Gay-friendly

Gay-friendly or LGBT-friendly are the places, policies, people, or institutions that are open and welcoming to gay people (to include all members of the LGBT community) to create an environment that is supportive of gay people and their relationships, respectful of all people, treat all people equally, and are non-judgmental. This is typically a late 20th-century North American term that is the byproduct of both a gradual implementation of gay rights and acceptance of policies supportive of LGBT people in the workplace and in schools, as well as the recognition of gays and lesbians as a distinct consumer group for businesses etc.

Portal of the Church of Pilgrims, in Washington, DC, USA, with a LGBT banner

Businesses
A shop in Amsterdam selling LGBTQ+ merchandise and goods

Many businesses now identify as gay-friendly, allowing for a more diversified employee and customer base. The Human Rights Campaign works to achieve equality for gays, lesbians, and other marginalized minorities, and publishes a list of companies in relation to issues concerning LGBT people. Companies that are noted for gay-friendly work environments include Dell and Coca-Cola. Companies such as R Family Vacations, Manspray, Volkswagen, Ginch Gonch, and numerous others offer niche products and services for gay customers. Others, such as LOT Polish Airlines sends the message of gay-friendliness by offering travel to major gay destinations with a rainbow flag.[1] Studies have shown that LGBT communities tend to favor gay-friendly businesses, even if the cost of a particular product or service is higher.[2]

World
Main article: LGBT rights by country or territory

The Spartacus International Gay Guide publishes the Gay Travel Index, a ranking of gay-friendly countries. Points are added to countries for anti-discrimination legislation, equal marriage, partnership and adoption laws, and LGBT marketing. Meanwhile, points are subtracted for anti-LGBT laws, HIV travel restrictions, religious influence, and prosecution, murders, and death sentences.

In 2021, the Spartacus Gay Travel Index featured a majority of Western European countries in the top 10 spots (Malta, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Portugal, United Kingdom, and Spain), rounded out by Australia, Canada and Uruguay. The bottom 4 countries were Yemen, Iran, Somalia and Saudi Arabia with Chechnya being the overall worst-ranked region for LGBT people.[3]

Spartacus also publishes a Gay Travel Index for US states, listing the 50 states plus the District of Columbia with the same criteria as the country rankings. In 2021, the top spot was shared by California and Illinois, while the bottom nine states were mainly from the Southeast and the Mountain states.[3]

