'not a good ally' comments You can learn more about Denmark's performance at the ILGA Europe Rainbow Map. You can reach the entire ILGA Europe Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex People in Europe and Central Asia at LIVEK/Shutterstock Iceland Reykjavik Pride parade 2024 Overall score 2024: 84.06 percent (3rd) Overall score 2023: 83.02 percent (2nd) Strengths: Perfect scores for Legal Gender Recognition and Civil Society Space Weaknesses: Intersex Bodily Integrity and Asylum Quote of note: 'On January 1st, a law banning conversion therapy for sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression took effect. The law was passed on June 9, 2023, with 53 out of parliamentarians voting in agreement.' RELATED: The land of fire and ice – Your gay guide to Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula You can learn more about Iceland's performance at the ILGA Europe Rainbow Map. You can reach the entire ILGA Europe Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex People in Europe and Central Asia at Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock Belgium Brussels 2023 pride parade Overall score 2024: 85.31 percent (2nd) Overall score 2023: 78.47 (3rd) Strengths: Perfect scores for Hate Crime & Hate Speech and Civil Society Space Weaknesses: Intersex Bodily Integrity Quote of note: 'In February, Belgium introduced a new Criminal Code that removes the distinction between discrimination based on 'racial' criteria and other grounds, including sexual orientation, in employment and goods and services. This means that discrimination against individuals based on sexual orientation is now treated with the same legal seriousness as discrimination based on race, ensuring equal protection under the law.' RELATED: 15 destinations from Lonely Planet's new LGBTQ+ travel guide You can learn more about Belgium's performance at the ILGA Europe Rainbow Map. You can reach the entire ILGA Europe Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex People in Europe and Central Asia at chmaraa/Shutterstock Malta Pride Week 2022 Overall score 2024: 88.83 percent (1st) Overall score 2023: 87.84 percent (1st) Strengths: Perfect scores for Hate Crime & Hate Speech, Legal Gender Recognition, and Civil Society Space Weaknesses: Intersex Bodily Integrity Quote of note: 'A survey conducted by the EU Agency for Human Rights revealed that 62 percent of LGBTI people in Malta feel comfortable disclosing their sexual orientation, surpassing the EU average of 51 percent.' RELATED: Malta unveiled – Your ultimate LGBTQ+ guide to the Mediterranean paradise You can learn more about Malta's performance at the ILGA Europe Rainbow Map. You can reach the entire ILGA Europe Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex People in Europe and Central Asia at
Time Out
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Time Out
The Mediterranean archipelago named Europe's most LGBTQ+-friendly country
From safety and discrimination laws to policies around gender recognition, a lot more goes into making a country queer-friendly than an annual Pride festival. Back for its seventeenth year, 2025's edition of the Rainbow Map looks into all these factors and more to name Europe's most (and least) LGBTQ+-friendly countries. The map, which is an annual project run by LGBTI organisation ILGA-Europe, ranks 49 European countries on their legal and policy practices for LGBTQ+ people on a scale from 0-100 percent. The categories assessed include equality and non-discrimination, family, hate crime and hate speech, legal gender recognition, intersex bodily integrity, civil society space and asylum. And, topping the list as the most LGBTQ+-friendly country in Europe for no less than the tenth consecutive year, is the sunny archipelago of Malta. It scored a solid 88.83 percent in total, ranking perfectly in the 'hate crime and speech', 'legal gender recognition' and 'civil society space' categories, improving on its 2024 score by 0.99 percent. These are the 20 most LGBTQ+-friendly countries in Europe Malta Belgium Iceland Denmark Spain Finland Greece Germany Norway Luxembourg Portugal Sweden Netherlands Ireland France Austria Slovenia Switzerland Montenegro Croatia However, progress wasn't made everywhere. The report also found that Hungary, Georgia and the UK all experienced the biggest falls in their rankings, the UK specifically slipping six positions from 16th to 22nd, which is its lowest rank ever.
