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ILGA-Europe published Rainbow Europe 2021

Published May 17 ILGA-Europe’s annual Rainbow Europe Map and Index, ranking the legal and policy situation of LGBTI people in 49 European countries, finds that over the past 12 months advances in LGBTI rights have come to almost a complete standstill

02/Jun/21

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ILGA-Europe published Rainbow Europe 2021

Published on Monday, May 17 2021, ILGA-Europe’s annual Rainbow Europe Map and Index, ranking the legal and policy situation of LGBTI people in 49 European countries, finds that over the past 12 months advances in LGBTI rights have come to almost a complete standstill. But, with legislative proposals and action plans on the table in some countries, governments now have the opportunity to ensure the Rainbow Map will look very different this time next year.

Among the key findings from this year’s Rainbow Europe are:

Against a background of hardly any positive change at all, countries such as Albania, Finland and Portugal have moved up in the ranking, but only because of very small changes implemented.
Despite clear commitments on rainbow family recognition, not one country has moved on partnership or parenthood recognition.
After reporting positive changes in bodily integrity or legal gender recognition for many years, there is no change this year for intersex and trans rights apart from Iceland.
On a positive note, some countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia) now have points on freedom of assembly, reflecting improvements of safety for public LGBTI events.
For the sixth year in a row, Malta continues to occupy the number one spot on the Rainbow Europe Map, while Belgium comes second place for the fourth time, and Luxembourg occupies the third spot on the ranking for the third year in a row.
The three countries at the bottom end of the Rainbow Europe Map are Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Armenia, exactly the same as last year.

According to Javid Nabiyev from the Nafas LGBTI Azerbaijan Alliance, there are many interrelated reasons why Azerbaijan has been at the bottom for several years. He said that LGBTI + rights, improving the socio-economic and political situation of the community are not in the interests of the government. Nabiyev added that "there is no mobilisation within the community to achieve positive results in LGBTI+ rights, and there is no litigation to cause for any changes."