List of countries by their Gay Travel Index (2021)[4]
Rank Country Total Anti-Discrimination Legislation Marriage/Civil Partnership Adoption Allowed Transgender Rights Intersex/3rd Option Equal Age of Consent "Conversion Therapy" LGBT Marketing Religious Influence HIV Travel Restrictions Anti-Gay Laws Homosexuality Illegal Pride Banned Locals Hostile Prosecution Murders Death Sentences
1 Canada[note 1]1332221002000001000
2 Malta112222201100000–1000
2 Portugal1132221001000000000
2 Spain1122221001000001000
5 Austria10222210–12000000000
5 Denmark10222200–11000011000
5 Sweden103221−10–12000011000
5 United Kingdom[note 2]103222−1002−100001000
5 Uruguay10222220100000000–10
10 Australia9222210000–10001000
10 Germany[note 3]92221101100000−1000
10 Iceland9222210−10000001000
10 Taiwan932110011000000000
14 Colombia8222210−1100000–1000
14 Netherlands8222200−11000000000
14 New Zealand8222110−110000000−10
14  Switzerland83112−1011000000000
18 Belgium72222–10–11000000000
18 Greenland7122210−10000000000
18 Ireland[note 4]72222−10−10000001000
18 Norway72222–10−10000001000
22 Argentina61222−1011–1000000–10
22 Finland63221−10−10000000000
22 France62222−10−10000000000
22 Luxembourg62222−10−10000000000
22 Réunion52222−10−10000000000
27 French Polynesia52222−10−10−100000000
27 New Caledonia52222−10–1000000−1000
27 Puerto Rico512220011–10000−10−20
27 South Africa53221−10–100000000–10
31 Costa Rica42222−10−10−10000–1000
31 Ecuador43202−1010–10000−10–10
31 Guadeloupe42222–10–10−10000–1000
31 Israel[note 5]42112−10−11–100000000
31 Martinique42222−10−10−10000−1000
31 United States4122–10002−1000000–10
37 Gibraltar3222–1−10−10000000000
37 Guam31221−10−10–100000000
37 Slovenia33210−10−10–100000000
40 Andorra2312–1−10−10000–100000
40 Brazil22220–1010−10000–10–20
40 Chile221021–1−10−1000000–10
40 Czechia22110−10−10000000000
40 Estonia22011−10−10000000000
40 Mexico23111–1001−10000−10–20
46 Cuba13001−10−100–10000000
46 Greece12102−10−10–1000000–10
46 India[note 6]1100110−10−10001−1000
46 San Marino13111−10−10–20000−1000
46 Thailand1200–1−10−12000000000
51 Bermuda0121−1−10–1000000−1000
51 Croatia02111−10−10−10−100−1000
51 Italy01101−10−10–100000000
51 Liechtenstein0110–1−10−10000001000
51   Nepal03−10010−10–10000–1000
51 Slovakia02001−10−1000000−1000
51 US Virgin Islands[note 7]01220−10−10−10000−10-10
58 Bolivia-12001−10−10−10000−1000
58 Bosnia and Herzegovina[note 8]-12−101−10−1000000–1000
60 Albania-22–10–1−1010−10000−1000
60 Aruba-21100−10−100–1–1000000
60 Bhutan-20−101−10−1000000−1000
60 Japan-20−101−10−1100–1000000
60 Mozambique-21−100−10−10000000000
60 Samoa-21–1011010−20–1–10−1000
66 Angola-31−100−10−10−100000000
66 Bulgaria-32−101−10−10–10–100−1000
66 China (incl. Hong Kong)-30−100−10000000–10000
66 Cyprus-31100−10−10−10–100−1000
66 Fiji-33−10–1−10−10−10000−1000
66 Hungary-321–1–1−10−1000–100−1000
66 South Korea-30−101−10−1000000−1000
66 North Macedonia-32−101−10−10−10−100−1000
66 Monaco-3010–1−10−10–100000000
66 Montenegro-32−101−10−10–10−100–1000
66 Panama-30–101−10−1000–1000000
66 Romania-32−101−10−10−10−100−1000
66 Serbia-32−101−10−10−10–100−1000
66 Sint Maarten[note 9]-31−100−10−11–10–1000000
66 Vietnam-30−100−10−10000000000
81 Armenia[note 10]-40−100−10−1010−100−1000
81 Botswana[note 11]-41−100−10−10–10000−1000
81 Cabo Verde-41−10−1−10−10−100000000
81 Curaçao-41000−10−10–10–100–1000
81 El Salvador-42−100−10−10–10000−10–10
81 Kazakhstan-40−101−10−1000000–2000
81 Kosovo-43−10–1−10−10−20000–1000
81 Laos-40−100–10–1000000−1000
81 Latvia-41−100−10−1000−100−1000
81 Lesotho-40−1–10−10−10000000000
81 Lithuania-42−1–11−10−10–10–100−1000
81 Macao-41−10−1−10−1000000−1000
81 Mali-40−10−1−10−10000000000
81 Mongolia-41−100−10−1000−100−1000
81 Niger-40−10–1−10−10000000000
96 Belize-51−10–1−10−10–10–1000000
96 Benin-50−100−1–1−1000000−1000
96 British Virgin Islands-53−10–1−10−10−20−100−1000
96 Cambodia-50−10−1−10−1000–1000000
96 Georgia-52−101−10−10–20–100–10–10
96 Moldova-51−101−10−10−10–10–1–1000
96 Pakistan-51−102101−10–20−1−10–1–1–1–1
96 Seychelles[note 12]-51−10−1−10−10−10000−1000
96 Singapore-50−101−10−100–1–1–100000
96 Sri Lanka[note 13]-51−110−10−10−10–1–10−1000
96 Suriname-51−10−1−1–1−10−101000−1000
