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, with a LGBT banner.

The Advocate publishes a list periodically of the gayest cities in America that include cities such as Provincetown, Palm Springs, Wilton Manors, San Diego, Austin, and several others based on facts such as their same sex marriage laws, number of same sex couples, and other qualifiers.[1]

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 to LGBT.

In 2013, the Spartacus Gay Travel Index features a majority of Western European countries in the top 11 (Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Spain), plus Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Uruguay.[2] The bottom 5 countries are Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Jordan and Jamaica.[3]

Spartacus also publishes a Gay Travel Index USA, listing the 50 states plus the District of Columbia with the same criteria as the countries ranking. In 2013, the top 5 regions were from the Northeast, whereas the top 10 also includes California, Illinois, and Oregon. The bottom 10 states are mainly from the Southeast and Mountain states (Utah, Idaho, and Montana).

Businesses

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 Inc. and Coca-Cola. Companies such as R Family Vacations, Manspray, Volkswagen, Ginch Gonch, Egotour, and numerous others offer niche products and services for gay customers.[4] Others, such as LOT Polish Airlines sends the message of gay-friendliness by offering travel to major gay destinations with a rainbow flag.[5] Studies have shown that LGBT communities tend to favor gay-friendly businesses, even if the cost of a particular product or service is higher.[6]

World
Main article: LGBT rights by country or territory
List of Countries by their Gay Travel Index [7]
Rank Country Total Anti-discrimination legislation Marriage/Civil Partnership Adoption allowed LGBT-Marketing Equal Age of Consent Religious Influence HIV Travel Restrictions Anti-Gay Laws Homosexuality illegal Pride banned Locals hostile Prosecution Murders Death sentences
1 Australia1032221000000000
1 Canada[note 1]1032221000000000
1 Portugal1032221000000000
1 Sweden1032221000000000
4 Austria922221000000000
4 Belgium922221000000000
4 Denmark922221000000000
4 Finland922221000000000
4 Iceland922221000000000
4 Luxembourg922221000000000
4 Malta922221000000000
4 Netherlands922221000000000
4 New Zealand922221000000000
4 Norway922221000000000
4 Reunion922221000000000
4 Spain922221000000000
4 United Kingdom[note 2]932221-100000000
17 France82222100000-1000
17 Gibraltar822211000000000
17 Greenland822211000000000
17 Ireland[note 3]822211000000000
17  Switzerland831121000000000
17 Uruguay822211000000000
23 Colombia7222110000000-10
23 French Polynesia722211-100000000
23 Germany[note 4]72221100000-1000
23 Israel[note 5]721221-100000000
23 New Caledonia72221100000-1000
23 Taiwan7 22111000000000
29 Andorra6312-11000000000
29 Argentina612221-1000000-10
29  Guadeloupe622211-10000-1000
29  Martinique622211-10000-1000
29  Slovenia632210-100000000
29  South Africa61212100000-10-10
35 Czech Republic521101000000000
35 Estonia521101000000000
35 Guam51202100000-1000
35 Puerto Rico522221-10000-10-20
39 Liechtenstein421001000000000
39 Slovakia42101100000-1000
41 Bolivia320021-10000-1000
41 Ecuador331011-1-1000-1000
41 Italy311011-100000000
41 Mozambique310011-10000-10-20
41   Nepal330011-10000-1000
47 Bermuda21100100000-1000
47 Bosnia-Herzegovina[note 6]2200110000-1-1000
47 Chile211020-1000000-10
47 Costa Rica220011-10000-1000
47 Croatia221011-10-100-1000
47 Cuba2100110-10000000
47 Macao21001100000-1000
47 Seychelles220011-10000-1000
47 Thailand2210-1100000-1000
57 Cambodia10001100000-1000
57 Cyprus111001-10000-1000
57 El Salvador120011-10000-10-10
57 Greece111001-1000000-10
57 Hungary1210-1100-100-1000
57 India[note 7]110010-10-100-1000
57 Lithuania120011-10-100-1000
57 Mexico121001-10-100-1000
57 Mongolia11000100000-1000
57 Panama1100110-1-1000000
57 United States Virgin Islands/ USA[note 8]112001-10000-10-10
62 St. Maarten[note 9]020001-10-100-1000
62 Bulgaria020001-10-100-1000
62 Montenegro020001-10-100-1000
62 Romania020001-10-100-1000
62 Benin00000100000-1000
62 Cambodia00000100000-1000
62 China/ Hong Kong00000100000-1000
62 Philippines[note 10]010000-100000000
62 Vietnam00000100000-1000
62 Albania020001-10000-2000
62 British Virgin Islands030001-20-100-1000
62 Japan00000100000-1000
62 Nicaragua010001-10000-1000
