The Best Countries To Be LGBTI In Europe

According to the latest edition of ILGA Europe's Rainbow List which ranks 49 European countries on a scale between 0 percent (gross violations of human rights and discrimination) and 100 percent (respect of human rights and full equality), Malta is the best place for LGBTI people to live and visit. WIth a score of 92 percent, it is also a long way ahead of all other European countries assessed by the source. In second place is Denmark - the highest ranked nordic country, of which all make it into the top 12.

Even in these relative havens for the gay community, there is still room for improvement though. As Rainbow Europe reports: "Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM) shared its concern this year that the police response to incidents of hate speech or hate crime remain flawed and insufficient. In 2020, MGRM’s online survey found that over 50 percent of LGTBQI respondents felt unsafe in Paceville, Malta’s main nightclub hub, and reported being denied entry into clubs or harassment." Overall though, Malta is making progress at the front of the pack - its score in 2020 was 89 percent.