107 Antigua and Barbuda-60−10–1−10−1000–1–100000
107 Barbados-61−10–1−10−10−10−1–100000
107 Gabon-60−100−10−10−10000−2000
107 Guinea-Bissau-60−10–1−10−10−10000−1000
107 Jordan-60−101−10−10−20000−2000
107 Kyrgyzstan-60−101−10−10–10−100−2000
107 Namibia-60−11–1−10−10−10−1−100000
107 Peru[note 14]-61−101−10−10−10–100−10−20
107 Ukraine-61−101−10−10−10–10–1−2000
107 Vanuatu-60−10−1−10−10−10000−1000
117 Burkina Faso-70−100−10−10−20000−2000
117 Honduras[note 15]-72−10–1−10−10−10−100−20–10
117 Lebanon[note 16]-70−101−10−10−100–1–1−1−100
117 Mauritius[note 17]-71−10–1–10−10−10−1−100−100
117 Myanmar-70−10–1−10−1000−1–10−1000
117 Nicaragua-71−10–1−10−10−10−100−2000
117 Philippines[note 18]-70−10−1−10−10−1000–100–10
117 Turkey[note 19]-70−101−10−10−1000–1–1–1–10
117 Venezuela-71−100–10−10−1–1000−20−10
126 Bangladesh-80−10110−10−20−1–10−2–1–10
126 Cook Islands-81−100−10−10−2–1–1–10−1000
126 Equatorial Guinea-80−10–1−10−10−20000−2000
126 Poland-81−100−10−10−10–20–1−2000
126 Tajikistan-80−101−10−10−20−100−2–100
126 Trinidad and Tobago-80−10–1−10−10−1–1000−10–10
132 Algeria-90−10−1−10−10−20−1−100–100
132 Bahamas-90−101−1−1−10–10−100−20–20
132 Bahrain[note 20]-90−100−10−10−2–1000−2−100
132 Burundi-90−10–1−10−10−10−1–10−1–100
132 Central African Republic-90−10−1−1000−20–1–10−2000
132 Democratic Republic of Congo-90−10–1–10−10−20−100−2000
132 Djibouti[note 21]-90−10−1−10−10−20000−2–100
132 Grenada-90−10−1−10−10−10–1–10−1−100
132 Guatemala-90−10−1−10−10−10000−20–20
132 Indonesia-90−1–10−1–1−10−10000−2–100
132 North Korea-90−10−1−1–1−10−20–100−1000
132 Madagascar-90−100−1−1−10−10000−20–20
132 Republic of the Congo-90−100−1−1−10−20–100−2000
132 Rwanda-90−10−1−10−10−20–100−2000
132 Sierra Leone-90−10−10–1−10−10–1−10−2000
132 Tonga-90−10−1−10−10−20−1–10–1000
132 Tunisia-90−10–1−10−10−10−1–10−10–10
132  Vatican City[note 22]-90−10−1−1−1−10−20−1000−100
150 Azerbaijan-100−10–1−10−10−10−10–1−1–200
150 Belarus-100−100−10−10−10−10–1−2−200
150 Guyana-100−10–1−10−10−20−1−10−10–10
150 Kenya-100−1–10−10−10−10−1–10−2–100
150 Oman-100−10−1−10−10−1−1−1−10−1−100
150 Papua New Guinea-100−10−1−10−10−20−1–10−20−20
150 Paraguay-100−10−1−1−1−10−10−100−10–20
150 Togo-100−10−1−10−10−10−1−10−2–100
150 Uzbekistan-100−100−10−10−20−1−10−2–100
150 Zambia-100−100−10−10−20−1−10−2–100
160 Brunei-110−10−1−10−10−2–1−1−10−100–1
160 Chad-110−10−1−1−100−20−1−10−2–100
160 Comoros-110−10−1−10−10−20−1−10−2–100
160 Dominica-110−10−1−10−10−20−1−10−2−100
160 Dominican Republic-110−10−1−10−10−2–1−100−10–20
160 Ethiopia-110−10–1−10−10−20−1−10−2–100
160 Ghana[note 23]-110−10−1−10−10−20−1−10−2−100
160 Ivory Coast-110−1–1−1−1−1−10−20−100−2000
160 Liberia-110−10−1−10−10−20−1−10−2−100
160 Maldives-110−10−1–10−10−20−1–10−2–100
160 Senegal-110−10−1−10−10−20–1–10−2−100
160 Solomon Islands-110−10−1−10−10−2–1−1−10−2000
160 Sudan-110−10−10−1−10−2–1−1−10−2000
160 Eswatini-110−100−10−10−20−1−10−20–20
160 Syria-110−101−10−10−1–1−1−10−2−1−1–1
160 Turkmenistan-110−100−10−10−2−1−1−10−2–100
176 Eritrea-120−10–1−10−10−20−1–10−2−1−10
176 Gambia-120−1–1−1−10−10−20−1−10−2−100
176 Haiti-120−10−1−10−10−20−10–1−20–20
176 Aceh (Indonesia)-120−10−1−10−10−20−1−10−2–10–1
176 Iraq[note 24]-120−10−1−1−1−10−2–1000−2−1–10
176 Jamaica-120−10−1−10−10−10−1−10−2−1–20
176 Malawi-120−100−10−10−20−1−10−2−1–20
176 Malaysia-120−100−10−10−2–1−1−1–1−1−1−10
176 Mauritania-120−10−1−10−10−20−1−10−2−10−1
176 Morocco-120−10−1−10−10−10−1−10−2−2–10
176 Russia-120−101−10−10−2−1−10–1−2–1–20
176 Tanzania-120−100−1−1−10−20–1−10−2−200
176 Uganda-120−10−1−10−10−20−1−1–1−2−100
176 Zimbabwe-120−10−1−10−10−10−1−10−2−1–20
190 Cameroon-130−10−1−10−10−20−1−10−2−1−20
190 Egypt-130−10−1−1−1−10−20−1−10−2−200
190 Kuwait-130−10−1−10−10−2–1−1−10−2−200
190 Nigeria[note 25]-130−10−1−10−10−10−1−10−2−10–3
190 Qatar-130−10−1−10−10−2–1−1−10−2−10−1
195 Afghanistan-140−10−1−10−10−20−1−10−2−1–2−1
195 Libya-140−10−1–10−10−20−1–10−2–1−2−1
195 United Arab Emirates-140−10−1−10−10−2–1−1−10−2−1−1−1
198 Yemen-150−10−1−10−10−2−1−1−10−2−1−2−1
199 Iran-170−100−10−10−20−1−10−2−1−2−5
200 Saudi Arabia-180−10–1−10−10−2–1−1−10−2−1−1−5
200 Somalia[note 26]-180−10−1−10−10−20−1−10−2−1−2−5
202 Chechnya (Russia)-190−100−1−100−20−1−1−1−2−2−2−5