62 Kosovo030001-20000-2000
62 Latvia01000100-100-1000
62 Venezuela010001-10000-1000
62 Bermuda01000000000-1000
62 Lithuania020001-1000-1-1000
80 Poland-110001-10-100-1000
80 Guinea-Bissau-100001-10000-1000
80 Monaco-100001-10000-1000
80 San Marino-110001-20000-1000
80 Kazakhstan-1000010-1000-1000
80 Laos-10000000000-1000
80 Moldova-11000100-10-1-1000
80 Chile-111000-1000000-20
80 Seychelles[note 11]-120000-10000-2000
89 North Macedonia-200001-10-100-1000
89 Azerbaijan-20000100-10-1-1000
89 Armenia[note 12]-20000000-100-1000
89 Serbia-220001-10-10-1-2000
89 Gabon-200001-10000-2000
89 Fiji-200001-1-1000-1000
89 Ukraine-210001-10-10-1-1000
89 Vanuatu-200001-1-1000-1000
89 Cabo Verde-210000-10-100-1000
89 El Salvador-220001-10000-20-20
89 Honduras[note 13]-220001-10-100-10-20
89 Panama-200001-1-1-1000000
101 USA-3122-11-20-200-20-20
101 Singapore-30000000-1-10-1000
101 Rwanda-300001-20000-2000
101 Georgia-320001-20-100-10-20
101 Kyrgyzstan-300001-1-1000-2000
101 Myanmar-30000100-1-10-1-100
101 Tunisia-300001-10-1-10-1000
101 Botswana[note 14]-310000-10-1-10-1000
101 Cuba-3100010-1-100-10-20
101 Burkina Faso-300001-20000-2000
101 Mauritius[note 15]-310001-10-1-10-1-100
101 Peru[note 16]-310001-10-100-10-20
112 Antigua & Barbuda-40000000-1-10-1-100
112 Equatorial Guinea-400001-2-1000-2000
112 Suriname-400000-1-1-100-1000
112 Tajikistan-400001-20-100-2000
112 Trinidad & Tobago-400000-1-10-10-1000
112 Guatemala-400001-10000-20-20
112 South Korea-400001-2-1-100-1000
112 Lebanon[note 17]-400001-10-1-10-1-100
112 Barbados-400000-10-1-10-1000
112 Namibia-400000-10-1-10-1000
112 Belize-400000-10-100-1-100
123 Angola-500000-10-1-10-1-100
123 Democratic Republic of the Congo-500000-20-100-2000
123 Sri Lanka[note 18]-500000-1-1-1-10-1000
123 Burundi-500000-10-1-10-1-100
123 Republic of the Congo-500000-20-100-2000
123 Samoa-500000-20-1-10-1000
123 Sierra Leone-500000-10-1-10-2000
123 Paraguay-500000-10-100-10-20
123 Grenada-500000-10-1-10-1-100
123 Belarus-500001-1-1-10-1-2000
123 Oman-500001-1-1-1-10-1-100
123 Syria-500000-1-1-1-10-1000
123 Madagascar-500000-10000-20-20
123 Bahrain[note 19]-500000-20000-2-100
123 Ivory Coast-500000-20-100-2000
139 Haiti-600001-2000-1-20-20
139 Morocco-600000-10-1-10-2-100
139 Kenya-600000-10-1-10-2-100
139 Turkey[note 20]-600001-10-10-1-1-1-20
139 Bhutan-600000-2-1-1-10-1000
139 Brunei-600000-2-1-1-10-1000
139 Central African Republic-600000-20-1-10-2000
139 Djibouti[note 21]-600000-200-10-2-100
139 Eritrea-600000-20-1-10-2000
139 Ghana[note 22]-600000-20-1-10-2000
139 Liberia-600000-20-1-10-2000
139 Togo-600000-10-1-10-2-100
139 Tonga-600000-2-1-1-10-1000
139 Uzbekistan-600000-20-1-10-2000
139 Zambia-600000-20-1-10-1-100
139 Pakistan-600000-20-1-10-1-100
139 Bahamas-600000-10-100-20-20
139 Malaysia-600000-20-1-10-1-100
139 Nigeria[note 23]-60000000-1-10-2-10-1
158 Chad-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Dominican Republic-700000-2-1-100-10-20
158 The Gambia-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Egypt-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158Comoros Islands-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Dominica-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Ethiopia-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Iraq[note 24]-700000-2-1000-20-20
158 Kuwait-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Mauritania-700000-20-1-10-200-1
158 Papua New Guinea-700000-2-1-1-10-2000
158 Senegal-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Solomon Islands-700000-2-1-1-10-2000
158 Tanzania-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158 Turkmenistan-700000-2-1-1-10-2000
158 Maldives-700000-20-1-10-2-100
158  Vatican City[note 25]-700000-20-100-2-200
175 Bangladesh-800000-20-1-10-20-20
175 Swaziland-800000-20-1-10-20-20
175 Uganda-800000-20-1-1-1-2-100
175 Cook Islands-8-10000-2-1-1-10-2000
175 Qatar-800000-2-1-1-10-2-100
175 Sudan-800000-2-1-1-10-200-1
175 Zimbabwe-800000-10-1-10-2-1-20
175 Jordan-800001-2-1-100-2-1-20
183 Malawi-900000-20-1-10-2-1-20
183 Cameroon-900000-20-1-10-2-1-20
183 Guyana-900000-20-1-10-2-1-20
183 Libya-900000-20-1-10-2-1-20
183 Afghanistan-900000-20-1-10-20-2-1
183 Jamaica-900000-20-1-10-2-1-20
183 Russia-900001-2-1-10-1-2-1-20
190 Yemen-1000000-2-1-1-10-20-2-1
191 Saudi Arabia-1200000-20-1-10-2-10-5
192 United Arab Emirates-1300000-2-1-1-10-2-10-5
192 Iran-1300000-20-1-10-1-1-2-5
194 Somalia[note 26]-1400000-20-1-10-2-1-2-5

