Today ILGA-Europe published its “Rainbow Europe Map and Index”. According to the published data, the protection of the rights of transgender and intersex people is at the forefront of the struggle for a positive change for LGBTI people in Europe. Despite the increasing attacks on LGBTI people, the fight for equality is making progress all across Europe. As Ilga-Europe’s Rainbow Europe Map and Index points out, although public discourse is becoming more polarized and violent, especially against transgender people, political determination to advance the rights of LGBTI people is paying off. The largest gains on the map are for countries that introduced legal gender recognition using a self-determination model.

The purpose of the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map and Index, published on May 11, 2023, is to assess the legal and political proceedings applied to LGBTI people in 49 European countries. The Rainbow Map of Europe ranks all 49 European countries from 0% (gross violations of human rights, discrimination) to 100% (protection of human rights, complete equality). According to measurements, bans on genital mutilation of intersex people over the past 12 months have also contributed to the increase in countries’ ratings.

For the eighth year in a row, Malta continues to occupy the number one spot on the Rainbow Europe Map, with a score of 89%. Belgium and Denmark are in second place with 76 points, and Spain is in third place.

The countries at the other end of the Rainbow Europe scale are Azerbaijan (2%), Turkey (4%), Armenia (8%) and Russia (8%), exactly the same as the last three years. Among them, only Armenia increased an index point after revoking its blood donation ban for gay men.