United States
Main article: LGBT rights in the United States
List of U.S. states by their Gay Travel Index (2021)[4]
Rank State Total Anti-Discrimination Legislation Transgender Rights Intersex/3rd Option Hate Crime Law "Conversion Therapy" LGBT Marketing Queer Infrastructure Gay and Trans Panic Defence Locals Hostile
1 California11221212100
1 Illinois11221212100
3 Colorado10221212100
3 Nevada10221211100
3 New York1022121210–1
3 District of Columbia10221211100
7 Connecticut9221210100
7 Hawaii9221210100
7 Massachusetts92212111−10
7 Oregon92212111–10
7 Washington922121110−1
12 New Jersey8221210000
12 Rhode Island8221210000
12 Virginia82112111−10
15 New Mexico72212100−10
15 Utah71112111−10
15 Vermont72212100−10
18 Maryland62212100–1–1
19 Delaware522−12100−10
19 Maine5201110000
19 New Hampshire52012100−10
22 Minnesota42112−100−10
23 Florida[note 27]312–11−121−1–1
23 Pennsylvania32210−101−1–1
25 Idaho21210−100−10
26 Arizona110−11−111−10
26 Georgia120−11−111−1−1
26 Indiana10111−100−10
26 Iowa121−11−100−10
26 Kansas121−11−100−10
26 Louisiana110–11−111−10
32 Alaska012−10−100−10
32 Arkansas01010−100−10
32 Montana012−10−100−10
35 Kentucky-110−11–100−10
35 Mississippi-111−10−100−10
35 Nebraska-110−11−100−10
35 South Dakota-111−10−100−10
35 Tennessee-11–1−12−101−1−1
35 Texas-111−11−101−1–2
35 West Virginia-111−10−100−10
35 Wisconsin-110−11−100−10
43 Alabama-210−10−100−10
43 Michigan-220−10−100−1–1
43 Missouri-210−11−100−1–1
43 North Carolina-210−10000−1−1
43 North Dakota-210−10−100−10
43 Ohio-210−10−101−1–1
43 Oklahoma-210−10−100−10
43 South Carolina-211−10−100−1–1
43 Wyoming-210−10−100−10