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. The Employment Equality Act allows religious-run workplaces exemption from its anti-discrimination provisions in order to protect their ethos.
  4. 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.
  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. 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, in order to be accepted into the EU.
  7. 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.
  8. The Virgin Islands of the USA 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.
  9. As an overseas territory of the Netherlands St. 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. 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.
  11. In May 2016 the Parliament of Seychelles decided to make homosexuality legal.
  12. Armenia has received many reports of illegal violence from police against homosexuals.
  13. In Honduras an anti-discrimination law has recently been passed, but in practice it is ignored.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. There are reports of a different judicial interpretations of the law on “sex against nature”.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. Police stopped violently the Gay Pride on June 29 th, 2015. This can be considered a de facto ban on the Pride.
  21. The Shariah-law in Djibouti is often superior to the constitutional laws, so it could be expected that homosexuality is punishable.
  22. In Ghana there is a ban on unnatural sex. The government recognizes in this a clear ban on homosexuality.
  23. 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.
  24. Homosexuality in Iraq is formally legal, but police and military track down homosexuals, and reports of murder and rape exist.
  25. 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.
  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.

United States
Main article: LGBT rights in the United States
List of U.S. states by their Gay Travel Index [7]
Rank State Total Anti-discrimination legislation LGBT-Marketing Equal Age of Consent Religious Influence Anti-Gay Laws Locals hostile
1 New York4211000
1 Nevada4211000
1 Massachusetts4211000
1 California4211000
4 Maine3201000
4 Vermont3201000
4 New Hampshire3201000
4 Connecticut3201000
4 Oregon3201000
4 Maryland3201000
4 Illinois3201000
4 Rhode Island3201000
4 Washington3201000
4 Wisconsin3201000
4 New Mexico3201000
4 Colorado321100-1
17 Iowa220100-1
17 Delaware2101000
17 New Jersey220100-1
17 Minnesota220100-1
17 Florida[note 1]21110-10
17 Arizona211100-1
23 Pennsylvania1001000
23 Hawaii1201-10-1
23 Kansas110100-1
23 Alaska1001000
27 Ohio00010-10
27 Nebraska01010-1-1
27 Missouri01010-1-1
27 Indiana000100-1
27 Wyoming000100-1
27 West Virginia000100-1
27 Virginia000100-1
27 Texas0111-1-1-1
35 South Dakota-10010-1-1
35 North Dakota-10010-1-1
35 Michigan-10010-1-1
35 Tennessee-1101-1-1-1
35 Louisiana-1101-1-1-1
35 Kentucky-1101-1-1-1
35 Utah-10010-1-1
35 Oklahoma-1001-10-1
35 Montana-10010-1-1
35 Idaho-10010-1-1
45 Mississippi-2001-1-1-1
45 Georgia-2001-1-1-1
45 Arkansas-2001-1-1-1
45 South Carolina-2001-20-1
49 North Carolina-3001-2-1-1
49 Alabama-3001-2-1-1

Notes

  1. In 2015 Florida explicitly lifted the adoption ban for homosexuals after federal judges ruled it unconstitutional in 2010.
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See also

References
  1. "2014's Gayest Cities in America". 6 January 2014.
  2. "1st place for Canada and Sweden - Spartacus Gay Travel Blog". March 2018.
  3. Spartacus Ranks Gay-Friendly Destinations: Sweden’s On Top (USA Not So Much) - Queerty, 3 March 2013
  4. "egotour.eu - user reviews, gay travel portal". www.egotour.eu. Archived from the original on 2019-02-03. Retrieved 2019-12-25.
  5. "Wyborcza.pl". Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  6. "Gay Consumers See Themselves as Tastemakers, Prefer Gay-Friendly Companies, Says Study". EDGE Media Network. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  7. "Spartacus World - The Home to international Gay Travelers -". Spartacus Gay Guide.
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