Spain is indeed a country for LGBTI people. In fact, it is the best, since, for the first time, it tops the Rainbow Map prepared by ILGA-Europe, the classification that evaluates 49 European countries based on their legal and political practices aimed at LGBTI people. The country thus breaks a decade of Malta's leadership and moves to the first position in the ranking.
The organization attributes this rise to the fulfillment of commitments included in the LGBTI and trans laws approved in 2023. Among the highlighted elements are the adoption of action plans for LGBTI and trans equality, the creation of an independent authority for equal treatment, and the full implementation of the depathologization of trans people within the healthcare system.
ILGA-Europe accompanies the publication of the report with a political assessment of the European situation. Its deputy director, Katrin Hugendubel, maintains that this year's classification reflects two distinct dynamics within the continent: “This year's Rainbow Map tells two stories at once. One of genuine bravery, in Spain, in the courts and in leaders who choose to support their communities rather than scapegoat them. And another of a real and growing danger that cannot be underestimated.”
How the Rainbow Map Works
The ranking scores 49 European countries on a scale of 0% to 100% according to their legal and political framework for LGBTI people.
The report is based on the Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of LGBTI People in Europe and Central Asia, a compilation of qualitative data on the impact of laws and policies on the daily lives of these people.
According to ILGA-Europa, both the data from the Rainbow Map and those from the annual review are verified by more than 250 experts from across the region, including activists, legal professionals, and public policy specialists.
Malta loses leadership and Spain takes over
Malta drops to second place with a score of 87.73% (Spain reaches 88.7%). ILGA-Europe explains that the change is due to Spain's rise, although it also points to the stagnation of Maltese reforms. The report indicates that the country still lacks a comprehensive anti-discrimination framework and mentions the Equality Bill presented in 2019, which continues to make no progress.
Iceland maintains third place, although it improves its score to 85.56%. The organization highlights the renewal of the action plan for equality and the implementation of some measures included in that program, among them training for social workers specialized in asylum cases.
At the opposite end of the classification appear Russia and Azerbaijan, both with 2%, and Turkey, with 5%. Within the European Union, Romania remains as the worst-situated country, with 19%, followed by Bulgaria, with 20%, and Poland, with 22%.
The main data of the report
The report states that seven European countries do not have legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics.
According to the classification, Albania, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Montenegro and Spain are the only countries with full coverage in their anti-discrimination legal frameworks.
ILGA-Europe also points out that conversion practices are only prohibited in ten countries. Same-sex marriage is available in 22 countries, while 18 offer no legal protection to same-sex couples.
Trans fatherhood is fully recognized in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Malta, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. Only Germany, Greece, Iceland, Malta, Portugal, and Spain prohibit unnecessary surgical or medical interventions on intersex minors.
The study adds that 12 countries still do not have legal or administrative procedures for legal gender recognition. Furthermore, Bulgaria, Georgia, Hungary, Russia, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom maintain explicit prohibitions or other legal limitations that, according to ILGA-Europe, make such recognition practically impossible.
The organization also collects restrictions or threats to the freedom of assembly and association of LGBTI communities in at least 13 European countries.