Notes

  1. In Canada the adoption laws vary per province. Same-sex-adoption is however possible countrywide.
  2. In Northern Ireland the legal situation for same-sex adoption is unclear.
  3. In Germany, due to federal government system, there are varying regulations regarding arrival/residence HIV. For example, in Bavaria someone who is HIV-positive can be denied entry. The Federal Constitutional Court has stipulated in several renditions of judgment that the politicians implement the same rights for gay men and lesbians which apply to heterosexuals.
  4. The Employment Equality Act allows religious-run workplaces exemption from its anti-discrimination provisions to protect their ethos.
  5. In Israel a civil marriage for both homosexual and heterosexual couples is not possible as marriage can only be performed by a Rabbi. This problem does not only apply to gays and lesbians but also heterosexuals belonging to different religious affiliations. There are limited anti-discrimination laws (exception: certain religious groups).
  6. In December 2013, the Supreme Court set aside a 2009 verdict by the Delhi High Court that had decriminalized homosexuality. This decision was once again overturned in September 2018.
  7. The United States Virgin Islands have the same legal status as Puerto Rico regarding the USA. Here there is also a ban on hate crimes. After the Supreme Court decision pro same sex marriage in the US, there are plans to implement SSM in Puerto Rico too.
  8. Bosnia and Herzegovina passed an unclear anti-discrimination law in 2009 in which a ban on discrimination against "sexual expression" is mentioned. There is a reference that "sexual identity" is not meant in this case. It is obvious that an attempt to adhere to the minimum requirements from the EU has been made, to be accepted into the EU.
  9. As an overseas territory of the Netherlands Sint Maarten recognizes same-sex marriages which are performed in the Netherlands. In St. Maarten itself gay marriage is still not possible, but changes can soon follow. There are no adoption laws.
  10. Armenia has received many reports of illegal violence from police against homosexuals.
  11. In Botswana homosexuality is practically illegally on the basis of the ban on "unnatural act", but in the labor law there is still an explicit prohibition of discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation.
  12. In May 2016 the Parliament of Seychelles decided to make homosexuality legal.
  13. At the request of the UNHCR Sri Lanka has announced that discrimination of homosexuals is constitutionally forbidden. It was further stressed that the anti-sodomy law is not aimed against homosexuals, but applies for all to protect public morals.
  14. Consensual homosexual acts in Peru between adults are legal. An exception applies for members of the military and police, who can be prosecuted with a prison sentence ranging from 60 days to 20 years or suspension from duty.
  15. In Honduras an anti-discrimination law has recently been passed, but in practice it is ignored.
  16. There are reports of a different judicial interpretations of the law on "sex against nature".
  17. In Mauritius, the sodomy law tends to find application with the heterosexual population. The Equal Opportunities Act protects homosexuals against discrimination at work. It is therefore questionable whether homosexuality is classified as illegal or not.
  18. There are regional differences in the laws relating to homosexuals. In addition, the local religion is just as crucial, whether a law is implemented or not.
  19. Police stopped violently the Gay Pride on 29th June, 2015. This can be considered a de facto ban on the Pride.
  20. In Bahrain although the paragraph referring to sodomy was abolished in 1976 from the local legal code, gay men can still be punished with imprisonment according to the laws regarding "unmoral" behavior.
  21. The Shariah-law in Djibouti is often superior to the constitutional laws, so it could be expected that homosexuality is punishable.
  22. The Vatican City adheres to Italian law, but restrictions are possible if the ecclesiastical law contradicts Italian law. Therefore, there are conflicting opinions that homosexuality is not illegal or just not happily seen, but tolerated.
  23. In Ghana there is a ban on unnatural sex. The government recognizes in this a clear ban on homosexuality.
  24. Homosexuality in Iraq is formally legal, but police and military track down homosexuals, and reports of murder and rape exist.
  25. In Nigeria the death penalty only applies for homosexuals according to the Shariah laws and therefore relates only to Muslims in the north of Nigeria.
  26. Shariah laws applies in Somalia since 2012. There is however contradictory information, since, on the other hand the maximum penalty is up to 3 years in prison, nevertheless in 2013 a homosexual was stoned to death after a judgment.
  27. In 2015 Florida explicitly lifted the adoption ban for homosexuals after federal judges ruled it unconstitutional in 2010.

See also

References
  1. "Wyborcza.pl". Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  2. "Gay Consumers See Themselves as Tastemakers, Prefer Gay-Friendly Companies, Says Study". EDGE Media Network. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  3. Hoppe, Sascha (31 August 2021). "Spartacus Gay Travel Index 2021". Spartacus Gay Travel Blog. Retrieved 29 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. "Spartacus Gay Travel Index (GTI)". Spartacus Gay Travel Blog.
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